Help me with this edit please!

[ajwomic]

I took this pic in Orlando on vacation, but the face is in a shadow. Is there a way to lighten the face without over exposing the rest?

Thanks, Alicia

 

[Master Mason]

I believe what you want to do is to create a layer mask, where you can adjust the face but not the rest. Having said that, I know the idea, but not how exactly to do it yet.

 

[ukcatfan]

IMO it looks pretty nice already. I would just boost the exposure a little bit for a simple fix. The sunlight in the bottom is already a little over exposed, so you can't do much to hurt it.

If you do not want to get into masks, you might just want to play with the curves a little to boost the shadow area while leaving the midtones and highlights alone.

Kevin

 

[photo_chick]

Honestly I love it the way it is! IF you try and lighten that face too much you are probably going to get pretty noisy really quickly. That said... a layer mask is how I would seperate out the face to lighten it. (I stink at selecting areas of the image and find painting it with a layer mask faster and easier for me)

-Copy the image into a new layer
-attach a layer mask to that layer to make your alpha channel
-goto the background layer and lighten it to what you want (don't forget to turn off the view for the top layer here, or it will not look like you are doing anything!)
-now click on the top layer (turn the view back on) and select the layer mask.
-use black to create the alpha channel for what you want to show through. If you mess up, just hit x to switch to white. Use variying opacity adn a wet brush for the edges so it does not look "photoshopped"

 

[tinksdad]

I like it too!! Very sweet.
I did play with it a bit and gave her a soft light mask lighting at about 20% opacity. Looks ok, but photo chick warning about the noise is valid. Do you have a higher resolution version?

 

[Anewman]

Easiest(but maybe not the best) way to do it would be a levels adjustment.

Move the middle slider to the left, DONE.

 

[ajwomic]

Thanks for all the help. Here is the original. Maybe it is a higher resolution. I will try the levels adjustment also.

 

[ajwomic]

Thanks for all the help. Here is the original. Maybe it is a higher resolution. I will try the levels adjustment also.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Another option if you are using Adobe Photoshop CS2 (not sure if CS had this but if I remember correctly it did), try the Highlights/Shadows (Image-Adjustments-Shadow/Highlights...). You can use the slide scale to adjust the shadow areas, highlight areas, and midtone contrast. While this is not a panacea, I have had some success with that tool in modifying a photo whose dynamic range is slightly larger than the sensor's capabilities.

Jeff

 

[tinksdad]

A bit better....

 

[polkadotladybug]

No technical advice, but I wanted to say she looks like a little angel!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

it's no help now, but when you see a situation like that, look for something neutral colored (white or grey) that you can use as a reflector. If you had help a white pillow up near her to reflect light back on her face, the shadows would be reduced. When you use a reflector, it is often best to get it as close as possible without actually being in the picture.

Nice picture though. Honestly, I like it as is. I wouldn't mess with it.

 

[DVC Jen]

That is an awesome photo. This is just my personal opinion/taste.. but I like the color/original version better.

The colors are so subtle and soft - I think they enhance her innocence.

 

[ajwomic]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I still learning. When I opened the curtains that morning and saw the sun on her, I knew it had potential. But with her brothers already up and bouncing around, I knew I had to be quick!
Alicia

 

[Dznefreek]

Shadow and noise adjustments . . . .

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Alright, I took a crack at it. I also liked the color version best, so that's what I worked with.

I lightened the shadows on the face but left the levels alone for the rest of the picture. I desaturated some of the colors but left the ones I liked alone. I softened the face a bit and sharpened the hair and clothing.