Please help with removing eyeglasses glare

[winwintoo]

I'm working on this photo of two elderly gentlemen both of whom were eyeglasses and both their eyeglasses have this dreadful glare.

Does anyone have a good way to get rid of it??

Thanks
Margaret

[Guest]

The reflections in glass are areas where there is no information. A whiteout if you will. So you have to replace that information with some from somewhere else near the bad spot. You can clone(rubber stamp) or you can sample and paint it in.
If the pic wasn't so small I might help but it's too small.

[Ron]

winwintoo;

Here is a simple approach, First duplicate the background and call it Working Layer then add a channel mask to the Working Layer.
Below the Working Layer add a blank layer and call it Color Layer. Use the eyedropper to sample a color for an unaffected area and flood fill the Color Layer with the sampled color.
Now using a very soft brush to erase the glare from the Working Layer (by removing those parts of the channel mask which allows the under lying Color Layer to show through). Use this same technique above and below the eye. HINT: by selecting the Color Layer and using Levels you can adjust the shading of the underlying color until it fits in properly. Now merge the Working and Color Layer and call the resulting Layer Working2.

Below Working2 create a new layer caller Color2. Use the eyedropper to sample the color of the pupils. Now flood fill the Color2 Layer with the pupil color and follow the same instructions above.

Nothing fancy, but it works

Ron

[Ron]

Sorry can't seem to attach the example image?

[winwintoo]

Thanks Ron, I'll try that - it certainly worked in the example!

I tried cloning and it worked, but I wasn't happy with the results. I will try your way even though I know I won't do as well as you did,

Thanks again,
Margaret

[DannyRaphael]

Awesome results, Ron!

This may be a terminology thing, maybe not.

RE: The channel masks
Are you (literally) using one (or more) of the color channels as a basis for creating an alpha channel (or the like). If so, would you elaborate on the details of your technique.

...or are you adding a layer mask to Working Layer, Working Layer2 and lightly airbrushing with black to allow the color from the Color layer to show through.

...or are you creating a channel mask and populating the layer mask with it?

I'm confused (again), but certainly impressed with the results. Thanks for sharing...

~DannyR~

[Guest]

Margaret: Did U use PS or PSP? In psp if you use a lot of steps, very low opacity, and puff on the cloning instead of deliberate strokes it will work, as I have fixed everything with this tool at one time or another.
greg

[winwintoo]

I'm using PhotoShop 6. I tried with the color layers and layer masks, but didn't get what I wanted. I then copied some of each man's forehead onto a new layer and positioned it behind the glare and then used the layer mask and painted so the forehead color showed through - worked quite well.

Margaret

[Ron]

DannyRaphael;

Sorry about the confusion
There were NO channel masks used. All my corrections were all done using Layer masks.

As you said ... I added a layer mask to Working Layer, Working Layer2 and lightly airbrushing with black to allow the color from the Color layer to show through.

You know, I re-read my reply a number of times and never picked that mistake up.

Ron

[DannyRaphael]

Ron...

Greatly appreciated your clarification. Thanks again for sharing such an awesome technique.

~DannyR~