Face Swapping Help... or any other suggestions

[Katie Landfried]

I took a picture of a large family (outside and just after dinner). The sun is coming through and completely ruining one face in the photo. I have a separate picture with a face to swap into the group picture, but I am just not getting the tutorials I am watching. I have Photoshop CC 2014, and it seems some things are a little different between mine and the versions in the tutorials.

Does anyone have a good link to a tutorial for face swapping? (I am pretty beginner, but can usually catch on to things). This doesn't have to be perfect, I just want to get it done. I took the pic for my sister's in-laws as a favor, but it is turning out to be a more work than I anticipated. I can generally adjust some lighting issues in Photoshop, but that is about the extent of my editing abilities in there. Also, they had a hard enough time getting the whole group there that day, I doubt a re-do is possible. I'm open to anything, if anyone has any other suggestions on how to get the picture somewhat acceptable? The face is pretty lost in that sunlight though.

I appreciate any help! Thanks!


(messed up picture)


(possible replacement face) - not sure if this picture is a good candidate for using or not. Any input is appreciated!

 

[IamSam]

Hello Katie and welcome to PSG.

I would love to see what you have done so far and do you have a link to the tutorial that your having trouble with.

Face swaps are fairly straight forward. The problem I see here is the sun on the neck and chest, but eh the face should be easily swapped. Are you using layer masks?

 

[IamSam]

Ok, I guess your busy.

I would use guidelines set to the eyes to help align the new image.


After you Isolate the new face convert it into a smart object. Then you need to position it over the old face using free transform. I use the guidelines and a lowered opacity to help.


Then add a layer mask. Use the brush tool set to black to brush out the area surrounding the new face layer.


Next we must clone out the hair and other stuff from the original image that we can see behind our new face.
Create a new layer above the original, be sure to set your Clone Stamp tool to sample current and below.
Turn off the the new face layer and begin to clone out the hair from the original.
Turn on and off the new face layer to test while your working.


Now we have a place to start working on the lighting, color and blur.

 

[Katie Landfried]

Sorry for the delay in my response- I am in a night class right now. I can show you what I have done and the tutorials I have tried when I get out of here tonight. You make it look so easy

 

[Tom Mann]

In addition to replacing the woman & baby with blown out highlights, I would also suggest:

(a) warming up the people to counteract the greenish cast imparted by the sunlight filtering through the leaves on the trees;

(b) generally brightening up the subjects to make them stand out from the background a bit more;

(c) digging into the shadows and highlights of the people to reduce the extremes of contrast due to the dappled light filtering through the trees;

(d) patch away bright holes in the tree canopy - they immediately attract viewers' eyes away from the subjects; and,

(e) cropping to fill the frame with the subjects. There's no need to waste space with more trees and foreground than absolutely needed.


... Perhaps something along these lines ... (xcept don't over-compensate / exaggerate like I did, e.g., by adding too much magenta to counteract the green cast)



Just my $0.02, LOL ...

Tom M

 

[Katie Landfried]

Thanks for both responses - I got out of class late, but I am going to give it a go tomorrow and see if I can work on those ideas. I really appreciate the help!