# Removing eyeglass glare:  how?



## frostbytes (Mar 8, 2009)

Hi everyone,

I need to remove or reduce glare in several family portraits before I make prints.  Is there a simple way to do this in Lightroom?

[L]


----------



## Kiwigeoff (Mar 8, 2009)

No, there is no easy way that I know of and most likely it is a job beyond Lightroom at the moment. This generally requires Photoshop!
Saying that it is hard to evaluate without a sample.


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 8, 2009)

Hi Kiwigeoff,

Thanks for the reply.  Here's an example of the lens glare.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[L]


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 8, 2009)

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for answering.  It looks like my reply from a few minutes ago that includes a sample image is awaiting moderation.  Here's a link to a sample image instead:  http://www.pixio.ca/lensglare.jpg.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm also curious if there's a simple way to white teeth (even a little) within Lightroom.

[L]


----------



## calaf (Mar 8, 2009)

Presets are available for a variety of edits including whitening teeth.

Matt Kloskowski has a very helpful site and the following link might help.

[COLOR=#''8''']http://www.*lightroom*killertips.com/2''8/*presets*-retouching-brushes[/COLOR]


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 8, 2009)

Hi Calaf,



> Presets are available for a variety of edits including whitening teeth.
> Matt Kloskowski has a very helpful site and the following link might help.
> [COLOR=#''8'''][/COLOR]



Wow.  The whiten teeth adjustment brush preset is fantastic.  I have watched many of Matt's videos, but I hadn't seen his adjustment brush presets.  Thanks for posting that link!

[L]


----------



## parintele (Mar 8, 2009)

To me that sample does not look promising...I think is thicky even in PS. 
Right eye (on the picture) might be "fooled" using techniques used in wrincle retouching (dodging and burning dark/shade and brighter stuff) but the left eye in the picture looks nasty...

 So, being interested myself of suggestions regarding tools for such correction, all I can suggest for the future is to use a polarizer filter amd try to reduce at least some of those reflections  from the start..


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 9, 2009)

parintele said:


> So, being interested myself of suggestions regarding tools for such correction, all I can suggest for the future is to use a polarizer filter amd try to reduce at least some of those reflections  from the start..



I regret not having used one.  Linear or circular?  Any tricks to using one that can suggest?

I did use the old trick of having the eye glass wearing in this family point their glasses downward, but that kid had a habit of lifting his chin to look straight ahead.  In almost all of the shots the glare on his glasses was terrible.

[L]


----------



## Kiwigeoff (Mar 9, 2009)

I hope the teeth whitening information is useful, I was going to suggest the brush tool as well.
Now back to the glasses, have you any other images from this shoot where there is less reflection, it may be possible to clone from one image to another.....


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 9, 2009)

Hi Geoff,

I had no choice but make some prints this afternoon.  I'm not thrilled with my efforts to reduce the lens glare, but I did manage to improve some of the images within LR by using the adjustment brush to selectively modify exposure.  Thanks for your help.  This thread gave me ideas.

[L]


----------



## Kiwigeoff (Mar 9, 2009)

You are most welcome, but the question still applies do you have other shots with less reflection, even in one eye? I can give you some pointers in another direction if you do.


----------



## parintele (Mar 9, 2009)

frostbytes said:


> Hi Geoff,
> 
> I had no choice but make some prints this afternoon. I'm not thrilled with my efforts to reduce the lens glare, but I did manage to improve some of the images within LR by using the adjustment brush to selectively modify exposure. Thanks for your help. This thread gave me ideas.
> 
> [L]


IMHO PS can do a better job than Lr. 
As I said, similar to wrinkle/skin correction techniques are most appropriate for what u need.
 I use selective burning and dodging using separate layer grey 5'% blended using soft light/
You can either paint with black or white in different opacities (usually low like 1'-15%). 
Also you can use classic burn and dodge tools and various other techniques, depending on each image.
Another idea is to clone on a separate layer over the main one using a clean skin source.
Cloning from different other images might also be bestidea for some images. 
Anyway,I do not think getting rid of all the reflection would be a good idea and too much retouching is time comsuming and might not produce convincing results..... 

My sugestion is to burn and dodge a little using layers, tune the overall transparency in order to get a subtle effect and that is all ...


 As far as getting a clean usable raw material to start with...


> A circular polarizing filter is for use with all cameras with beam splitters in the light paths of their TTL exposure meter and with autofocus lenses.
> 
> A Linear polarization filter is for SLRs and rangefinder cameras without beam splitters in their light paths.
> 
> Circular polarization has the same pictorial effect as linear polarization, but allows for proper exposure metering and/or autofocus distance settings.


