What's new
Photoshop Gurus Forum

Welcome to Photoshop Gurus forum. Register a free account today to become a member! It's completely free. Once signed in, you'll enjoy an ad-free experience and be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Editing Vintage Photo - Exposure and color matching issues


Mrryder

New Member
Messages
3
Likes
0
Hello!

Thank you for checking out my post. I'm fairly new to photoshop, but I have a rough understanding of the basics. I am working on a t-shirt concept and I am using some old photos I found.

I am wondering if it would be possible to get rid of this huge shadow cast in this photo:
Screen Shot 2015-07-17 at 3.09.35 PM.png

As you can see it cuts just below the subjects neck. I started playing around with the masks and trying to change the exposure, but when I do get the exposure accurate the color doesn't match. I guess I would have to just add a color balance filter? And then try and get it close. I wanted to come here and see if maybe there was a better way.

Thanks!

M
 

Tom Mann

Guru
Messages
7,223
Likes
4,343
If you could post the actual source file, it will be a lot easier for us to help you.

Thanks,

Tom M
 

Tom Mann

Guru
Messages
7,223
Likes
4,343
There are several reasons why experienced Photoshoppers always prefer to work on (or demonstrate techniques to work on) original images.

a) You obviously have already made changes to the image. In fact, I see a mask whose edge is in the area in question, but even knowing this, I still don't know exactly what your adjustments did to the image. In addition, there is a chance that you made other changes that I don't see in your layer stack, etc., etc. Besides, even if you told me everything that you had already done to this image, unless it's absolutely necessary, I never want to demonstrate a technique by making changes on top of someone else's previous changes. I want to start with the original because one can lose too much quality with compounded changes, especially at only 8 bpc (bits per channel).

b) When one takes a screen shot, especially if the magnification is less than 100% (as it is in yours), one has just thrown away a lot of resolution, the exact amount depending on the size of your screen. This is a 2nd way your original image is corrupted by taking a screen shot of it.

c) Your screen shot is a png, so it has no embedded color profile. For me to be sure that the colors in your screen shot truly represents what the original image should look like, it should have had an embedded color profile, specifically, your monitor profile. Without that, this is a 3rd type of image corruption that very likely occurred. This effect might be large or small, the contrast, brightness, color curves changed, etc., but the point is that from a screen shot, I just don't know what your image really looks like.

There are other reasons, as well, but I think I hit the major factors. Basically, I don't like to possibly waste my time or make my job more difficult by working on a corrupted image when the original is easily available.

BTW, you may not realize that most publications strongly prefer (if not actually require) photographic submissions to be originals. Even if issues of photojournalistic accuracy are not involved, publications don't want their pre-press people to have to try to salvage what some photoshop newbie has inadvertently mucked up by trying to "improve" their image before submission.

Happy now?

Tom M

PS - re your statement, "Sure, but can you explain to me how that would help first?", as a matter of curiosity, do you make it a practice to do things like firmly inform your dentist that you won't open your mouth until he first explains to you *exactly* why he made such an utterly bizarre request? LOL.
 
Last edited:

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
In addition to what Tom has stated. Not all conditions that your experiencing can be re-created in another image so that we may test our theories on how to best deal with your particular situation. Having the original affords us the opportunity to work directly with the problem your having. Otherwise, it's a coin toss and all of our suggested solutions may or may not work for your problem.
 

Mrryder

New Member
Messages
3
Likes
0
Tom - No I do not ask my dentist that because I have no intension of becoming a dentist.

Thank you for the kind response, Sam.

Here is the Original:

IMG_1640.jpg
 

Tom Mann

Guru
Messages
7,223
Likes
4,343
Dear MrRyder - You are welcome. Unfortunately, I am in the middle of an advertising job, and will likely not be able to return to your question for at least a week or two. Hopefully, some one else will be along to address your question.
 
Messages
4,139
Likes
6,062
To get rid of this unwanted shadow follow the steps shown below.
1 Bildschirmfoto 2015-07-20 um 11.56.35.png
1. Make a duplicate of the original image.
2. Add a Layer mask.
3. Add a Curves adjustment layer.

2 Bildschirmfoto 2015-07-20 um 12.17.54.png
4. Make a selection of the BG, feather it 1 pixel.
5. Fill with color gradient.

3 Bildschirmfoto 2015-07-20 um 12.35.41.png
6.With the clone stamp tool do your final retouching.
 

IamSam

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
22,721
Likes
13,258
I have made a selection of the shadow. I used channels to make the selection and tweaked it with the Brush Tool.

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 7.40.21 AM.png

I then added a Brightness & Contrast adjustment layer to which my selection was added.
I made some fine adjustments to the layer mask with the Brush Tool.

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 7.41.14 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 7.41.31 AM.png

I went with a lighter contrast so I can gently add back the original color and texture.

This is just a starting point! The real work begins from here.
 
Last edited:

Top