The statement that you can remove any unwanted element from a photo using Photoshop is a pretty bold one, yet if you use the right tools and practice enough, you will very much become able to do it.
(Success Tip: The easiest way to learn how to take portraits when you have little time to spare)
If your work takes you outdoors a lot, particularly in large urban areas, you know all too well that you’re going to have stuff you don’t want popping out in your frame. If you're not shooting tight crop portraits, this is a given. There are multiple ways of dealing with unwanted elements. If you have to remove a small object, a simple use of the healing brush tool can be enough. But if you've got something large in the frame, the size of a trash can or even bigger, the difficulty of removing it changes. Beginners with less Photoshop experience might just settle for a tight crop, even though it will cause the photo to look entirely different than what they first wanted. Again, with the right steps you can remove anything.
Selecting the element you want removed is a huge part of the process. The more accurate the selection, the easier the process will be. I recommend learning to use the pen tool. It is extremely accurate and you can alter the selection even after you've completed it. After you have selected the object, it’s time for some fine brush work. There are multiple tools you can use for repairing the frame, but probably the most effective are the clone stamp tool, the healing brush and the good old regular brush you normally use for coloring.
The best way to understand the process is to see someone doing it. Here is Photoshop expert Aaron Nace from Phlearn with a pretty impressive demonstration of what you can do with the right skillset.
Learn more about using Photoshop from these recommended books:
- Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book
- The Adobe Photoshop CC Book for Digital Photographers
- The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and Techniques