Skip to main content

Remove Distractions

Lesson 86 from: Fundamentals of Photography

John Greengo

Remove Distractions

Lesson 86 from: Fundamentals of Photography

John Greengo

most popular photo & video

buy this class

$00

$00
Sale Ends Soon!

starting under

$13/month*

Unlock this classplus 2200+ more >

Lesson Info

86. Remove Distractions

Summary (Generated from Transcript)

The lesson covers different distractions that can be present in photographs and provides techniques for removing or diminishing those distractions. The instructor discusses using cloning tools and spot removal in editing software, cropping to focus on the subject, adding vignettes to darken edges, adjusting highlights and colors, and adding blur to minimize distractions. The underlying message is to be mindful of distractions and take steps to enhance the focus on the main subject in the photograph.

Q&A:

  1. What are some common distractions in photographs?

    Common distractions in photographs include sensor dust, unwanted objects or elements in the frame, and excessive empty space.

  2. What tools can be used to remove distractions in editing software?

    Cloning tools and spot removal can be used to remove distractions in editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom.

  3. When is it acceptable to crop a photo?

    It is acceptable to crop a photo when there is excessive empty space or when the subject is not properly framed due to the limitations of the lens.

  4. How can vignettes be used to enhance focus on the subject?

    Adding vignettes, either through editing software or in-camera settings, can darken the edges of a photograph and draw attention towards the main subject.

  5. How can highlights and colors be adjusted to minimize distractions?

    Highlights and colors can be adjusted to diminish distractions by reducing the brightness or saturation of certain areas in the photograph.

  6. How can blur be used to minimize distractions?

    Adding a subtle blur to the background or less important subjects can help direct the viewer's attention towards the main subject in focus.

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

23:32
2

Photographic Characteristics

06:46
3

Camera Types

03:03
4

Viewing System

22:09
5

Lens System

24:38
6

Shutter System

12:56
7

Shutter Speed Basics

10:16
8

Shutter Speed Effects

31:57
9

Camera & Lens Stabilization

11:06
10

Quiz: Shutter Speeds

07:55
11

Camera Settings Overview

16:12
12

Drive Mode & Buffer

04:24
13

Camera Settings - Details

10:21
14

Sensor Size: Basics

18:26
15

Sensor Sizes: Compared

24:52
16

The Sensor - Pixels

22:49
17

Sensor Size - ISO

26:59
18

Focal Length

11:36
19

Angle of View

31:29
20

Practicing Angle of View

04:59
21

Quiz: Focal Length

08:15
22

Fisheye Lens

12:32
23

Tilt & Shift Lens

20:37
24

Subject Zone

13:16
25

Lens Speed

09:03
26

Aperture

08:25
27

Depth of Field (DOF)

21:46
28

Quiz: Apertures

08:22
29

Lens Quality

07:06
30

Light Meter Basics

09:04
31

Histogram

11:48
32

Quiz: Histogram

09:07
33

Dynamic Range

07:25
34

Exposure Modes

35:15
35

Sunny 16 Rule

04:31
36

Exposure Bracketing

08:08
37

Exposure Values

20:01
38

Quiz: Exposure

20:44
39

Focusing Basics

13:08
40

Auto Focus (AF)

24:39
41

Focus Points

17:18
42

Focus Tracking

19:26
43

Focusing Q&A

06:40
44

Manual Focus

07:14
45

Digital Focus Assistance

07:35
46

Shutter Speeds & Depth of Field (DOF)

05:18
47

Quiz: Depth of Field

15:54
48

DOF Preview & Focusing Screens

04:55
49

Lens Sharpness

11:08
50

Camera Movement

11:29
51

Advanced Techniques

15:15
52

Quiz: Hyperfocal Distance

07:14
53

Auto Focus Calibration

05:15
54

Focus Stacking

07:58
55

Quiz: Focus Problems

18:54
56

Camera Accessories

32:41
57

Lens Accessories

29:24
58

Lens Adaptors & Cleaning

13:14
59

Macro

13:02
60

Flash & Lighting

04:47
61

Tripods

14:13
62

Cases

06:07
63

Being a Photographer

11:29
64

Natural Light: Direct Sunlight

28:37
65

Natural Light: Indirect Sunlight

15:57
66

Natural Light: Mixed

04:20
67

Twilight: Sunrise & Sunset Light

22:21
68

Cloud & Color Pop: Sunrise & Sunset Light

06:40
69

Silhouette & Starburst: Sunrise & Sunset Light

07:28
70

Golden Hour: Sunrise & Sunset Light

07:52
71

Quiz: Lighting

05:42
72

Light Management

10:46
73

Flash Fundamentals

12:06
74

Speedlights

04:12
75

Built-In & Add-On Flash

10:47
76

Off-Camera Flash

25:48
77

Off-Camera Flash For Portraits

15:36
78

Advanced Flash Techniques

08:22
79

Editing Assessments & Goals

08:57
80

Editing Set-Up

06:59
81

Importing Images

03:59
82

Organizing Your Images

32:41
83

Culling Images

13:57
84

Categories of Development

30:59
85

Adjusting Exposure

08:03
86

Remove Distractions

04:02
87

Cropping Your Images

09:53
88

Composition Basics

26:36
89

Point of View

28:56
90

Angle of View

14:35
91

Subject Placement

23:22
92

Framing Your Shot

07:27
93

Foreground & Background & Scale

03:51
94

Rule of Odds

05:00
95

Bad Composition

07:31
96

Multi-Shot Techniques

19:08
97

Pixel Shift, Time Lapse, Selective Cloning & Noise Reduction

12:24
98

Human Vision vs The Camera

23:32
99

Visual Perception

10:43
100

Quiz: Visual Balance

14:05
101

Visual Drama

16:45
102

Elements of Design

09:24
103

Texture & Negative Space

03:57
104

Black & White & Color

10:33
105

The Photographic Process

09:08
106

Working the Shot

25:29
107

What Makes a Great Photograph?

