With some help from the Flickr photo-sharing Web site, James Hays and Alexei Efros - two researchers at Carnegie Mellon University - have shown how a new picture-patching program can transform flawed vacation shots into “Wow!”-worthy masterpieces.
Think of it as a bit of picture-perfect revisionist history for the digital age. Or how those snapshot souvenirs from Europe might have looked if that lovely bay hadn’t been blocked by a roof or the charming plaza hadn’t been marred by your two-timing ex.
Here's how it's done.
-- Bryn Nelson";
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A fatally flawed photo?
Ah, a wonderful vacation souvenir of that picturesque little street in Europe. But not with that car in the way. A picture ruined? Not so fast. ";
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Erasing the past
The first step in Hays and Efros' computer program is to remove the offending object, whether a thumb, a rooftop, an ex-boyfriend or a car, as in this case. But how can a computer program figure out that a road generally lies beneath a car and fill in the blank accordingly?";
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Putting the pieces together
The photo patching computer program overcomes the problem of \"knowing\" what should lie beneath a car by drawing upon a huge database of pictures that suggest an appropriate answer based on their similarities. In the final step, the program integrates the car replacement, though the pink curb suggests the fix can add new details to the final product. ";
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Only half a bay
In this vacation photo example, the offending roof blocking that gorgeous bay has already been erased. But what to put in its place? ";
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A bounty of bays
Here is just a portion of the 200 images from the downloaded Flickr database that most closely match the overall gist of the original scene: a bay with water in the foreground and mountains in the distance.";
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Wish you weren't here
After blending, some of the photo montages are less convincing than others, like this giant who seems to be striding ashore. Yikes!";
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Nearly picture perfect
This composite photograph of the original bay with newly added sailboats is far more convincing, thanks to seamless blending and proper proportions.";
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Beauty and the beastly blacktop
The Spanish building is beautiful. The blacktop and bus? Not so much. Thankfully, there's no shortage of potential solutions. ";
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Rivers run through it
Based on similarities with other pictures in the database, some of the composite solutions may be surprising, but each of these revisionist takes is arguably more scenic than the original version.";
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Before: A tranquil cityscape
A view down into a city that lacks a certain something. Take a close look at what can happen when the original sky is replaced.";
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After: A brewing storm
After - Ah, yes, more dramatic storm clouds. The composite has now completely transformed the image."; // END editorial data