Google’s Magic Eraser widget First appeared on Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. It is an editing feature designed to remove people or objects that you don’t want in the background of your photos. Given that it’s so easy to use, the results are good, but it certainly won’t put Adobe out of business anytime soon. But With Pixel 6A – And soon to versions 6 and 6 Pro – Google has added a new Magic Eraser function that I love much more than the standard scanning tool: blur. It’s easy to use, and the results are more consistent.
magic eraser Works a bit like content-aware fill in Photoshop. You make a selection, then use the information from the surrounding image to remove the unwanted subject and fill in the area. With certain subjects, especially if they are isolated from other objects in your photo, it works fairly well. Since most images are viewed on (relatively) small screens these days, the results look acceptable. But if the object you want to remove interferes with other elements of the image, the final image does not look good. It’s hard for the system to make a good guess about how to fill in the remaining space, and it can create some weird-looking artifacts that are an even bigger distraction.
This is where camouflage is a great option. Instead of trying to completely remove the unwanted object, the tool just desaturates to make it less distracting. It’s perfect for a bright purple stroller behind your theme for example. Using a Magic Eraser will make a mess of trying to clone it out of existence, but camouflaging it will do just enough to make it less of a distraction.
I often shoot in portrait mode for the same reason Magic Eraser is: to draw attention to my subject and defocus on objects in the background. But especially with a portrait mode shot, I don’t necessarily want to completely remove something that’s in the background because it’s already blurred to partially reduce distraction. Plus, it might be something that adds context to my image. Desaturating a brightly colored object behind my subject helps keep attention where I want it, without losing that context or introducing other distracting elements.
Google spokesperson Matt Flegal says the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will get the camouflage tool on July 28, the same day the Pixel 6A goes on sale.
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