Need some advice on SHADOWS!!

[kimspics]

hEY YALL....i DID A WEDDING THIS PAST WEEKEND . My delima is that on some of the pics with the family standing there are noticeable shadows behind them...How can I correct these? ( Millers wants to charge $50 to do this) I use elements 7 to pp. I cannot download any pics because I am having trouble with flickr But in general...how do you get rid of unwanted shadows in pictures? please explain in somewhat simple terms

[wulf]

I don't know if you can do this with Elements but here is a quick fix that I sometimes use on the Gimp.

1. Create a duplicate layer and desaturate (simple desaturation based on lightness).

2. Invert the desaturated layer.

3. Switch the layer to overlay mode.

This lightens dark areas and darkens light areas, reducing contrast. Because you create the overlay layer based on light and dark in the original, it matches up perfectly. If it pulls out too much contrast, you can ajust the opacity and also paint in the effect where you require with a layer mask.

Success will depend on the original image though - if the shadow is very dark (limited information captured) it will probably still be ugly AND obviously processed.

Wulf

[fletch]

Originally Posted by kimspics

hEY YALL....i DID A WEDDING THIS PAST WEEKEND . My delima is that on some of the pics with the family standing there are noticeable shadows behind them...How can I correct these? ( Millers wants to charge $50 to do this) I use elements 7 to pp. I cannot download any pics because I am having trouble with flickr But in general...how do you get rid of unwanted shadows in pictures? please explain in somewhat simple terms

You need to bring up the exposure in the shadow area. There are loads of different ways to do this. I would either use the dodge and burn tools or use levels and layer masks. Have a look at the blog. There are a few tutorials at the moment, one is even for elements.