Help with wedding pic shadows!

[gophertee]

Hi all, I posted this on FredMiranda.Com and they recommended for me to jump to this forum for insight.
Here is what happened, I shot a wedding and got harsh shadows on the bride. I use PS CS2 and have tried everything from clone/dodge/paint but I am fairly new to the software so I don't believe I am doing it right. I walked through some techniques from Scott Kelby, but again I am lost. Can anyone assist and tell me how to remove most if not all the shadows? I have worked on this for the last 4 days and just can't seem to get a quality print (especially if they want it in a 8x10).
Can anyone help? I have a few pics with shadows and have been shot in raw - which - is something I did right

See the pic. And THANK YOU for those who try to help me!!

[PatrickB]

I recently had the same problem and tried everything from curves and masks to painting over, nothing quite satisfying. Flora pointed me to the most obvious solution

1. Select and feather the shadows you want to get rid of (not exact, just try to hit quite the edges plus a few pixels.

2. Copy your selection to a new layer,desaturate and invert it

3. Set blend mode to "Soft Light"

The result is very good and almost perfect, maybe a but of erasing or masking out to get the feel of lighting back and you're done!

[gophertee]

Originally Posted by PatrickB

I recently had the same problem and tried everything from curves and masks to painting over, nothing quite satisfying. Flora pointed me to the most obvious solution

1. Select and feather the shadows you want to get rid of (not exact, just try to hit quite the edges plus a few pixels.

2. Copy your selection to a new layer,desaturate and invert it

3. Set blend mode to "Soft Light"

The result is very good and almost perfect, maybe a but of erasing or masking out to get the feel of lighting back and you're done!

Patrick, I will give that a try! Anything to get a quality photo for the bride. I feel so bad and really messed up. I got slammed by a few for my lack of being a professional and not catching the shadows ahead of time. Thing is, what they said to me can only make me stronger - and - you better believe I watch out for this kind of stuff now!!

[Cameraken]

Gophertee

Welcome to RP

I used a similar method to Patrick.

1) Duplicate the image
2) Invert
3) Gaussian Blur
4) Set Blending mode to soft light

I also adjusted the exposure

Ken

[Kraellin]

gophertee,

welcome to RP!

i think the first thing i'd try is a simple smudge or push tool set on dodge and just wipe across the shadows. start with a low opacity.

Craig

[gophertee]

Love this site - I will be on here much gathering ideas and trying to assist. Thanks for all your replies, I will play around with these techniques.
One thing I noticed with PS CS2, there are a multiple ways to do the same thing. I guess its all a matter of what works best for me and that the client likes.
Thanks again!

[Gary Richardson]

Had a quick go with your picture.

Selected dark areas, copied and pasted to new layer.
Levels and colour balance adj to match.
Cloned over joins.

Cut and pasted left half or brides neck and jaw. Flipped and positioned over rhs of jaw and neck. Adjusted levels and colour balance, cloned joins.

A bit rough, but a better result could be got with larger image.

[Flora]

Hi gophertee,

Welcome to RP!

You have probably fixed your picture already, but I tried this:

after fading the shadows (using whatever method you feel more comfortable with), I created a blank Layer (Blending > Lighten) and, with a soft brush (Opacity 20-30%) sampling colour from surrounding lighter areas, I carefully painted over the remaining shadows ...

Merged and use the Patch Tool to minimize the 'joints' ...

USM to lightly sharpen ....

One question ... had the picture you posted been worked on already? ... I'm talking about the skin colour ... it seems to have 'bled' in their teeth ....

[nebgranny]

Hi Flora: How do you post the pictures before and after side by side like that ? Thanks Earline

[Flora]

Hi Neb!!

Originally Posted by nebgranny

Hi Flora: How do you post the pictures before and after side by side like that ?

• To save a B&A, after finishing a Restoration/Retouch I delete all Layers but Background and the merged final Layer. (Attachment 1).
  
  
• Right click on the picture bar and select 'Canvas Size' from the Menu. (Attachment 2).
  
  
• In the Canvas Size Dialog Box you see the size of your image and the position it will be placed if you increase the Canvas (default middle), (top part of Attachment 3).
  
  
• If you wish to put the images side by side horizontally, change the position to the top left corner square and increase the Width of your canvas of a little more of the double of the original size (bottom part of Attachment 3)..... If you wish to put the images one on top of the other, do the same, but increasing the Height.
  
  
• Select your 'Move' Tool and keeping the left mouse button pressed, simply drag your top Layer into position... (Attachment 4).
  
  
• Crop and Flatten your image and save it.