Over Exposure

Hello,

 

Could someone show me how to correct a headshot in which a few spots on the face

are slightly overexposed? Thanks.

two things you could try...for starters try the burn tool in PS....set the flow down a bit and

select for midtones....if that doesnt work, what i sometimes do is create a new layer, sample

a darker color near the highlights, paint over the highlights, and lower the opacity of the

layer until it looks ok.

or, if you dont want to change the image in that way, you can recover it to some degree just with a curves layer. oddly the red channel has very little detail in all of the highlights, hence the blowout. i would recommend using foundation and powder to reduce highlighting next time, even though that model is probably a hard colour to match, seeing that, at least in the UK, most foundation is made for pale faced caucasians with blue skin. but makeup does help a lot to reduce specular highlights like that. it is very obvious that it is her skin, and not your lighting, when you look at her chest and shoulders.

 

curves are visible in the uploaded image.

 

t

Thank you for the suggestions. I may have to try both methods. It seems that I may have to use something like the "healing brush" tool in addition to what you've suggested. Is there not a sure-fire way to correct the blow out?

Your file prefix "CRW" suggests that this might be a RAW file from a Canon camera. If so, just decrease the exposure compensation or highlight contrast in your RAW conversion software, and you won't need to adjust anything in PS.

 

<Chas>

Thanks, Charles. I like your suggestion. Yes, this is from a RAW Canon file. Would you be able to give a more specific detail? I use Zoom Browser X to convert images. How do I adjust the exposure compensation as you suggests? And by how much? Thanks.