Digital photographers could soon be able to erase unwanted elements in photos by using tools that scan for similar images in online libraries. Research teams have developed an algorithm that uses sites like Flickr to help discover light sources, camera position and composition in a photo. Using this data the tools then search for objects, such as landscapes or cars, that match the original. The teams aim to create image libraries that anyone can use to edit snaps.
James Hays and Alexei Efros from Carnegie Mellon University have developed an algorithm to help people who want to remove bits of photographs. The parts being removed could be unsightly lorries in the snaps of the rural idyll where they took a holiday or even an old boyfriend or girlfriend they want to rub out from a photograph. To find suitable matching elements, the research duo's algorithm looks through a database of 2.3 million images culled from Flickr.