Topic: A skin tones challenge

[derekfountain]

Here's an image that requires some serious attention in the skin tones. It's a candid of a friend's son, taken on the beach a few days ago. I've no idea what settings were used on the camera, but it's safe to assume they were the wrong ones. He's not normally green!

The context is a very pale skinned boy of north european descent. It's a very bright and hot summer's day in Western Australia, and the sand is creamy white.

The background is completely blown, and easy to mask off, so let's not worry about that too much. I'd be interested to see how people go about rescuing this image. I've tried and failed!

[Greg Groess]

Wow Derek..Tough one...

The Highlight flare on the face makes this a real challenge.  I have attached the ACV file so you can see what I tried.

This image to me is all about the compromise...I went for face color over the rest of the image.  I think you might have to go to some advanced layers and correction techniques to really pull this one out of the fire...

Greg

[derekfountain]

This image to me is all about the compromise...I went for face color over the rest of the image.  I think you might have to go to some advanced layers and correction techniques to really pull this one out of the fire...

Greg, am I correct in thinking you started with a skin tone pin, then attacked the curves manually? All in one pass?

[themightyzog]

Hi Derek, how about something like this? 

I'm really rather pleased as I didn't like pinning on the course - just shows the power of CM in under 5 mins!  But he still looks green to me - strange how the eye can be fooled.  Anyway I would be happy to print it as a holiday snap.

I dont think the camera was at fault, I think it is a plain old reflection from a shade or towel.

I used RGB instead of my beloved Lab and after pinning I twiddled the RGB curve a little to lighten the face without further blowing the background too much.

Forgot the copy the actual curves - they were something like
RGB lukas_websize[1].jpg:
;RGB:  (0,0) (71,109) (212,207) (255,255)
;Red:  (0,0) (94,111) (218,218) (255,255)
;Green:  (0,0) (111,80) (212,180) (255,255)
;Blue:  (0,0) (55,66) (186,157) (255,255)

RGB: (0.000,0.000), (0.277,0.427), (0.832,0.813), (1.000,1.000)
Red: (0.000,0.000), (0.369,0.435), (0.855,0.855), (1.000,1.000)
Green: (0.000,0.000), (0.435,0.314), (0.831,0.706), (1.000,1.000)
Blue: (0.000,0.000), (0.216,0.259), (0.729,0.616), (1.000,1.000)

Thanks for posting it.
Chris
PS - certainly much much easier than the Swan I posted - I've no idea why.

[Greg Groess]

I did...I pinned it first.  Then I adjusted the curves a bit, to bring back a bit of yellow / orange to the skin. 
Then I reset the pin. 
It does sometimes make odd changes but if you play with it a bit....

Greg

[ianbowie]

Decided that the clothes had blue stripes.

Adjusted curve in RBG.

Ian

[Frits]

Greg,

I have tried this picture.
It cost me very much experimenting time and it is not yet good.

perhaps you can finished it.

frits

[Greg Groess]

Picking up where fritz left off....

First I fixed the highlight side of the face to reduce the odd colors I was getting when I tried to correct it.  I used the clone stamp to add tone to the blown out areas of the face and make it more consistant.  I really tried to make this work in LAB but I needed too many sample points.  I set hue clocks on the face so I could see what was happening.  I placed them on the forehead, cheek, and the crease of the cheek on the right side of the face. 

My goal was to keep them all in the 1:30 to 2:30 range.  I started by placing Skin pin on the left cheek and then I made local adjustments to the face to keep the hue clocks in line.  Once I reached the pont where my changes started to go too far I stopped.

To tackle the blue of the boys outfit I added a sky blue pin from the nature pins.  I then adjusted the combined curve for the lighting...
I am attaching the curve file as well. 
I am not completely satisfied with this mage but I hope you find it an improved extension of Fritz's start.

Greg

[Frits]

Greg,

it looks to me, that you introduced the green color shade again.

I have placed them together.

Frits

[Frits]

THE FIRST MOVE, I have done was this:

[Frits]

second move:
there is to many mangenta in the picture!
so i placed a mark in the face and slowed down the mangenta and leave the blue shade.
Then de coths of the child looks good to me. ( not the hat)

[Frits]

third move:

I did it the first time different but now  I placed 4 neutrals in RGB mode on the hat.

[Frits]

4-e move:

I think it goes now ( whe nI do this the secnd time) not so well , as before.
But it s the idea behind it , to demonstrate.

[Frits]

to get the face right in color.
I locked the a and B in lab and do pin 1.
After that I release some points on the a and b in lab-mode.
Mostly is that effective, without changing the rest of the picture.

[Frits]

after that i do again a snapshot and a history brush.
this time it is not so good succeeded.

But the only goal is to demonstrate how I do difficult pictures.

I am not satisficied with the results, but someone can going on to do the rest.