07:01

Lesson Info

Remove Distractions

There's a number of distractions that you can have in photographs. First off, you should try to avoid these when you shoot the photos as much as possible, but there is in some cases no way to avoid it, or you just didn't realize it and you're dealing with it after the fact. So there is a number of ways of just diminishing the things that aren't so good. Alright, so I like the big open space in this photograph but I have a couple of problems down in the right hand side, I had two different types of problems: I had sensor dust and I had a little bit of gunk in the water. And so, there's some distractions down here that I didn't really like. So I took out the sensor dust, and you can lock me up in Photoshop prison but I took out that little weed in the water, 'cause I just didn't think it was necessary there. If you go back and photograph it right now I guarantee you it's not there, alright? So for that part, it's pretty honest rendering of what this place looks like. So I did take those ...

out and you can use various cloning tools to take that out. There is a spot removal tool in Lightroom that is mainly designed for dust but can be used for other small items. It's not super versatile at getting everything out if you have a really complicated thing that you need to take out, like an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, you're probably gonna need Photoshop for that, and that's will be on what we're doing in this class. Sometimes, there's just a lot of extra-space, you didn't have a long enough lens for what you shot, so that's distracting in some ways, so we wanna focus on our subject, so just simply cropping in is a factor that I don't like to do but sometimes you're forced into doing it because that's just the best you've got at the time. There's a Crop Overlay tool in every photo editing device, use it sparingly 'cause you are throwing away pixels at the time that you do that. So our main subjects are in the middle of the photograph and that's where I want your eyes to go, and I don't need them around the edge. It's okay if you explore the photograph here, but if I want to darken the edges a little bit it really keeps your eyes right there in the middle of the photograph. There's a number of ways of doing that adding your own vignettes. Where is the action here? And I'm just gonna add, just a very little subtle change to this. To adjust those corners to keep your eyes where I want the action to be. In order to do this, the Radial Filter can be used, you can also use the Adjustment Brush, if it's not a simple circle or oval, it's a more unusual shape that you wanna make it big. Be honest about yourself when you look at your photos, what's important, what's drawing your eye away from what's important. On the photo on the left, I felt that the sky was just a little bit too bright. It may seem very picky but I'm just adjusting those highlights and the whites down, so just that the sky is not quite as pure and stark white, as it is in the photo on the left. And it's good when you get picky, that means you're really paying attention with your photographs. Your eye is attracted to color, and the color in the background is kind of distracting from what we wanted here. It's very easy just to diminish the color a little bit, so I've selected the color and just diminished it, just a little bit so it doesn't draw your attention quite as much as before. Another way to do this is, you can add a little bit of a blur to the subjects that you don't want. This one is a little bit hard to see so let's blow this up so you can see what I'm doing here. There's a variety of ways that you can add a little bit of blur to your subject. Now, you can do a complete fake blur and do a fake shallow depth of field, but just going in, and throwing that subject just a little bit more out of focus than it already is, and it's just gonna tend for the eyes to go more to that subject that is in focus, rather than the one that's out of focus.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Fundamentals of Photography Class Outline
Learning Projects Workbook
Camera Keynote PDF
Sensor Keynote PDF
Lens Keynote PDF
Exposure Keynote PDF
Focus Keynote PDF
Gadgets Keynote PDF
Lighting Keynote PDF
Editing Keynote PDF
Composition Keynote PDF
Photographic Vision Keynote PDF

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Love love all John Greengo classes! Wish to have had him decades ago with this info, but no internet then!! John is the greatest photography teacher I have seen out there, and I watch a lot of Creative Live classes and folks on YouTube too. John is so detailed and there are a ton of ah ha moments for me and I know lots of others. I think I own 4 John Greengo classes so far and want to add this one and Travel Photography!! I just drop everything to watch John on Creative Live. I wish sometime soon he would teach a Lightroom class and his knowledge on photography post editing.!!! That would probably take a LOT OF TIME but I know John would explain it soooooo good, like he does all his Photography classes!! Thank you Creative Live for having such a wonderful instructor with John Greengo!! Make more classes John, for just love them and soak it up! There is soooo much to learn and sometimes just so overwhelming. Is there anyway you might do a Motivation class!!?? Like do this button for this day, and try this technique for a week, or post this subject for this week, etc. Motivation and inspiration, and playing around with what you teach, needed so much and would be so fun.!! Just saying??? Awaiting gadgets class now, while waiting for lunch break to be over. All the filters and gadgets, oh my. Thank you thank you for all you teach John, You are truly a wonderful wonderful instructor and I would highly recommend folks listening and buying your classes.

Eve
 

I don't think that adjectives like beautiful, fantastic or excellent can describe the course and classes with John Greengo well enough. I've just bought my first camera and I am a total amateur but I fell in love with photography while watching the classes with John. It is fun, clear, understandable, entertaining, informative and and and. He is not only a fabulous photographer but a great teacher as well. Easy to follow, clear explanations and fantastic visuals. The only disadvantage I can list here that he is sooooo good that keeps me from going out to shoot as I am just glued to the screen. :-) Don't miss it and well worth the money invested! Thank you John!

JUAN SOL
 

Dear John, thanks for this outstanding classes. You are not only a great photographer and instructor, but your classes are pleasant, they are not boring, with a good sense of humor, they go straight to the point and have a good time listening to you. Please, keep teaching what you like most, and I will continue to look for your classes. And thanks for using a plain English, that it's important for people who has another language as native language. Thanks again, Juan

Student Work

RELATED ARTICLES

RELATED ARTICLES