As an amateur photographer (very amateur), I know how hard it is to get that perfect picture. Countless times, over the years, I’ve ended up with the perfect shot only to have it spoiled by one small detail that if removed, would enhance the photo a great deal.
PhotoShop of course, is a terrific software product for all sorts of photo manipulation, including removing unwanted objects from photos. The downside with PhotoShop is, the learning curve is particularly steep. As well, PhotoShop is definitely at the upper end of the price range for software, and probably out of reach of the average user.
Recently, I came across a great little (1.5MB), free Windows application, PhotoWipe, (last updated March 18, 2010), a basic photo editing tool which makes it easy to get rid of unwanted elements from photos.
The GUI is very simple since it includes just a few basic tools.
Using PhotoWipe doesn’t require that the user learn a complicated process.
All you need to do is:
Open the image to be worked on.
Paint over the parts to be removed black, using one of the brushes which are available in a number of sizes.
If you make a mistake you can use the eraser tool to correct your error.
Use the built in preview viewer to check your work.
Save your new file.
Take a look at the photo below, taken from my Dock a few summers ago, which shows an unsightly TV tower deep in the background.
Using a simple PhotoWipe tool and bingo! No more ugly TV tower.
PhotoWipe does a good job when removing, or repairing, minor elements within a photo, but don’t expect miracles. Even so, it should be part of every amateur photographer’s image editing toolbox.
System Requirements: Windows 7, Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows XP
Download at: Download.com
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Bill Mullins' Weblog - Tech Thoughts 
Hi Bill,
I’ve been known to screw up more than a few shots, so this might come in handy. I’ll give it a try.
Thanks for this.
Liam
Hi Liam,
Good one. Hope you find it useful.
Bill
Hey Bill—thanks for sharing this program with us. Wipe Out seems like a great alternative for people who are aren’t proficient with Photoshop. Can you do anything besides remove details with this tool? It would be great if you could make other edits and crop photos with it as well.
Hey TuneUp,
Unfortunately not. This is definitely a single purpose tool.
You’re suggestion is a very good one though. Having this extra capability would add enormously to the value of this application.
Bill