I don't know how many times I've had to spend a good amount of time just to remove objects out of certain photos to allow them to shine and look their best. Removing these unwanted elements is one of the most common uses of software like Photoshop and Lightroom, and frankly, we'd have a lot to lose without them.
There are a lot of methods for removing unwanted elements from a photo, some more complicated than others. Some of the most common tools that have been in use for quite a few years now are the clone tool and the healing brush. They work well for removing small objects like sensor dust and skin imperfections, but they're not the most recommended for large scale work. There's also the content aware tool that does the job by itself a lot quicker, although it will misfire every once in a while.
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Aaron Nace from Phlearn Photoshop & Photography Tutorials has a very cool, new way of removing objects that has surprised me. It works great for cityscapes and basically any kind of photo, as long as you have multiple shots taken from the same position.
The technique is very easy to use and all it involves is a layer mask, so everyone with minimal Photoshop skills can use this technique for cleaning their images.
Learn more about using Photoshop from these recommended books.
- The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks and Techniques
- Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers Using Photoshop
- Digital Photo Retouching : Beauty, Fashion and Portrait photography