HOW TO Replace edges and remove objects

Open an image

Choose File > Open to find shot that needs to be recomposed. For max control over image editing, shoot with an uncompressed camera raw file. Raw files automatically open in Affinity Photo’s Develop Persona.

Straighten the horizon

Click on the Crop icon in the Tools panel. Set Mode to Original Ratio. This keeps the cropped shot the same shape as other photos from your camera. Click the Straighten button. Draw a line following the tilted horizon.

3 Transparent edges

The Straighten tool measures the angle of the tilted horizon and rotates the shot to counteract it. By doing this, Affinity Photo then needs to add transparent borders at the edges to preserve the image’s rectangular shape.

4 Crop the shot

Set the overlay to Thirds Grid. Drag the corner handles to crop out most of the bins and the lower transparent edges. Place intersecting grid lines on a subject you want to focus on for a better composition (see Jargon Buster).

5 Change persona

After straightening and cropping the raw file in the Develop Persona, switch to the Photo Persona (top left) for retouching tools such as the Inpainting Brush. Choose Window > Studio > Layers to open the Layers panel.

6 Replace edges with white

Choose Layer > New Fill Layer, and fill with solid white. In the Layers panel, drag the white layer below the one with your photo. This replaces the transparent edges with white, so it’s easier for the Inpainting Brush to do its thing.

7 Merge layers

Hold the Up–arrow key and click on the two layers in the Layers panel to select both. Ctrl–click one of the layers and choose Merge Visible from the contextual menu to create a flattened layer with the image and white edges.

8 Fill in the edges

In the Layers panel, click on the merged top layer. Then click and hold on the Healing Brush in the Tools panel, select the Inpainting Brush, and run it over the white edges. It will automatically fill them with sky and tree pixels.

9 Remove unwanted objects

You can also remove unwanted objects. Brush over the cyclist to replace him with road and plants. Then brush over holes in the castle to fill them with adjacent bricks.

10 Manual cloning

The Inpainting tool can’t hide the remaining bit of blue bin while preserving the fence behind it. Select the Clone Brush tool, then Alt–click on a clean bit of fence. Brush over the blue bin to replace it with fence pixels.