 
You can find more tech details regarding polarizers using google. anyway, I guess circular ones are suited for your needs.  
 Last observation   concerns tricking reflections without a polarizer... using the "looking to the floor/head down" trick is usefull sometimes BUT considering eyeglass lenses are convex/curve profile very often a part of the lens is still reflecting light in undesired manner ..

So, the best way to cut the reflection is to use polarizing filter, this way eyes are much more visible and eyeglasses do not ruin their expression, on the contrary, sometimes "seeing" thru them allmost focus the viewer attention to the eyes...

best wishes


----------



## Scott O (Mar 9, 2009)

The best way to reduce/remove glare from glasses other that a polarizing filter is to remove the glasses.  Of course, that changes the subject.  The only other thing I can think of besides having the person tilt their head is to change the location of the lighting if possible.  I realize that it is "done deal" now, but these are some things to think about for the future.  Highlights off glasses are just about impossible to remove since whatever you do will affect the eyes behind the reflection.


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 11, 2009)

Hi Geoff,



> You are most welcome, but the question still applies do you have other shots with less reflection, even in one eye? I can give you some pointers in another direction if you do.



I sure do have several other images from the shoot with the eyeglasses in various states of reflection.  I'd be interested in hearing your other suggestions.

[L]


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 11, 2009)

Hi parintele,



> IMHO PS can do a better job than Lr.
> <snip>
> So, the best way to cut the reflection is to use polarizing filter, this way eyes are much more visible and eyeglasses do not ruin their expression, on the contrary, sometimes "seeing" thru them allmost focus the viewer attention to the eyes...



Thank you very much for all that information.

Is there a downside to shooting portraits with a polarizer?  When shooting landscapes I've seen polarizers change the overall "tone" of an image.

[L]


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 11, 2009)

Hi Scott,



> I realize that it is "done deal" now, but these are some things to think about for the future.



All very true.  Thanks for your comments.

[L]


----------



## Kiwigeoff (Mar 11, 2009)

frostbytes;39''2 said:
			
		

> Hi Geoff,
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Send me a PM and we can talk Photoshop.....


----------



## parintele (Mar 12, 2009)

> When shooting landscapes I've seen polarizers change the overall "tone" of an image


 
True, that because polarizers get rid of some of the randomly reflected litght... that light indeed could change tonality in some areas, textures, etc.
In case of portraits/generally humans, polarizes do what they do in the landscapes case and that is not a bad thing, on the contrary.
 Some skin micro reflections that make it look unsaturated, superexposed compared to other in close areas (because of the angle of reflection on the face for example you can have a great and unpleasant variety of tones)...another example is clothes..some textures and/or materials also behave strange in some lightning conditions...

 So tecnically is about cutting out some reflections, some of the reflected light, u can control how much...sometimes is good, sometimes you may find that exactly some reflections represent the "catch" of the picture...

Is a tool, is usefull, just have to try it and use it wiselly 

As a final observation, i advise you to use a top quality polarizer. 
 While polarization brings some benefits from eliminating some "bad" light, this way increasing color richness, saturation, contrast, etc... a bad quality Polarizer can domore harm than what it brings good... (in some cases very good lenses made of great glass and with great coatings can be muted by a bad filter... )In this case, if you do not have a very good polarizer,choice of using it is a matter of compromise.
 you do not use it when is not absolutelly needed (hard light, shiny/reflective textures, tricky textures/clothes (not obviously reflective but you can see in some pictures that some clothes colours are shifting or rather look "burned", flat))
  instead, in situations like the one we are talking here, eyeglasses, as bad a polarizer can be it solves some serious issues without ruining a not demanding overall image. 
  Great polarizers are absolutelly needed for complex, color righ, textures rich, tone rich  situations like landcape photography...  compared to that, some humans in studio are lot less challanging and u can;t loose anything really great, right?

So, that is my experience with polarizing filters.. I use  B&W 77 and also used 82 Heliopan, both great. i can's say the same thing about cheaper brands, except maybe some top quality Hoya, still "cheaper" ones from this producer i find subpar to my exigence(had one 52 and one 58, none even close to B&W, Heliopan being totally different league///)


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 19, 2009)

Kiwigeoff;39'22 said:
			
		

> Send me a PM and we can talk Photoshop.....



Will do.  Thanks Geoff.

[L]


----------



## frostbytes (Mar 19, 2009)

Hi parintele,



			
				parintele;39'37 said:
			
		

> So, that is my experience with polarizing filters.. I use  B&W 77 and also used 82 Heliopan, both great. i can's say the same thing about cheaper brands, except maybe some top quality Hoya, still "cheaper" ones from this producer i find subpar to my exigence(had one 52 and one 58, none even close to B&W, Heliopan being totally different league)



That you for all that!  It's very helpful.

[L]


----------

