Can I fix this photo? (Dark Photo)

[plove53]

I took this photo (my grandson) and it cam out very dark… It was a quick snapshot. BUT I love his expression I would like to keep the integrity of the photo without loosing too much of the color or grain. It was taken at 1600 iso… not flash because I was in a hospital (for his new born sister!).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5347970...77655072/meta/

I hope you can view the photo.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks,
-p

[plove53]

Originally Posted by plove53

I took this photo (my grandson) and it cam out very dark… It was a quick snapshot. BUT I love his expression I would like to keep the integrity of the photo without loosing too much of the color or grain. It was taken at 1600 iso… not flash because I was in a hospital (for his new born sister!).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5347970...77655072/meta/

I hope you can view the photo.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks,
-p

Here is the attache photo

[philbach]

That is a great photo and can be fixed several different ways. Its too dark and too yellow.

What I did is I added a curves adjustment layer (you can just copy the layer as is I might add) and I used a screen blending mode. I copied that layer again which brought back the luminosity. To decrease the yellow I used image adjustment variations and adjusted the color to what seemed to be ok.

Finally on the left side of his nose I used a selective color adjustment layer to decrease the yellow in the yellow.

It probably should be cropped too. Hey its a great photo.

[0lBaldy]

Not quite as good as Phils' but used the free "Adobe Photoshop Express"
(click here to go there) you need to sign up but it is free..

[plove53]

Thak all!!! Sorry about posting a link.

Thanks phil I'll try that... I have ps7

-p

[dkcoats]

Cute kid, nice pic. Had to have a go.

Neat Image, levels, selective color, hiraloam & smart sharpening, smart blur.

dc

[plove53]

hey DC how did you smooth out the skin...

phil thanks for the tips this is the one I did of my grandson...

still too dark

[chillin]

plove53 , you will have to probably play selectively with the colors,
& use some noise reducing software

[DCobb]

This is my try.

dc

[crazyfly1]

This was done in ACR with a few quick adjustments. You can get the program free from Adobe if you have Photoshop.

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by plove53

Thak all!!!
I have ps7
-p

My version using PS7:
copy background (unchecked eyeball)
Straightened
cropped
2 screen layers
Shft+Ctrl+E (merged visible)
levels
Ctrl+J (copy selected layer)
Filter>Noise>Despeckle
masked back eyes, nostrils,mouth, hat, hair
Shft+Ctrl+E (merged visible)
Hue/saturation adjustment layer9H=-16, sat=-16, lightness=+44
separate color layers for skin, shirt, background, corners of eyes, lips, hat then Painted with appropriate colors and adjusted opacity to taste
Shft+Ctrl+E (merged visible)
Ctrl+J (copy selected layer)
Filter>Noise>Despeckle (adjusted opacity to blend) then masked back eyes, nostrils,mouth, hat, hair (used mask from the same as before)
Shft+Ctrl+E (merged visible)
Ctrl+J (copy selected layer)
Sharpened top layer
adjusted opacity till satisfied
flattened image
Saved with NEW Name

Hope this helps!

[philbach]

Phil, I took your posted photo and copied that layer to a new layer and used screen blending mode to lighten it some. If you took the original photo and copied the layer using screen blending mode and then copied the copied layer again you would have gotten the same results.

In addition in Photoshop (CS7 will work fine) I used Image/Adjustments/Variations to add more blue to the photos.

[Flora]

Wow .... too sweet a subject to pass on ....

Great job everybody!!!

Excellent explanation 0lBaldy !!!!

[secretagents]

I am just fiddling around learning photoshop so bear with me for the lack of detailed explanation but reading through the history palette it seems I have done all this :

Topaz DeJpeg
Brightness/Contrast
Selective Color
Channel Mixer
Neat Image
HSL in Lab mode
Brightness/Contrast on the a Lab channel
Brightness/Contrast on the L Lab channel
Back in RGB mode Neat Image again but only on the background
Some color smudging in the hat

[Daviskw]

Hi there

I thought a new background may help.

The rest I did with curves and noiseware.

Butch

[plove53]

wow!!! you guys are just great!!! I don't know why I don't hang in this forum more often!!!

Daviskw, I guess you cropped ot the photo and added a background... it looks like it was taken at a iso of 100 and not 1600! I'm still confused on how to smooth out the skin.

Thanks!
-phil

[Maricw]

Awesome work.....

[Aarius]

Left top is the original, right top I used 'curve' to adjust photo. That seemed to yellow so I added a new fill layer pale blue @20% opacity. Much better. Lower left I decide to play a little. I used a radial gradient for the background then did an oval copy/paste. Then I used the healing brush to blur the other perimeter of the little boy. Cute kid!
Aarius

[Peter S]

I thought the pic had an old fashioned feel to it, so how about something like this.

Peter

[bazza64]

Hello Plove53,


After trying a variety of methods I think I've finally got it. I beleive that PhilBach was on the right track when he said to duplicate twice and change both layers to 'screen' blend mode, I just added a bit more to it.
I'm useing cs3 on a pc.

Duplicate background layer and set to 'screen' blend mode.
Press ctl J to copy background layer again. (this will auto set to 'screen' mode). This will lighten up the photo.
There is still to much yellow, go to Image ->Adjustments->Match color, halfway down the popup put a checkmark in the box next to Neutralize and press OK, This will take out a lot of the yellow.(This is a good way to adjust white balance when photo's are taken under 'fluro' lights).
Now create a hue/sat adjustment layer.
Click on master and then click on yellows, slide back to approx _19.
Then slide lightness up to approx +20. (This is where you can adjust it to your own personal taste).
Now create a Levels adjustment layer, and again adjust levels to your own taste(mine was 18, 1.00, 225).

Ok nearly finished, you said in your post that you wanted to keep as much color (that's where you can play with the above adjustments) and grain (eqiv. to 1600 ISO), I think the boy's skin can be smoothed a bit and the rest left grainy.

Highlight the background layer and make another duplicate layer (leave in normal mode.) Make sure this layer is highlighted.
Go to Filter->Noise->Dust and Scratches, set the radius to 20 pixels press OK.
Go to the bottom of the layers pallete and click on add vector mask.
fill this layer with black.(Edit-fill-black)..
Now select magnify tool (Ctl Z). magnify to 200%.
Select brush tool (soft brush) adjust brush to approx 35pxs.(make sure foreground color is set to white)
Now you can paint your Grandson's face in the area's you want to soften the skin(don't paint the eyes, nostrils, mouth or eyebrows), if you make a mistake you simply change the foreground color to black and paint over your mistake and it will return to clear.
Once you are satisfied with the results the last thing to do is adjust the opacity of the layer by draging the opacity slider to zero and then sliding back up to the right to soften your grandson's skin enough without over doing it.

I have uploaded 2 photo's, one is useing the method above and the other is to remove most of the background and to highlight your Grandson's face.

I hope this has helped,

Barry.
P.S. After you have adjusted the photo to the way you like it, I suggest you post it again in the forum, I would imagine that members like Swampy, Palms1, Janet and the others who are brilliant artists would love to 'paint' your Grandson, I'm sure you would be pleased with the results.

[plove53]

Thanks agian everyone!!! I'll try it bazza and repost... if anyone like to paint him please do.

I really did not think there was hope for this photo... I guess I was wrong (hate saying that). Like I said this was a quick snap but I love his face expression with his little aussie-hat.

-p