Eliminating Under Eye Shadows

I've been using this method for reducing shadows under the eye and love the results. 

Open your photo in Photoshop.

Create a new layer in your layers palette.

Select your Clone Stamp Tool and set the size to fit the shadow.  On your background photo layer, using the Clone Stamp Tool, Alt-click on an area near and under the under eye shadow.  When you hit Alt, you will see a little target symbol appear.  Place the target on the area beneath the eye shadow and far enough away that you won't be painting the shadow back on.  This duplicates the skin tone.

On your new blank layer, still using the Clone Stamp Tool, brush over the shadow area, painting in the new skin tone.  You will need to adjust the opacity of this layer.  I bring it down to usually between 50-75% depending on the photo keeping a small of amount of shadow showing through to keep the portrait real.  On a male portrait, I usually use a lower percentage.  You don't want to loose all the shadows on men.  You want them to keep their masculinity.  When you get it just where you want it, merge those layers.  This photo was set at 65%.

Before

 

 

After

 

Touched

Spent some time at our local Botanical Garden yesterday to get in some of the last few blooms of the season. They are fading fast, but hopefully to be replaced by some fall colors soon.

 

Thought I'd try something new and give a quick tutorial on how to create the effect on this photo.

Touched

 

I use Photoshop CS5 to create all my textured photos.  First I bring my RAW files into Adobe Camera Raw and adjust for exposure, contrast, and sharpness.  Opening the file into Photoshop, I then add my textures.  In the above photo, I added a bokeh layer set to Screen at 78% opacity and then a second texture layer by Distressed Jewel set to Soft Light at 58% opacity.  I then ran an action from Paint the Moon's Photoshop Elements Set, Fresh Wonderland, called Candy Light Pop adjusting layers to desired look.  If you'd like more information on using textures and actions, visit Rita at The Coffeeshop Blog.  She's got awesome tutorials, as well, as lots of freebies. 

 

To download your free bokeh layer, visit here.  I'd love to see what you create, send a photo to Facebook.  While there, please like our page.  Thanks for stopping by.