New to PS, but this was way beyond my skills

The attached picture wasn't taken by me, but needs to be salvaged to accompany an article. This is actually the better of two photos, but I can post both of them, in case someone with more experience sees it differently. Thank you in advanced for anything you can teach me!

 

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Edited November 30, 2017 by Spearhead

Here is the other option, with more severe glare. Edited November 30, 2017 by Spearhead

Perhaps this video might help - the software is different but the concept is the same:

 

(23:20)

 

Skip to about 15:05 if you like, but the whole video is quite informative.

Personal preference: I’d adjust very little here. I’d use the first photo, because even though the faces are slightly more in the haze of light, the rays of sunlight are not blown and look pretty nice. I think the light rays in this case give the photo some power and energy, so I’d use a light touch if you feel like adjusting it. Their smiles are both great and the light provides a sense of spirit that works. Of course, depending on what you’re using it for, maybe you need a cleaner look. Just wanted to make sure you don’t automatically reject the light rays. Good luck.

Here's about a minute of playing Edited November 30, 2017 by Spearhead

Have to agree, getting rid of the rays completely would be tough, and the image works fine with them. As an exercise, I wonder if the rays could be minimized by making a copy of the image, flipping it to negative, making it monochrome, then removing everything that wasn't "ray" with a lot of hand work. Blur it and use it as an unsharp mask with the original image. No, that's crazy, just go with the above!

Interesting post, Karim - although I'd say that significant tonal adjustments in colour are hard to get looking natural, so if this image isn't converted to monochrome it may be hard.

 

Meghan: Do you only have JPEGs, or do you have access to raw files? Having as much input information is possible will help if you're going to make big adjustments.

 

I don't promise this'll help, but two things I'd try:

1. For the general veiling flare rather than the sunbeams, I'd try your editing package's choice of haze reduction. (I think Adobe call it "Dehaze"; DxO call it ClearView.) It might do the basics for you. You could try creating multiple layers at different strengths, then blending between them according to how much flare there is at that location in the image.
   
2. For the light rays, you're going to have trouble with just one image, especially if they're washed out enough to saturate (especially in the second image). You could technically fix it if you could take another image with a light in the same place and the same lens, and just subtract the two - but I'm guessing that's not an option you have. I do notice, though, that the poses are very similar and the light rays fall in different places - so you may be able to combine the components to get a single clean image. Photoshop Elements 2018 has an AI-based "open closed eyes" feature that specifically handles people blinking in this way, but I suspect you'd have to do it manually (pick one image, then cut sections out of the other and overlay them, with suitable rescaling and blending so that everything roughly lines up and you can't see the edges).
   

The latter isn't terribly complicated in Photoshop, but it'd definitely be tedious. :)

 

But if it doesn't need to be critically perfect, Chuck's version (levels adjustments?) is a decent attempt. (Chuck, I hope that read as a compliment rather than a criticism!)

 

Disclaimer: I'm a software engineer, not graphics artist. My inclination is always to try to program a fix, which would be fine if you had six months and I didn't have other things to do...

Edited November 30, 2017 by Andrew Garrard

Thanks, that's how I took it. Yes, just REALLY quick level adjustment with a little extra adjustment on the man's face only. Maybe if I get really ambitious I'll do more. (Nah, I won't)

Do you only have JPEGs, or do you have access to raw files?

Image was apparently taken with a smartphone, so RAW doesn't appear to be an option.

I'd try your editing package's choice of haze reduction. (I think Adobe call it "Dehaze"

That's what I tried yesterday; dehaze in ACR and some curve adjustments as well as cropping to get rid of the worse offenders. Not very convincing, I must admit but might suffice for the intended use

Unlike the image in the video Karim linked too, here the fix is not that easy as it appears to be predominantly caused by a dirty lens and not by flare resulting from direct inclusion of the sun in the image. Also, as already pointed out above, applying the adjustments to the B&W image shown in the video is quite a bit more complicated in a color image.

 

so you may be able to combine the components to get a single clean image.

An idea I also had - and tried by using the second image. Unfortunately, they have the subject at different sizes and a different angle. While not impossible, I gave up as it would have taken a substantial amount of time that was not warranted when not working on the actual full size image.

 

Personal preference: I’d adjust very little here. I’d use the first photo, because even though the faces are slightly more in the haze of light, the rays of sunlight are not blown and look pretty nice.

Having tried "fixing" I would follow Fred's suggestion: leave it as it is and use it.

Edited November 30, 2017 by Spearhead

Create a duplicate layer and adjust its contrast and lightness using the curves tool to darken and strengthen the flared parts of the image as close as possible to the un-flared areas.

 

(Don't be tempted to use the crude brightness/contrast sliders to correct the flare. This is unlikely to work.)

 

You should now have the original image as one layer, and a mainly overdark and contrasty image on a second layer.

 

Make the darkened layer the lower one of the stack.

 

Select the eraser tool and lower its opacity to around 5% or even less. Make its brush very soft-edged and broad enough to just cover the smallest flare streaks.

 

Now carefully rub through the flared areas of the top layer to reveal the darker layer underneath. You should be able to balance the flared and un-flared areas reasonably well using this technique.

The attached picture wasn't taken by me, but needs to be salvaged to accompany an article. This is actually the better of two photos, but I can post both of them, in case someone with more experience sees it differently. Thank you in advanced for anything you can teach me!

 

Moderator: Per the photo.net Terms of Use, do not post photos you did not take. All photos in this thread that were not taken by posters have been removed.

I have had the same issue. Can anyone help me remove the glare from this picture?

[ATTACH=full]1226281[/ATTACH]

 

From what I see, you're going to have to do some painting with a clone brush.

The sunlight(?) streaks are too blown out to recover any image data from. They look pure white and devoid of any detail - so no way to 'enhance' them.

 

As Chuck says, creative reconstruction using the clone tool or healing brush is about your only option.