Need Retouching Help -- on deadline

[timporter]

Hi All ...

 

I blew the lighting on the below photo -- letting the rim light hit the cheek too low and causing a hard edge

across the skin. Any ideas or suggestions on how to soften that edge or blend it in. (I haven't done any other

work yet on the image.) Thanks so much for any help.

<br><br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/7431778">Here's the picture.</a>

<br><br>

 

 

-- Tim<br><br>

<a href="http://www.timporter.com/seconddraft">Second Draft</a>

[herma]

Ok, since I've been helped many times on PN, this is my contribution. Don't ask me how I did it, because I used just about everything. What do you think? I also fluffed him up a bit.<div></div>

[herma]

Wow, how did it become a full picture? I didn't mean to do that. I wanted him as a link.

[pam_r]

Here's my quickie fix. It still needs a bit of fine tuning, but you'll get the idea....<p><div></div>

[timporter]

Herma ...

 

Thanks so much. But ... can you point me toward how you did it. Not the step by step, just a general direction. I need to work up a hi-rez version for the client.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

[pam_r]

Here's a larger before/after:<p><div></div>

[timporter]

Pam ... thanks ... what tools did you use :)

[timporter]

Pam ... just saw your first post .. thanks again

[pam_r]

The healing brush and clone stamp. Mostly the healing brush to blend in the areas between wrinkles/lines and the clone stamp to work the light/dark wrinkle lines into each other. Harder to describe in words than to actually do ;-) Also, after you've done the initial lightening, add a layer mask and use a gradient to blend the bottom of the "triangle" shaped selection you've made into the good shadow area. IOW, feather the fix.

[herma]

I first did some levels adjustments in Lightroom. Warmed him up a bit, level adjustments tone curve, decreased the highlights and lights and increased the darks and shadows. Then in PSE5, I did some skin adjustments, then I, oh gosh, I am a like a cook that doesn't folllow the receipe, some cloning with low opacity, some blending, tried some color replacement, some dodging on the deep wrinkles, some teeth dodging. I think he looks rather good. Wish you would have posted the bigger version to begin with.

 

Herma ;)

[timporter]

Thanks ... I'll try it again. I need it to look good in hi-rez :0

[pam_r]

<i>"Wish you would have posted the bigger version to begin with."</i><p>

 

Nice job, Herma. Just to clarify, Tim didn't post a larger version. I enlarged his original, then took a screen grab just to show the changes a bit better. So it's a bit pixelated, but easier to see hopefully :-)