Super light ring around neck

[Daviskw]

Hi Ken

It is often hard to lighten or darken an area with color because the color will often shift as it gets lighter or darker making it hard to see true results.
By using the black and white layer… or working on a desaturated layer … you match the luminosity and the color shifts do not interfere.

If you have the luminosity matching as you like then you can turn off the black and white or desaturated layer… alt click with the brush tool on good adjacent color and paint over the color shifted areas on the layer with the mode set to color as needed.

If the luminosity matches the colors will too… exactly.

Butch

[ken1]

Hi Butch,

Thank you for your reply. I am not new to this program, but I remain unable to duplicate your excellent result with the steps provided in your posts.

In a post by you on 2/1/12 involving a building, flag pole, and sky, you also referenced this technique. I printed this and tried to apply it here, but perhaps there are intermediate steps which are not delineated.

The issue of unwanted shadows comes up frequently, so it would be nice to be able to deal with this. Are the details available on-line or in print?

[ATR]

Butch,

Very nice work on a difficult shadow. But, ojisplayin appears to be using Photoshop Elements 8 PC. Am I wrong in believing that you were using some version of Photoshop for the edited photo that you posted?

If you used some version of Photoshop to deal with the shadow, do you believe the same level of success can be achieve with Photoshop Elements 8 PC? Could you elaborate on that point?

Thanks.

ATR

[Sepiana]

I have been testing Butch's instructions and, although it may be premature to say so because I am still at the initial testing stage, I think his technique is doable in PSE.

Because there is no Black/White Adjustment layer in PSE we need to use a desaturated layer as he suggested.

By using the black and white layer… or working on a desaturated layer

So far my testing has involved the use of a Levels Adjustment layer. I plan to test his instructions using the Curves feature in Grant's Tools and the SmartCurve plugin.

The hardest part (at least for me) is towards the end of the project when using the Clone Stamp Tool and the Healing Brush to blend the rough edges and the spots.

[ATR]

Sepiana

Sounds good. Looking forward to your results.

ATR

[NLAlston]

Wow!! Absolutely excellent work.

[ken1]

Still waiting.

[havov]

I also tried to reproduce the result of Butch. I fiddled with curves in Elements+, but it didn't work out well.
I tried another methode.

I selected the ring around the neck. Put it on its own layer.
I applied a gradient with samples out of the neck. (Transparancy of the layer blocked).
Added some noise (5%).
On a new layer I cloned with 50% transparency the darker part of the neck.
In the composite picture I decreased the red.
Here is a screenshot of my layers.

Hans

[ken1]

Hans,

That looks nice.
Regarding the other poster, res ipsa loquitur.

[havov]

Thanks Ken. Although I had a Latin class many, many years ago I had to look up for the translaton in Google. It worked.
Hans