Glasses Glare Removal - Lightroom 3

<p>Hi All - <br>

I've tried researching on here and elsewhere if glasses glare removal is possible in Lightroom and I am not finding any good results. Can someone please answer this for me. If it is possible, can you show me some steps/tips how this is done. Based on what I am reading that this is only possible in Photoshop.<br>

Thank you all! </p>

<p>Since Lightroom is basically a global image editor, and glare removal takes pixel-level editing, your conclusion is correct. Either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements can do that job, but not Lightroom. If the glare isn't too large you might be able to touch it up with the clone/heal tool in Lightroom, but probably not.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, <a href="http://www.gimp.org/">GIMP</a> would be as well suited to glare removal as Photoshop, and GIMP is free! Unfortunately both programs are fairly complex, and take a while to become familiar with. In addition, glare removal can be quite an involved procedure, depending on how much and which parts of the eye need to be restored.</p>

I wouldn't entirely rule out Lightroom, although as has been said, it is not exactly the best tool for such a job. Can you post the photo whose glare you want removed? I'd like to give it a try in LR3 if I can...

<p>Thank you all for your helpful responses. <br>

Mark - I will post a photo later today (around 5 - 6 Central time)- I apologize but I don't have access to my photos right now. In what format would you like me to post this? Raw?<br>

If Lightroom doesn't work - I will give Element or GIMP a try. </p>

<p>Re-size the area, say an inch around the glasses to no more than 700 pixels and compress if needed to < 100Kb.<br>

While we are mentioning programmes I'd expect to be able to do it with Paint Shop Pro :-) Maybe even Paint Net.</p>

<p>Here is one of many photo's that I am having issues with. </p><div></div>

<p>Please let me know if you need this in a different format. Thank you</p>

<p>Amel, unfortunately, in the reduced size version of the image that you posted, there are not enough pixels around the eyeglasses for anyone to do a good job on the removal of the reflections. JC suggested this first, and I completely agree that you should take the full resolution photo and simply crop away everything but the area of the eyeglasses and post the cropped version without further reduction in the number of pixels.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>Less than 30 seconds with burn tool set for highlights, small radius and 35% exposure.</p><div></div>

<p>will this work </p><div></div>

You can then brighten the lower eye with the dodge tool to give a more even shade.

Like this.<div></div>

<p>I played around with it a little bit. This isn't a matter of removing the reflection, it's recreating what that reflection obscures... I am not an artist! I used the clone tool to copy similar skin data from other areas around his eyes then reshaped the pupil, iris, and catchlight. Then, using the smudge too set to about 3 pixels, I recreated the upper eyelid and used the blur tool to blend the adjustments. I spent about 15 minutes. Honestly, I don't find the reflections all that distracting in the first place.</p><div></div>

<p>DOH! I misshaped his right eye. This one's better...</p><div></div>

<p>A good job Jeff and I didn't find the reflections too bad in the first place either ... in a differently organised photo with some people not looking at the camera, not just the boy with glasses, one might have been able to reflect darker tones in the glasses ... it is a varient of the shooting through glass problem.</p>

<p>Scott - Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't see much difference between two pictures that you posted. <br>

Do others agree with me? <br>

Jeff - this does look very good. Thank you for your help and explanation. <br />Now my question is - Did you do this in lightroom? I've messed littlebit with clone tools and such but not the smudge tool. <br>

JC and Jeff - This is one of 10-15 photos that have these glass glare issues. I took some photos of wife's family members. I am not getting paid for this more of a hobbi for me for now. What is the acceptable glass glare in portraits. I know will have differnet preferances but since you are telling me it's not bad in the first place - maybe I am just looking way too much into it. <br>

Thank you all.</p>

<p>I used Photoshop CS4. As someone mentioned, Lightroom makes (for the most part), global adjustments. There are some targeted things you can do but in general, Photoshop is better suited. I haven't used Gimp but from what I understand, most of the things I did here are available in that free editing program. I didn't do anything in CS4 that couldn't have been done in the much less expensive (less than US$100) Photoshop Elements.<br /><br />Concerning acceptability, in the case of your photograph, the reflection on his glasses only obscures a portion of his eyes and I think anyone viewing the photograph would expect to see some reflection in the glass, that reflection is the only thing indicating that there are lenses in the frame. What I would consider unacceptable is anything that turned one or both lenses completely or predominantly opaque or actually caused flare. Basically, anything that draws your attention away from the subject. I do not think that's the case with the photograph you offered as an example.</p>

<p>I definitely see a difference in Scott's examples. The eyes behind the specs appear to be more defined/detailed by reducing the brightness of the sky reflection (top of glasses) while not completely removing an "expected and subjectively accepted" amount of glare.</p>