Blending layers to match colours in Photoshop

[winstonla]

Hi

As I mentioned ina previous thread, I am new to all this so please forgive me lack of knowledge.
I have looked through tutorials on this but I cannot find what i am looking for as I'm not too familiar with Photoshop terms yet.

I have taken 2 very similar group shots. In the better one (shot 1), someone is blinking. I have cut their eyes out Shot 2 and placed it as a layer in shot 1.
the problem as you can see below is that the colours are different so it stands out like a sore thumb.

Is there a way I can blend the layers so that the eys are prominent but the same colour as the background layer?
Im sure this is very, very basic but as i have mentioned I am just learnign.
If i have posted this in the wrong place or broke posting etiquette then please let me know.

Thanks

Steven

[OsmosisStudios]

Use a softer selection.

[wulf]

Feather the edges of the overlaid layer. I'm not quite sure of the process in Photoshop but in The Gimp I would add a layer mask set to full opacity and then use a black airbrush round the edges to blend the two in. Alternatively, set the overlay mask to black (full transparancy) and then use a white, soft-edged brush to paint the open eyes in.

It looks like the shots register well on each other so you should get the effect you want.

Wulf

[haileyn]

Hi

What I would do is add a new layer mask and fill in with black, then using a medium brush with 100% opacity, select white and paint back in the open eyes only. That way you avoid having to battle with blending the layers and so on to make it look the same colour.

Good luck

H

[Miss_Understood]

Masking it would be the quickest, and easiest, way, but it may not produce the most natural results. If you're willing to take the time (and possibly lose a few hairs):

Get the second layer, and a hue/saturation adjustment layer, into the same group. If you're using Elements, make sure the adjustment layer is the "branch" layer. If you're in CS, switch the blending mode of the little folder to normal instead of pass through, and make sure the adjustment layer is above the image one.

Then proceed to mess around with the saturation and lightness bars until you get a skin tone as close as possible to the base image.

Last of all apply a mask (the image itself in Elements, and the folder in CS). Then in the mask (it should first appear as a white box next to the image of the layer in the layers palette) use a VERY SOFT brush to paint black around the edges of the top image layer. This will make any transition between the colors of the two layers less noticeable.

Hope this helps!