How to Remove Unwanted Shadows

Frequency SeparationIn this tutorial I want to take you through a simplified version of what I believe is possibly the very best retouching technique you’ll ever learn and use; Frequency Separation.

As you’d expect with Photoshop and post production there are many ways to achieve similar results and that’s no different when it comes to Frequency Separation; but what is it? Well, in its simplest terms, Frequency Separation allows us to separate the colour in an image from the content and by doing so we can then work on either without affecting the other.

The technique is used a lot in beauty retouching but has uses in almost all images, and in this tutorial I show you how you can use it to remove a shadow from a face but what’s more, do so quickly, easily and realistically.

TIP SHEET

Step 1: Duplicate the Original

To start off we need to create two new layers containing; one for the colour and one for the content / detail.

To do this whilst pressing and holding down the CMD/Control key pres the letter ‘J’ twice.

Rename the first copy ‘colour’ and the second copy, which will be the upper most layer in the layer stack, rename ‘content’

Step 3: Content Layer (Part 1)

Click on the content layer and turn on the eye icon so that the layer is active.

Then go to IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST and in the small dialog that appears click in the Use Legacy checkbox to turn it on.

Next adjust the contrast to -50 and click OK

NOTE: For the technique to work it’s vital that Use Legacy is checked BEFORE the contrast amount is added.

Step 2: Colour Layer

Next turn off the content layer by clicking on the eye icon to the left of the layer and then click on the colour layer.

Go to FILTER > BLUR > GAUSSIAN BLUR and add in an amount that doesn’t completely blur out your picture so that it becomes unidentifiable, but rather to the point it loses all sharpness and detail.

For this image a Radius of 15 pixels Gaussian Blur is just about right so that we are jut left with what is in effect colour in the shape of a face/portrait. Click OK

Step 4: Content Layer (Part 2)

Now go to FILTER > OTHER > HIGH PASS and in the Radius amount add in the exact same as you did previously in the Gaussian Blur.

In this case we add in 15 pixels and Click OK. In the layers panel change the Blend Mode of the content layer to Linear Light.

Step 5: Clone Stamp Tool

Click on the colour layer in the layers panel and then add a new blank layer so that it is placed underneath the content layer.

Rename this layer ‘remove shadow’ and then choose the Clone Stamp Tool from the Tool Bar.

In the options at the top of the screen set the exposure to 10% and from the Sample drop down menu choose ‘Current and Below’

Step 6: Remove the shadow

Zoom in to the face area where the shadow is and then whilst using the Clone Stamp Tool, ALT/OPTION + CLICK to sample skin colour either side of the shadow.

Then paint over the shadow with a few strokes in each area to build up the colour so that the shadow becomes lightened and takes on the colour of the skin.

The trick here is to continually sample the skin either side of the shadow as you do so, so that the blend is much more realistic and to do so with a low opacity setting on the Clone Stamp Tool.

Step 7: Merged Layer

Once the shadow has been removed/reduced you may find the contrast/structure in the cloned area appears flat compared to the rest of the skin.

To fix this we can go use the Camera RAW filter however to do so we need to create a merged/stamp layer. To do this first of all click on the content layer in the layers panel then go to SELECT > ALL then EDIT > COPY MERGED followed by EDIT > PASTE.

We now have a layer at the top of the layer stack that is a combination of all below which we can now use in the Camera RAW filter. Rename the layer ‘merged’

Step 8

Go to FILTER > Camera RAW and choose the Adjustment Brush.

Turn on the Mask and then paint over the area of the face where the shadow was originally so that it now is covered in the red overlay. Use the Erase option to remove it off areas where you may have gone over on to unnecessarily.

Turn off the Mask (Red Overlay) and use Adjustment Brush settings to add structure/contrast into the removed shadow area.

In this example I made the following adjustments: Temperature +2, Contrast +34, Shadows +44, Clarity +45, Dehaze -28 and Saturation +25. Click OK and you’re done.

Best Results in 16Bit

This simplified Frequency Separation technique is incredibly powerful and has seemingly endless retouching uses however I have certainly found that best results are achieved when working on images in 16bit as opposed to 8bit.

There should be no difference in the look of the image when initially creating the colour and contente layers however in 8bit, especially with a plain background you may well experience changes such as banding beginning to appear.

Anytime Anywhere Portraits

Without doubt one of the best ways to keep on top of your game and in the learning zone is to be taking pictures as often as you can; and I don’t just mean with our mobile phones. One thing I have been doing for the past few months is what I call ‘Anytime Anywhere’ portraits by having a small kit list with me all the time be it in the car or in person. My own kit consists of one camera, one flash and a modifier such as a Rogue Flashbender from ExpoImaging and has meant capturing portraits such as the one in this article that ordinarily I wouldn’t have. You can find out more over on my website at www.glyndewis.com

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