Fixing small areas of blown out skin

[lajones3]

Hi all, I need some help fixing the patches of blown out skin in this photo. I tried duplicating the layer and changing the blend to multiply, than adjusting opacity.
But I think there is just no info there work with.

I know the girl's hair is blown out too, and some of the shirts, it would be nice to have that fixed, but I feel like the skin is more important.

So is coloring my best option? I haven't done that, I usually work with composites for websites, so my image restoration is limited, but I'd love to learn.

I have a whole set of these photos, with similar problems.
I've posted the original image here. I didn't save any of my attempts, because they didn't seem worth it to me.

Any help/insight is greatly appreciated.

[JayNads]

Convert the image to LAB. Then on another layer, paint the skin in, with the layer set to color. This won't work in any other colorspace - as LAB allows you to have a color that's nearly white but still a color.

[DCobb]

I did just the cheek on the little girl. This can be done in RGB or Lab. I did do some painting but had the layer set to normal. Some of the area I filled with the clone tool. To smooth things out and put back the texture, I used the healing brush using the left side of the girls face for my source. Just worked the area until I thought it looked ok at 200%.

dc

[Kraellin]

nice job, dc!

[lajones3]

Thanks for the input. I've been trying both ideas. The painting and using the clone stamp and the healing brush is working. But I'm worried about keeping it looking realistic.
Any suggestions on brush presets, or motions (ie. smaller pieces versus larger strokes?)

The first method produced pretty good results. Still a little blown out, but more realistic than my other attempt so far. I'll keep working and post my attempts for input soon.

Thanks,
LJF

[lajones3]

okay, here are my attempts...
retouch2.jpg is the first method.
retouch.jpeg is the second method. I am worried that the right side of the boys face doesn't look realistic enough. Any thoughts...

Thanks again!

[DCobb]

Thanks for the compliment Craig.

dc

[Kraellin]

lajones3, welcome to RP.

on that 2nd one, you've got a shadow going all the way across the boy's cheek where you corrected. that's why it looks wrong. leave the shadow on the inner cheek (closest to the mouth) and brighten the outer and it'll look better.

[lajones3]

Here is my attempt to lighten the cheek area, let me know what you think.

Check it out

[Liz]

I was looking at your photo and believe me I'm no expert but it seemed to me rather than fixing the kids faces, I would want to exaggerate the source of light that blew out the whites. A bit like looking outside the square. What threw the whole thing out for me was that where I expected to find a light source in the foliage to the right, coming down to the kids faces, I didn't. Let me repeat though, I'm no photographer. So I had a little go on my laptop with touch pad (yeh right) and if I can post it I will. (Nup, no chance, cannot work out how to do this!!) If I can't, maybe you could try drawing in some light streams with the polygon tool, blurring them, erasing out the excess across the kids bodies and the bottom side of the log on the right hand side. What I did then was duplicate the image, because their feet distract from the image, which made the feet darker, then I brushed back the original from the legs up.

[Liz]

Corrections....the log on the left hand side of the kids legs.....and.....new layer set to multiply mode, reducing the opacity. Ah well, just another go at the problem.