# Leave it or Clone it Out?



## Ysarex (Mar 15, 2018)

From my walk to the grocery store. My mother used to tell me that every injury of your youth would be back to visit you in your old age -- I think I just took a picture of that.

Anyway -- can't decide on the obvious cloning job. If you can't see it then the answer is leave it.

Joe


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## dxqcanada (Mar 15, 2018)

You mean the nail ?


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## SquarePeg (Mar 15, 2018)

Out damn spot!


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## zombiesniper (Mar 15, 2018)

I see it but it doesn't detract from the image.


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## Ysarex (Mar 15, 2018)

dxqcanada said:


> You mean the nail ?



Yes.


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## Ysarex (Mar 15, 2018)

zombiesniper said:


> I see it but it doesn't detract from the image.



Does it add?

Joe


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## tirediron (Mar 15, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> Does it add?
> 
> Joe


It's part of the image.


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## limr (Mar 15, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> zombiesniper said:
> 
> 
> > I see it but it doesn't detract from the image.
> ...



For me it does. I like unexpected elements, and the nail clearly breaks the vertical pattern of the image but in a good way. The whole image is about the shapes and color and texture, and the sudden round nail adds even more texture.


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## Derrel (Mar 15, 2018)

The nail provides dissonance (in a good way!) in a composition that's heavily dependent upon repetition. To me, it also adds verisimilitude. I say leave it in. Definitely, leave it be!


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## zombiesniper (Mar 15, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> Does it add?



No but for me neither does the left 20% of the image. I like it the way it is.

Clone/healing things out like this. I don't get it. If the nail were painted or not looking like it belonged I could get behind removing it but in this case it's something you'll notice but it makes sense to be there.


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## weepete (Mar 16, 2018)

leave it


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## Christie Photo (Mar 16, 2018)

When faced with something like this, I usually ask myself...  if I was working with a different medium...  like oils or pastels, would I have added it?  It helps remind me that I have the same control with photographs and can place any element (or not) wherever I wish.

Personally, I like the nail head.  It helps me realize just what I'm looking at.  The one thing I _am _tempted to do is a _very _wee bit of distorting at the bottom left corner so that the left ridge of the metal is as perfectly plumb as the rest.

-Pete


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## Designer (Mar 16, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> From my walk to the grocery store.


Frankly, this composition has so many other ways to go that worrying about one nail head is "straining".

For me, the brightness of the area to the left of the nail is more distracting.  And then I begin to look at other things.  You've cropped some of the vertical stains top and bottom, and included a bit too much on the left side.

If you have any more image to work with, try a vertical or square format and simply crop the nail off the edge.  So now maybe it's more abstract?


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## Designer (Mar 16, 2018)

Second (or fourth) look makes me think I should have deleted a ridge off the right side as well.  

Like this:


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## Gary A. (Mar 16, 2018)

Leave it ... yes it adds ... it disrupts ... it disturbs ... it brings realty into a subtly mesmerizing image.  One's imagination kicks in the moment of viewing ... a visual voice recording, seismic activity, warp speed Scotty, as the viewer gets warm and snuggle and far away ... there's the nail bringing them back to reality. The nail is mean, it is unwanted, it is a keeper.


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## Ysarex (Mar 16, 2018)

tirediron said:


> It's part of the image.





limr said:


> For me it does. I like unexpected elements, and the nail clearly breaks the vertical pattern of the image but in a good way. The whole image is about the shapes and color and texture, and the sudden round nail adds even more texture.





Derrel said:


> The nail provides dissonance (in a good way!) in a composition that's heavily dependent upon repetition. To me, it also adds verisimilitude. I say leave it in.





zombiesniper said:


> No but for me neither does the left 20% of the image. I like it the way it is.





weepete said:


> leave it





Christie Photo said:


> Personally, I like the nail head. It helps me realize just what I'm looking at.





Gary A. said:


> Leave it ... yes it adds ... it disrupts ... it disturbs ... it brings realty into a subtly mesmerizing image.





Gary A. said:


> Leave it ... yes it adds ... it disrupts ... it disturbs ... it brings realty into a subtly mesmerizing image.



Looks like a consensus for leave it. Apart from Designer's take on it here's the cloned variation for reference:




 

I'll leave the nail.

Joe


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## Ysarex (Mar 16, 2018)

Designer said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > From my walk to the grocery store.
> ...



Yep, I really didn't like the vertical stains being cropped top and bottom but I had no choice unless I wanted to get involved in serious cloning work. Other large rust stains are just a few mm outside the frame. I played around with the square idea and I think that has merit. I could definitely end up with a square variant as you suggest. I usually do crop my images but this one is from the camera entirely uncropped and I think I was too pleased with myself for being able to hold the camera level for once that I left it as is.

Joe


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## Ysarex (Mar 16, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


> Out damn spot!



So I'm not sure if this is just you figuring out what it was or if you're the sole vote for cloning it out. That was my first instinct.

Joe


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## SquarePeg (Mar 16, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> SquarePeg said:
> 
> 
> > Out damn spot!
> ...



I just like MacBeth.


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## Gary A. (Mar 16, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > SquarePeg said:
> ...


Reason enough to clone out the nail.


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## Ysarex (Mar 18, 2018)

foxtraveller18 said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > From my walk to the grocery store. My mother used to tell me that every injury of your youth would be back to visit you in your old age -- I think I just took a picture of that.
> ...



Thanks -- glad you like it.

Joe


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## Cortian (Mar 18, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> Looks like a consensus for leave it. Apart from Designer's take on it here's the cloned variation for reference:
> 
> View attachment 155123


I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent: I like the one with the nail cloned-out better.  Much better.

I thought to crop out _one_ of the right-hand ridges, too.  So I tried it.  Didn't like it.


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## Ysarex (Mar 18, 2018)

Cortian said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like a consensus for leave it. Apart from Designer's take on it here's the cloned variation for reference:
> ...



There's a lot to be said for removing the nail. It's not like you'd miss it if you never knew it was there in the first place.

Joe


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## bulldurham (Mar 19, 2018)

Let it be, 
Let it be,
There will be an answer,
Let it be
dom,da-da-da-dom-dom-dom


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## DanOstergren (Mar 19, 2018)

Leave it!


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## Fujidave (Mar 23, 2018)

I`d leave it, as it adds to the whole image.


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