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help me fix the most poorly lit picture ever? please?! :)


J

jady717

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I'm embarassed to even admit that i took this picture, but i need help! this was my first time attempting indoor "studio" pictures and i was using umbrella lights for the first time. my results are horrible! (they all look pretty much like this) can you offer any help on to how to fix this picture in photoshop? when i add a cooling filter i get blue spots in the background before i get rid of the yellow. when i lighten it it looks like a big glare. i dont know what to do! detailed instructions would be most helpful. :question:

also, if you can offer help on how to not do what i did wrong in the first place, that would be appreciated too!
thank you!
 

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What do you want to do to the photo? I would say a brightness adjustment layer, if you want the subject brighter. You can add a layer mask and paint the background to keep it as is.


Agent
 
DSC00582 3.png

Ok not a great job but all i did was a quick exposure adjustment layer a quick clone layer for backdrop and then on original layer went to image >adjustment > shadow highlights to tweak them.

The advantage of using an exposure adjustment layer is that you can paint out the hot spots from where you have corrected the exposure but some areas are over done.

I would suggest using more reflective material or a simple reflector on the ground in front of your subject to reflect the light back up I use to just use budget aluminium foil that cost less than a dollar for a huge roll. If you are photographing children I would reccomend a gold reflector it is a nicer effect.

And move your lights closer I dont know what umbrellas your using if they are reflective or normal white 1s possibly aim your light so it is going through the umbrella rather than reflecting back on the model for example point the outside of the umbrella at the model rather than the traditional inside. This basically turns your umbrella into a soft box but obviously will not work if it is a reflective umbrella.

I also use to skip my umbrella hang a bed sheet that was white over a clothes rack and put a spotlight to shoot through the sheet giving a nice large soft light. Just dont have the spotlight\modelling lamp\ flash head\gun to close to the sheet or you will get hot spots.
 
True but as it was more instructional rather than doing the job for them as requested the actual colour and white balance is a personal preference. The golden look is getting quite fashionable at the moment by all means mine is not meant to be the final result. If its Adults I prefer the white out look for backgrounds but with childrent I like the warmth if that makes sense.
I also acknowledge the fact my sample is over exposed before we point that out as well lol.
 
If you do the image > adjustment >shadow highlights adjustment and then go to image Auto tone this is what you get so you could just work on that and tweak it up ie tidy the background up.
But yes Ivan when it comes to photography I always use white balance in camera raw or lightroom if I have it wrong on my initial shot it is a very powerfull tool and cant live without it.
DSC00582 3.png
 
Just fooling around with an idea. It isn't easy to comment on your lighting without knowing what kind you are using, but it looks like the lighting was too much to the sides. Try setting your key light and fill at about 45° to the subject. The fill should be a 50% of the key. Adjust the distance as needed. If you have a third light you can use (above) it as a hair light, or slightly behind the subject pointing towards the head.

You need to get the subject farther from the background and use a large aperature for a shallow depth of field to blur the background, 5 or 6 usually is about right.
 
OK lacking a response from the OP I'll just say what I did.
The correct white balance is what was asked for.
The best method I know is to find the lightest and darkest parts of the image and mark them using Image|Adjustments|Threshold and marking those areas with the eyedropper tool and Shift+Click.
Then cancel out of Threshold and use Curves to adjust each color to 10-Black 245-White.

No subjective adjustments strictly by the numbers -good or bad.

ss.jpg
 
This was done using a single levels adjustment layer.

DSC00582 3 copy.jpg
Similar to what Steve described.
1 Create a new layer above the image.
2 Fill with 50% Grey
3 Change blend mode to difference
4 use blend if and the color picker tool find and mark the darkest, lightest and middle point of the image.
5 use levels and set the points according to the info gained in previous steps

Can give more details if desired.
 
ok thank you all soooo much for your help! :) it is much appreciated. some of it was a bit over my head lol, but it was helpful. i dont remember exactly everything i did, but here it is as best as i can remember lol.

basically what i was trying to accomplish was to make this picture look professional, and not like a shmuck with a camera took it in her dining room lol.

for the background:
took another pic of the background and replaced it using a vector mask. the reshoot was still a bit yellow (thats just apparently how the fabric is... barf). i got a more natural looking color by doing first a red filter (helped the warmth not feel so empty), and then a purple filter to cool it. i tinkered around with curves for lightening.

for the child:
i filled in some of the glare spots by using the healing brush and patch tool, and blurred/masked some of the skin. i added another layer, then did a purple filter, and masked it on to some of the yellower parts of the skin to neutralize the tone. to neutralize the yellow on the pants and shoes i used the sponge tool to selectively desaturate. also did some lightening.

then when all was said and done i did a slight edge burn (seems to always help distract from flaws)

any thoughts?

thanks again!
 

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it has come a long way from the image you posted originally well done maybe add some colour into the eyes and give them a bit of a sparkle.
 
Or maybe if you want the full photography studio look you could do something like this added some sharpening a black and white adlustment layer for colour enhancement set to luminosity and also did a white background.
DSC00582 2.png
 
yeah i think the washed out background is best! should have just done that from the beginning haha.
 

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