Black hair for the job... get ready.

[Donamai]

Hello!

Situation:

I recently had a job with a client where the picture was perfectly balanced with the lighting except the hair. The problem with the image is that the black hair is not reflecting any light at simple view so when I get a print out the hair looks as dark as a burn. I had seen a good tutorial about how to bring the lowest bright reflections out more to make the hair looks better and I can't find it.


Problem:

I have tried balancing it with levels but every time I do it the color of the skin interpolates with the dark hair or it changes to a very dimmed color.


My question:
What is the best way to find the highlights to balance hair?
Any good tutorials that you guys can recommend?


Thank you!

[superkoax]

The thing I've done in the past to highlight hair is to go trough the hair with some easy dodging...With this picture I've made a curve layer and adjustet the colours and then gone over the diffuse highlights with dodge! If yu overdo it then you can adjust the dodge layer (soft light + 50% grey) opacity until you're satisfied...

hope this helps...

Gerry

[admirer]

Hi
I made another layer of the original ran the local contrast filter then adjusted the hue and saturation to suit hair. I then masked out the background and the skin.
Hope this is what you wanted.

[Donamai]

Hi again!

Maybe I was late for the retouching black hair class

Thank you superkoax and admirer great advice!!

I have copied one of the images from a tutorial to try to improve this technique of giving life to black hair. I still notice that some color interpolates as a follow you guys' techniques. I have tried desaturation but I have not had any luck.I will continue though. Check it out!!

I know there are a lot of people here more advanced in this technique, believe me some of us know solutions in a more specific way so I would like to thank you for your replies. Whatever they may be, they will help. Thank you!

[superkoax]

I worked with curves alot here...then used a small brush on the dodge and then flattende image and sharpende the hair to add more details to the white...Maybe abit loss of highlights here, but the balance of the pictures is better IMO


Gerry

[Donamai]

Thank you superkoax!

You can really do the work well! Thank you.

I will use the curves technique to get those highlights to come up.


Keep the retouching going!!

[superkoax]

i have the psd file, so if you want it I can send it to you>!


Gerry