# Shadowed eyes?



## Tolyk (May 19, 2008)

I'm having a problem trying to fix "raccoon eyes" in a wedding portrait I took during the weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions on how this can be solved?

I'll post a sampled image, let me know if you need the original (it's in canon RAW, and before anyone says it, I know my ISO was too high... classic error of not changing ISO after leaving the church *sigh*)


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## Alpha (May 19, 2008)

Tried shadow/highlight already?


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## Tolyk (May 19, 2008)

Yeah, and no matter what combinations of settings I tried, it made it either grey & flat or just funky looking.

Then I tried to be inventive and tried using the spotlight filter  That so didn't work either


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## husky_mom (May 19, 2008)

I played a bit with it... hope you don´t mind


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## Tolyk (May 19, 2008)

Don't mind at all, my photos are perfectly okay to edit, but I do ask that one explains how they played with it 

However, I still think her eyes are too shadowed there.. I've seen people fix that, I just don't remember where I found it


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## husky_mom (May 19, 2008)

I used paint shop pro.. and can try a bit more just wasn´t sure how light you wanted them... I´ll try again and repost


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## Tolyk (May 19, 2008)

Well, her eyes are actually a rather brilliant blue, and I can't even tell they're blue at all in about 90% of the photos I took  I know it's something I need to work on in camera, but it's also useful to know how to lighten just the eyes


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## Alpha (May 19, 2008)

Cut out the eyes and make a new layer.
Make adjustments.
Blend back in.


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## Tolyk (May 19, 2008)

Alpha said:


> Cut out the eyes and make a new layer.
> Make adjustments.
> Blend back in.




By cut out the eyes, do you mean completely remove them from the original layer?


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## husky_mom (May 19, 2008)

you can use the bright blue feature if your camera has it... 

I did this... it´s a bit dramatic but you can do it by making layers in paint shop or photoshop...


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## Alpha (May 19, 2008)

Tolyk said:


> By cut out the eyes, do you mean completely remove them from the original layer?



No. Select the eyes. Copy them to a new layer on top of the original image.


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## Rachelsne (May 19, 2008)

Ok I have photoshop Elements 4 with a downloaded layer mask (elements 4 didnt come with it) which makes things easier for me, I am learning and enjoy experimenting. I probably over did the skin softening, but I felt that to blend the pander eyes in after cloning it needed some kind of skin softening

I made a new layer with just the bride
I de-noised the background
I cloned the cheek and brushed it over the pander eyes with the clone brush set at about 70%
I made a new layer with just her eyes, set the high pass filter to 1.9 I used the eraser tool to delete any areas I didnt want selected. I changed the eye layer to overlay and reduced the opacity, I think this keeps the eyes sharp.
I then made another duplicate layer of just the eyes and chose enhance, adjust colours and colour variations, then I upped the blue. erased the bits i didnt want to be blue-just left the irisis.
Merged eye layers down to the brides head then duplicated layer
Selected gausian blur
Added a layer mask and painted the whole mask black (makes the blur disapear)
Used the white brush to paint over the skin to bring back the blur on the skin only-going around details that needed to be kept.
simplified that layer and reduced opacity.
And as for the lips, well I havent quite worked out how to do teeth and lips yet LOL so they are not very good...

I hope you dont mind that I did all that, I love photoshopping and love practising-so thank you. and please excuse the poorness of my following lines, im on my laptop with no mouse so some of the blurring is a bit dodgy


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## Alpha (May 20, 2008)

Blur should not be part of your skin retouching regimen.


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## kellylindseyphotography (May 20, 2008)

That blur is really harsh!  I'd try to de noise it, then lighten the levels, adjust the curves and see where that brings you for correct exposure on the eyes.


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## Jim H (May 20, 2008)

Noiseware, select eyes, new layer from copy, brightness/contrast, layer mask, paint eyes, reduced eye layer opacity, bumped saturation.


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## Parago (May 20, 2008)

I personally think the shadowing under her eyes is the least of your problems. Why do you even want to fix it, do you want to offer this shot to them? No way would I have them order this print, it'll look horrible no matter what you try to fix it.

This is what I could do to reduce JUST the shadowing, but IMHO there's nothing you can do to fix this shot other than turning it into black and white and adding even more noise to make it artsy/grainy looking.

All previous attempts here to fix the noise look horrible I think.

I'd dump this one, serious.

I used Kubota Digital Fill Flash and Kubota Skin Powder Genie under her eyes, nose and lower lip and I dodged the white in her eyes some.


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## Tolyk (May 20, 2008)

I'm asking how to fix it so I know how to fix it, not to save this photo in particular. This photo just made me realize it. I'm trying to get better at photoshop work, so when I see things I may be able to fix with PS, I like to try. I have better shots later on that don't have the noise (I remembered to change my ISO a few shots in)

Thanks for your honesty, but I wasn't the professional photographer at the wedding, I just took some photos to see how I'd do. There are no prints being ordered.


