What can I do to fix this

I know that I should have used a fill flash/reflector in this shot but I didn't

and now I'm trying to see if I can fix it any way. Any suggestions or ideas

would be greatly appreciated. It was shot in raw and I use CS2

process it lighter in raw, maybe .5-.7 stop. also desaturate -7% overall, and run unsharp

mask 10%, 200 pxls 0 threshold to bring back contrast (local contrast). you may need to

lighten it after the USM.

 

perhaps convert to b/w as color doesnt do much for me here.

There's nothing I can do to the overblown background because digitally captured there's no

information salvageable. So I just rode with it (which is an effect on its own) and used it as

the source for her hairlight.

 

First, white balance. Then create a new layer of the face alone and brighten. Adjust

saturation and contrast. Finally, place a vignette surrounding the subject to enable the eye to

focus toward it rather than on the window at the back.<div></div>

I forgot to add...sharpen image of subject. Here is a smaller copy.<div></div>

go outside! it looks like a beautiful day outside

Make a copy of the original file and lower the exposure as much as you can to try to get some detail in the window. The subject will go very dark.

 

Now open both the original and underxposed and layer the underexposed over the original. In the top layer, use select color range to select the dark subject and delete it.

 

 

 

There should now be a layer stack with only the window in the top.

Flatten layers.

 

Hold down the shift key when you use the move tool to drag and drop the underexposed to put it on top the original so it alligns properly. Also have the "snap to" function checked. Lower the opacity of the top to help with alignment if necessary.

 

You can also cheat and redo the photo without the woman but with a properly exposed window. Stand in the same place with the same focal length. Have her sit there only during the line up. Then follow the procedure above to merge but this time with the original on top and the nice white window selected out. The good window will show thru.

 

link to recovering lost highlight detail. Copy and paste address

 

http://www.planetphotoshop.com/recovering-lost-highlight-detail.html

 

Select-color range is a powerful tool that will ease selecting in this case.

 

It might work better if you just make a duplicate layer and work it that way. CTRL J is keyboard shortcut to make a dup layer.

 

I really think you will end up making a new window picture and merging, after the fact HDR.

Condoms? ...sorry! ;-)

Here's my crack at it. Uses a number of layers, including a shadow/highlight correction, several masked curves layers, saturation adjustments, and a warming filter. Not sure what you're looking for, but if this is it, I'd be happy to email you the layered file so you can play with it.<div></div>

HAHAH @ beau!

thanks everyone--i'm trying everything you said.

 

Just to make sure I understand--does the comment "condoms" refer to the fact that she shouldn't be pregnant because you don't think she looks good pregnant?? If that is what is meant--wow I can't believe how mature you are!

Oh, and I thought it was a beer belly (kiddin). Sorry! But Beau is right, what is wrong with a little humour? You're looking into it too deeply! Frankly, you've done a good job, but not at the photography. Images tell a story, and that is what I see.

Do you have Lightroom? In Develop the Fill Light setting is made for things just like this... IT works better than some other things Ive tried in Photoshop.

 

Or on a copy, click with the magic wand on a shadow area. Then use a Layer with Levels or Selective Color and Neutral to create changes. You may be surprised how much detail can be recovered this way. Capturing many different areas of the image, and improving each one individually.

Ive sometimes created 20 or more layers to salvage different areas of old family pictures from the 1800's which were badly stained, had scuffs or even tears, etc... Color images which had faded and were off color, etc that have been rescued,and you'd never know they were so bad before scanning them.