How to reduce the transparency of these curtains?

[Dansercoer]

Hi all,

I am currently photoshopping (CS5) this picture and I was wondering whether anyone could give me some advice on how to reduce the transparency of the curtains (in the bottom half a terrace and window frame are shining through)?

I tried playing with the 'Output Levels' on those areas, but the result is quite uneven. If only the folds were parallel I could stretch the top part over the terrace.

Thanks in advance!

 

[The_Traveler]

this would be easy to make a channel mask and then fiddle with the background.

 

[gsgary]

Don't bother reshoot it one of my favourite sayings with PS is "**** in **** out" PS is not a life saver, why did you shoot towards the curtains

 

[amolitor]

To be honest, I cannot see what you're talking about. These look fine to me. It sounds like you're seeing objects on the other side of the curtains, in the form of some sort of soft outline? I am not seeing anything like that, so I think it must be so unobtrusive that you have to know what you're seeing before you can see it.

Am I misunderstanding something?

 

[Dansercoer]

Thank you The_Traveler, could you specify 'fiddling' please?

Unfortunately I cannot reshoot the picture as somebody else shot it abroad. I'm glad it's not too obtrusive, this is where the terrace is:

 

[The_Traveler]

A channel mask could easily be used to separate background from foreground.
Here is a decent tutorial.Removing the Background - Photoshop Channel Mask
It would need a higher resolution shot than the one you posted to have a satisfactory result.

 

[Dansercoer]

In the end I stretched out the terrace bits and levelled it out with the rest of the curtains.