If you have some over exposed pictures with nature captured, you may use Photoshop settings Curves and Levels to fix them. However, when dealing with portraits, you should be more careful because just usage of those settings will not help you to achieve the best result. In this short tutorial you will know how to fix over exposed areas on the portraits.

We will try to fix those over highlighted areas and soften natural highlights on the face. As an example, I used different wedding portrait photos. On the image below, you may view over exposed area over the bride’s head. I’ve tried to fix it and here is what I got as a result.

These images illustrate natural highlights. As you know, in most cases highlights appear on the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. I will show you how to soften them.

Fixing over exposed photos

1. Open the image. The shot was done under bright sunlight; it resulted in creation of
   huge contrast between shadows and highlights. Before working with highlights
   directly, you should soften this contrast. (Pic. 1)

   Duplicate the background layer and apply Shadow/Highlight filter (Image – Adjustments – Shadow/Highlights). In the dialog that appears, ensure that the Preview box is checked in order you can see the results of your adjustments as you make them. In Shadow/Highlights dialog box, move the Amount slider in Shadows and fix it at 25.  (Also, you may highlight shadows in other ways: with the help of Kodak SHO, using blending mode Screen or by means of Levels setting moving the slider to the left). Change the blending mode to Soft Light to add more contrast (Pic. 2). By means of suitably sized brush of Clone Stamp tool replace all blemishes on skin with nearby clear skin of the same color.

   

2. Then, work with the over exposed area on the nose. Select the needed area by means of Quick Mask:

   Switch to Quick Mask mode (you can type the letter “Q” or click on the appropriate little symbol at the bottom of the layers palette). Using suitably sized brush select the needed area (it will be colored into reddish) (Pic. 3a). By means of pipette, choose the midtone color in the face and paint the selected areas using brush tool. (with small opacity values)(Pic. 3b). You can do it also by: Select – Color Range – select the over exposed areas. Feather the selection (5-15 pixels)

   

3. Apply Add Noise filter

   

Alternatively, you can fix over exposed photos in the following ways:

*****

1. Duplicate the layer
2. Select the highlights in a way you like more and copy that selection to the new layer
3. Holding Ctrl, select copies of highlights
4. Using brush paint the selection with the matching color
5. Apply Gaussian Blur filter with radius 20 pixels
6. Add noise
7. Play with Opacity values until you are satisfied with results

*****

1. Using Alt +pipette select the matching color for highlights painting
2. In the Darken mode using suitable sized brush paint the highlights

*****

1. Select the highlights or too light areas on the image
2. Copy the selection to the new layer; change the blending mode to Multiply
3. Correct the color intensity and tones, soften edges using Eraser tool with small opacity values
4. Merge the layers

*****

1. Create new layer
2. Change the blending mode to Darken (you will work on pixels lighter than original ones, chosen for retouching with Clone Stamp). You may also work in Normal mode, it looks pretty good.
3. Select Clone Stamp Tool. Adjust the brush size in accordance with your highlights characteristics. (I used 15-20%). On the top tools bar, select “all layers” mode.
4. Select Clone Stamp Tool and replace lighter areas with darker ones.
5. Blur those areas
6. Add noise with 2-3% values
7. Set opacity values at 75%

Highlights/Shadows balance

One more tip concerning photo retouching. If it occurs that faces on the photo seem to be too flat, you can correct it by doing the following:

1. Create new layer, fill 50% gray, change blending mode to Overlay
2. Using white brush, add highlights to the nose, chin, cheeks and forehead; then using black brush with small (10%) Opacity values draw the shadows.
3. Apply the Gaussian Blur filter, adjust the Opacity

If you want to add only highlights to the image, please, it is not a problem. Few simple steps:

1. Create new layer

2. Change the blending mode to Soft Light. By means of hard white brush draw highlights (forehead, chin, nose, cheekbones)
3. Apply Gaussian Blur, play with Opacity values until you are satisfied with the result.

That’s all by now

Written by Brenda Kollins, photo retouching expert from HundredPics studio.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 3:07 am and is filed under Useful, Designer's tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.