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How to Get Rid of Phantoms in Photos

From time to time you may see small reflective objects in your digital pictures. They look like small sun flares or refraction from some other light source but are often in a random location. Referred to as "Orbs" or Phantoms" these aberrations can be removed in post processing. To remove these items is best to use a photo editing program that has some advanced features. Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop Elements each have a tool that will perform this task.

Things You'll Need

Adobe CS5 or Photoshop Elements

Instructions

- 1
  Turn on your computer, open Adobe Photoshop CS5 or Elements. In the navigation bar click "File" and select "Open" from the drop down menu.
- 2
  Use your cursor to navigate to the folder containing the images you want to edit. Highlight the file by clicking on it and select "OK" in the bottom right of the window, and the picture will open in the editor.
- 3
  Select the "Spot Healing Brush" from the margin on the left side of the screen. The tool is represented by an icon that looks like a band-aid. After you have selected the tool, place your cursor over the aberration in the photo. Confirm that the circle shape of the tool is large enough to encompass the aberration. If not, change the value in the "pixel" window located in the tool bar. You want the tool to be only slightly larger than the area you are fixing.
- 4
  Reposition the tool over the aberration and click the left button on your computer mouse. The program will remove the spot and will draw information from the surrounding area of the image to fill in the hole left by the aberration. All of this happens instantly. Repeat the process for other phantoms that may be in your picture.
- 5
  Click "File" in the navigation bar, select "Save as" from the drop down menu, give you edited picture a new name and save it to your computer's hard drive.

Photography