Shadowed eyes?

Tolyk · May 19, 2008

I'm having a problem trying to fix "raccoon eyes" in a wedding portrait I took during the weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions on how this can be solved?

I'll post a sampled image, let me know if you need the original (it's in canon RAW, and before anyone says it, I know my ISO was too high... classic error of not changing ISO after leaving the church *sigh*)

Alpha · May 19, 2008

Tried shadow/highlight already?

Tolyk · May 19, 2008

Yeah, and no matter what combinations of settings I tried, it made it either grey & flat or just funky looking.

Then I tried to be inventive and tried using the spotlight filter

That so didn't work either

husky_mom · May 19, 2008

I played a bit with it... hope you don´t mind

Tolyk · May 19, 2008

Don't mind at all, my photos are perfectly okay to edit, but I do ask that one explains how they played with it

However, I still think her eyes are too shadowed there.. I've seen people fix that, I just don't remember where I found it

husky_mom · May 19, 2008

I used paint shop pro.. and can try a bit more just wasn´t sure how light you wanted them... I´ll try again and repost

Tolyk · May 19, 2008

Well, her eyes are actually a rather brilliant blue, and I can't even tell they're blue at all in about 90% of the photos I took

I know it's something I need to work on in camera, but it's also useful to know how to lighten just the eyes

Alpha · May 19, 2008

Cut out the eyes and make a new layer.
Make adjustments.
Blend back in.

Tolyk · May 19, 2008

Alpha said:
Cut out the eyes and make a new layer.
Make adjustments.
Blend back in.

By cut out the eyes, do you mean completely remove them from the original layer?

husky_mom · May 19, 2008

you can use the bright blue feature if your camera has it...

I did this... it´s a bit dramatic but you can do it by making layers in paint shop or photoshop...

Alpha · May 19, 2008

Tolyk said:
By cut out the eyes, do you mean completely remove them from the original layer?

No. Select the eyes. Copy them to a new layer on top of the original image.

Rachelsne · May 19, 2008

Ok I have photoshop Elements 4 with a downloaded layer mask (elements 4 didnt come with it) which makes things easier for me, I am learning and enjoy experimenting. I probably over did the skin softening, but I felt that to blend the pander eyes in after cloning it needed some kind of skin softening

I made a new layer with just the bride
I de-noised the background
I cloned the cheek and brushed it over the pander eyes with the clone brush set at about 70%
I made a new layer with just her eyes, set the high pass filter to 1.9 I used the eraser tool to delete any areas I didnt want selected. I changed the eye layer to overlay and reduced the opacity, I think this keeps the eyes sharp.
I then made another duplicate layer of just the eyes and chose enhance, adjust colours and colour variations, then I upped the blue. erased the bits i didnt want to be blue-just left the irisis.
Merged eye layers down to the brides head then duplicated layer
Selected gausian blur
Added a layer mask and painted the whole mask black (makes the blur disapear)
Used the white brush to paint over the skin to bring back the blur on the skin only-going around details that needed to be kept.
simplified that layer and reduced opacity.
And as for the lips, well I havent quite worked out how to do teeth and lips yet LOL so they are not very good...

I hope you dont mind that I did all that, I love photoshopping and love practising-so thank you. and please excuse the poorness of my following lines, im on my laptop with no mouse so some of the blurring is a bit dodgy

Alpha · May 20, 2008

Blur should not be part of your skin retouching regimen.

kellylindseyphotography · May 20, 2008

That blur is really harsh! I'd try to de noise it, then lighten the levels, adjust the curves and see where that brings you for correct exposure on the eyes.