Color Reflections in Faces - Removal?

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/26/2009 07:46:36 PM · #1

I'd like to remove the green reflection in the face in this image.

Seems like some kind of channel blend would work, but I'm at a loss to decide how to do it.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

09/26/2009 07:57:28 PM · #2

Cute kid. The skin tones look pretty good the way they are. I'd leave the reflected color cast alone. The photo would probably look unnatural without it. If you must remove it, you could create a new layer for the face area, then tweak the colors, perhaps using the Selective Color or Replace Color tools.

oscarthepig

Nikon D40

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

09/26/2009 10:56:54 PM · #3

Quick 30 second edit...Open in Photoshop, add selective color layer, from the dropdown choose yellows, slide the magenta slider to +60%...helps immensely.

eta: and still leaves enough of the green reflection so that is still looks realistic.

Message edited by author 2009-09-26 22:57:46.

cowboy221977

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

09/26/2009 11:09:22 PM · #4

Great pic. I think you are right. Atleast some of the green on his face needs to go. I am not good enough on photo editing softwae yet to give advice. I am essentially just starting out myself.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/27/2009 12:52:15 AM · #5

Originally posted by oscarthepig:

... selective color layer, from the dropdown choose yellows, slide the magenta slider to +60%...helps immensely...

Indeed, it does! Thank you.
I understand how and why, now I'm curious as to how one decides this course of action.

marcusvdt

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

09/27/2009 04:10:35 PM · #6

Just curious, I'm learning... wouldn't that shadow below his eyes be considered wrong in the picture? Nice kid btw...

oscarthepig

Nikon D40

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

09/28/2009 01:09:26 AM · #7

Originally posted by C_Steve_G:

Originally posted by oscarthepig:
... selective color layer, from the dropdown choose yellows, slide the magenta slider to +60%...helps immensely...

Indeed, it does! Thank you.
I understand how and why, now I'm curious as to how one decides this course of action.

A mixture of experience, luck, guesswork, and identifying what needs to be changed (which you already did).

In your example, there was an excess of green. You could either remove some green or add its complement. I chose the latter because the overall image seemed to have a bit of a green cast to it. Also, lowering the greens would have desaturated the shirt. Plus, his face was already a shade of magenta. If the selective color layer had negatively affected the rest of the image, a mask could have been added to make it only apply to the parts of the face that needed work. Fortunately, this one did not.

eta: I realize I tweaked the yellow channel, not the green. It's a lime-green that leans a bit more toward yellow than green (that's the guesswork part lol).

Message edited by author 2009-09-28 01:13:13.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/29/2009 12:55:29 PM · #8

Again, thanks.

The "educated guesswork" is what I'm trying to gain experience with. That it was too yellow was apparent; choosing to add the magenta to yellow as opposed to modifying the green is the learning moment here.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

09/29/2009 05:38:28 PM · #9

Just out of curiosity, why go to all the trouble of editing the colors in this image? After all, it's just a snapshot. Why don't you simply make a decent photo with better lighting conditions?