How to remove lines created when adding highly saturated colors

[peterglass]

I photograph in RAW using Canon 5D Mark II and Mark III cameras. I've been highly saturating some of the colors in my portraits using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop. Sometimes, the border between an area I've saturated and the unsaturated area appears as a dark or colored, unnatural-looking line. I'd like to remove that line. I've had some success using the Blur Tool or the Healing Brush Tool in Photoshop, but I wonder if anybody has a better suggestion. In the attached image, you can see the line around her hair, pillow, and especially around her hand. Thank you.

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi @peterglass

A couple of thoughts.
For forum members to provide targeted recommendations, it would help you be more specific. I can see several areas in boundaries where there are overlapping color issues, and somewhere, there is a luminosity issue. If you could circle or point to the area(s) causing a problem?

It also may be easier to provide a way to increase saturation from the initial image that doesn't create the issue of concern. So providing the starting image would be helpful, and even more helpful would be the PSD file showing exactly the way you increase saturation. Without this information, the only option is to try how to fix a problem that might have been able to be prevented in the first place.

Just a couple of suggestions
John Wheeler

 

[peterglass]

Hi John,

Thanks for your response. And I do apologize for not getting back to you sooner.

I have attached the zipped image which includes three files: CR2, xmp, and acr. The image was edited entirely and only in Adobe Camera Raw.

I've drawn a light circle around a portion of her left hand to indicate the problem. But, as you correctly indicated, the problem is not limited to just that one area.

Thanks again -

Peter Glass

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi @peterglass
No problem about the wait.

The source of the issue is in the masked adjustment section for Mask #1. Having the Texture slider moved to the left creates that undesired band. An alternative to getting the softness without that effect is to move the harness slider to the left, which is in the "Detail" section for that particular mask.

There may be other issues to address yet I believe this covers the main problem you had brought up.

Also, I note that you have two masks that are almost inverts of each other, yet they are not exact inverts (probably in the softness of edge in one and hardness in the other) for Mask 1 and Mask 4 in the area of the hand. Using a positive mask with some adjustments and a negative mask with alternate adjustments often creates issues (at least for me), so that is another area to consider in the future.

I hope this provides some help with your issue.
John Wheeler

 

[peterglass]

Hi John,

Yes, this helps greatly!

Thanks so much -

Peter Glass

 

[thebestcpu]

You're welcome @peterglass
John Wheeler