Hello everyone!! First of all, I'd like to say that since I found this site, I have learned so much. I have had PS6 installed on my computer for about two years now. I bought it that way. I just got a new computer, and copied PS onto disk to use. I couldn't seem to get it copied to download, but it works. I've played with the program with as much free time as a stay-at-home mom has. I got pretty good with the clone stamp, and started doing some restorations for family and friends, with a few paid jobs as well. Since I found this site, I have been able to tackle resolution, size, and begining layers. So yesterday, I took a bunch of pictures of my son to play with. Here goes. With this pic, I would like help with the exposure of his face. The background doesn't matter. Maybe to extend the top of his head, too. I would like to try to keep the greenish/hazel color of his eyes, if possible. If anyone can help me, I would love to get some of these processes down better. Thank you again for having such an informative, freindly site.
Jessy
P.S. If anyone wants to do some artwork on it as well, I love seeing that stuff.

Hi Fizzgiz, firstly let me welcome you to Retouch Pro. Your image is pretty well blown out, and because of that there is little or no data to manipulate in these areas, so any improvement will only be relative. In general it is easier to correct underexposed pictures than overexposed ones.

However I've had a go with your picture as follows.

Duplicated background, and de-saturated the new layer.
Inverted and set blend mode to soft light.
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+~ to select highlight areas on background, then ran levels adjustment layer.
Created new layer set to normal blend mode, sampled colour from good area on face and painted into blown out areas. Blurred, then adjusted opacity to about 20%. Added noise to give grain to the new "skin".
Flattened image and ran it through Neat Image to reduce noise caused by adjustments.
Finally sharpened slightly using USM.

Sorry image has posterised on posting, forehead area does not have patch on non posted version.

1. Duplicated the background layer
2. Made a Luminosity mask and copied to it's own layer and applied Multiply Blending Mode.
3. Ran byRo's Declipping action. Sampled a flesh tone color and painted
in the blown out areas.
4. Made Empty Layers set to Softlight, Color Burn and added tone and shape to the face.
5. Added an empty layer and painted in a little dark red for the cheeks
6. Merged visible and added 2% noise.
7. Made a Curves Adj. Layer to up the levels a bit.

K

Tasty yummers Ken! I wasn't coming up with anything close.

Dave

Thanks Duv,

Just as an after thought. I went back and added a Lum. mask to the Merged Visible layer and applied a Softlight Blending Mode ala our friend, Flora. It helped perk it up.

k

Thanks so much for your replys. I didn't think it was even half that fixable. I saved your posts, and will try them myself to learn better. Thank you again and again. Everyone here is so great, and I am striving to become better. Maybe I'll soon have enough confidence to show my own work (that I actually got money for) without feeling like such an ametuar. Thank you again, everyone here is so great.
Jessy