[help] Photo Washed Out Post-Processing?

[iraisavampire]

How does one achieve the effect as sampled in the attachments? Any help on this would be awesome, thanks!

 

[Hoogle]

I may be tired but to me that looks like just a white balance correction.

you could have a hue saturation adjustment layer and select yellow channel and reduce the saturation. if you want bigger changes than the white balance dropper in camera raw.

 

[iraisavampire]

Mmm, well here's the photo with a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer set to Red -15 and Yellow -30. Looks like it's going in the right direction, but it's not really all there yet.

 

[Tom Mann]

1. Start by generating accurate masks to separate subject vs background; select skin of subject; select hair and lips (only areas / colors to remain at nearly full strength);

2. Select the skin: use the standard "porcelain skin" trick, ie, put a white adjustment layer on top of it, blending mode = soft light, and adjust the blendIF sliders to exclude dark tones;

Another approach is to use the "Selective Color" tool.

At your discretion, leave the lips and some non-skin areas untouched for contrast with the whitened areas.


Read these threads. They talk about the same thing:

http://www.photoshopgurus.com/forum/photoshop-newbies/44117-could-someone-help-me-ps-effect.html
http://www.photoshopgurus.com/forum/forum-tutorials/45271-[request]-how-achieve-colors-like.html


Tom M

 

[iraisavampire]

Thanks a bunch Tom! Will try this out later and post the results here. Cheers! x

 

[ibclare]

This thread has been added to the sticky for PS FX, post 7 :cool2:

 

[Tom Mann]

Lots of variations of both of the above methods are possible. For example, here are three variants of the 1st method (the solid white fill layer):


A. One white layer, soft light layer blending mode, no use of the blendIF sliders. Full opacity.



B. Same as above, except two white layers, each at partial opacity.



C. One white layer, normal layer blending mode, full opacity. For this, it's critically important to split the lower left blendIF slider into its two halves and move the right half of it all the way to the right.



HTH,

Tom M

PS - Ignore the hairline. I spent about 2 seconds making a mask for the skin and paid zero attention to the hairline or otherwise refining it.

 

[Paul]

I don't get this thread, the op as asked for a higher saturated version of the original, but the very next image is what hes after, who did that saturated version and why ask to repeat that look if you already have it, or have i missed something again?

 

[Tom Mann]

Interesting, Paul. I interpreted it (going mostly from the title) that he wants a washed out look, but, after your comment, now I can also see interpreting it as he HAD a washed out look and wants to fix it, although I think the OP would have said something if he clicked on my links since they all talked about the former, not the latter.

T

 

[Paul]

Yeah, thanks for that Tom - i just see it as he/she already as what the request, it's all there in the first post they supplied or have i got it very wrong.
No way am i having a dig at any member who as replied and helped, it is really directed at the op.