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## Parago (May 20, 2008)

Tolyk said:


> I'm asking how to fix it so I know how to fix it, not to save this photo in particular. This photo just made me realize it. I'm trying to get better at photoshop work, so when I see things I may be able to fix with PS, I like to try. I have better shots later on that don't have the noise (I remembered to change my ISO a few shots in)
> 
> Thanks for your honesty, but I wasn't the professional photographer at the wedding, I just took some photos to see how I'd do. There are no prints being ordered.




Aaaaaah, ok ignore me then. I honestly thought you wanted to fix it and have them buy it, my bad. 

I LOVE my Kubota image tools, I couldn't live without them btw. Definitely worth the money.


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## Tolyk (May 20, 2008)

Naw, I'm a friend of the bride & groom and wanted some photos for facebook  (Unfortunately, I didn't get any incriminating ones) But looking through them, I noticed i had a lot of shadowed eyes, and I wanted to know how to fix it, for future reference. I tried multiple things but nothing gets the colour out clearly, without looking completely fake.

I know I need to work on not having the problem, but I couldn't use my flash as the pro photographers were working and I didn't want to interupt them.


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## Alpha (May 20, 2008)

You guys aren't getting anywhere with the noise removal/blur.


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## Tolyk (May 20, 2008)

I don't need noise removal, or blur.. I only wanted tips on the eye problem 

I've not tried your last tip yet Alpha, I will be attempting it next time I get in an editting mood.


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## amberlark (Jun 5, 2008)

I loved experimenting with the Liquify Tool.  This image was a fun challenge, I used a ton of Kubota Actions and a bit basic function.

Actions used:

"*Dark line eraser*" AV3...Used on the eyes and on the teeth.  I played this twice and brought the opacity down on the teeth layer.
"*Digital fill Flash*" AV2...Used everywhere, heavy on eyes.
"*Smokeless Burn*" AV2...Used to shade below the chin, around the edges, and on the iris.
"*Mocha BW*" AV2...When in doubt make it a pretty B&W.
"*Powder Soft CS2*" AV3...I brought back some detail on eyes and tiara.

I used some Liquify Tool to the hair bump, some healing brush on the eyes, and some cropping a the whole.







Amber
Kubota Image Tools team


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## DaveJ1983 (Jun 5, 2008)

Here's one way I've found works pretty well to fix shadowy eyes:

(this is with Photoshop)

1. Create a new layer and set its blending mode to "soft light"
2. Use the brush tool set to white.
3. Paint over the shadowy areas with it. It's alright to overdo it a little bit, after you paint on it, you can always adjust the opacity of the level.

I'll post an example of how it looks if i have a chance to get to it.


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## DaveJ1983 (Jun 5, 2008)

Here's my quick attempt.


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## Parago (Jun 5, 2008)

I have to say I love what Amber did but I'm biased since I am a huge fan of all things Kubota anyways.


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## dleblanc (Jun 7, 2008)

I don't know... Here's my edit.


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## osirus (Jun 21, 2008)

I joined in too


i dulplicated the layer ( always do that so theres always an original still)
took the dodge tool set to 24% and lightned some of the darkness.
then used the sponge tool and saturated the skin where i dodged.

it looked a lil odd.. so i reduced the opacity of the layer to about 75%, so it would show a bit of the shadows still underneath on the original layer.
and merged em.
i then ran the helicon filter plugin, ran a noise filter over it, bumped the colour saturation just a tad

then i duplicated the layer
did a levels adjsutment to make the eyes a bit more blue. only focsuing ont he eyes
added a mask
got rid of all but the pupils.
reduced the opacity of that layer as they were too blue for my taste.
merged em
dodged the whites of the eyes a little bit

saved


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## Parago (Jun 21, 2008)

Definitely one of the better attempts on this one - nice job Osirus.
What's that Helicon Filter you speak of?  Gotta go google.

Parago = Filter + Action Addict


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## John_Olexa (Jun 21, 2008)

When your shooting mid-day eye shadows under eyes happens a lot. A few thing to do,
1: Use your flash for a little fill.
2: Move the subject out of the sun under a tree, ect ect ( if possible)
3: Wait for a cloud to hide the sun again if possible.
4: Shoot earlier or later in the day again LOL.. if possible
5: if it's just a head shot like your is, Have the subject hold a reflector under his/her face about chest high.


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## John_Olexa (Jun 21, 2008)

:blushing::blushing: Sorry, just saw that this thread was in the *Graphics Programs and Photo Gallery* A place to show off your post processing skills, with explanations on how you achieved the results, including specialty images such as HDR. Share information and techniques using Adobe's Photoshop and other popular graphics software.

LOL Oh well maybe my post will help prevent needing photoshop :mrgreen:


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## Tolyk (Jul 7, 2008)

John_Olexa said:


> When your shooting mid-day eye shadows under eyes happens a lot. A few thing to do,
> 1: Use your flash for a little fill.
> 2: Move the subject out of the sun under a tree, ect ect ( if possible)
> 3: Wait for a cloud to hide the sun again if possible.
> ...


 Naw, that was all still helpful, but she was under a tree, and it wasn't just a head shot, that's just a cropped sample  Thank you though

And guys, all great efforts, when I get my computer back (it's in Ontario and I'm now in Alberta) I'll be sure to try some more of these. Thanks again everyone, the tips have been excellent.


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