How can I dissolve a shadow?

[Sly1]

Hello Everyone,

Hopefully you are willing to point yet another Newbie in the right direction. I'm trying to get rid of shadows. I am using PS6. It's as if the shadow were a stain and I can't find the right technique to dissolve it. I've tried the levels adjustment and the dodge and burn. I've tried Katrin Eismann's example of using the invert command in the adjustment layer but I always end up with a nasty "residue" and when I attempt to clean-up the spot, it becomes "painted". I'm trying to find one method that will work for me so I can move on. This is my first post. I must admit, I'm intimidated by the level of craftsman on this web.
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

[hawkeye60]

I opted to clone it out and crop the photo. I didn't see where the right side was important other than the chalk which I copied and moved. The rest is cloning, painting & copy/paste to build the numbers. I didn't finish it but you should get the basic idea.

[Sly1]

Thanks for the response Hawkeye. May-be cloning is the way to go. I was hoping to find a way not to clone or "paint-over" but to dissolve or blend the shadow away. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer.

Merle Sly

[Daviskw]

Hi there

I have not had a lot of luck removing this dark of a shadow without some cloning.

I combined some curves with the clone tool.

Butch

[Verywierd]

If you really don't want to use the clone and heal tools to do the entire job, you can "fade" the shadows quite well, leaving only the edges to be fixed with the heal tool.

I used the quick selection tool to select the shadows, created a duplicate layer and clicked the mask icon so that the selection is retained. Change the duplicate layer to screen. Make a duplicate of that layer, again on screen blend mode.

Next, create a blank layer, re-activate the selection from the mask in the previous layer and fill with white and set the layer to soft light. This will fade the shadows to almost nothing by tweaking the opacity. However, the colour will be off.

Create a duplicate of the "white" layer (keeping the selection on) and take a colour sample from a nearby spot and fill. Apply in colour blend mode. Tweak opacity to taste.
The shadows should just about be gone except for the outline. The grass will have gone grey too, so you will have to clone some colour back.

If you really want to match them perfectly, do each shadow separately i.e. concrete 2 selections, grass 2 selections.

I attach a very quick example using a single mask and before heal/clone of the edges.

Not too sophisticated, but you retain the "real" texture and detail under the shadows.

[Sly1]

Thank you very much Veryweird and Butch. Everyone goes at it differently and yet you all do an excellent job. I'll copy the instructions and keep practicing until I get it right. Thanks again.
Merle

[0lBaldy]

I found this a long time ago. The tutorial link no longer works but I copied the page and it might help in your shadow removal.. I am using PS7 and do not have 'Match Color' so I have not tried it!

The resulting Pano is still there so you can Click Here to view it. (QuickTime)

[Sly1]

OlBaldy,

Thanks for the ideas. I don't have a Match Color function but I do remember reading about saving a group of colors and using the replace color feature. I may be able to make a "manual" feature of the Match Color.

I certainly want to thank you and all the rest of the members on this site. This is my first post, but I have all ready gained a lot of knowledge by reading your responses over the last three months.

Thanks again for all your trouble.

Merle

[TommyO]

All,
Good work and Butch's looks hard to beat. I did try several of your techniques, none with perfect results. OlBaldy's, I like that one and it did work well, if it were not for the chalk. But, the chalk is easier to clone than the whole area.