Removing reflection from photos

[figheadair]

I have a number of pictures that I took of historic specimens under less than idea conditions over the years. Several have rather annoying areas of glass reflection. Does anyone have PhotoShop CS5 and know if it's possible to do some wizardry to clean up areas or perhaps equalise them. The 'Content Fill' is preety good at times but generally has a bit of a struggle with tartan.

[ForresterModern]

Peter

As a bit of an amateur photog with some digital image manipulation experience I think if you posted a few of your most troubling pictures we might better be able to tell you if they are reparable and if so how to do so. I think we might also be able to help out in prevention if we knew the camera--flash set up you are using to obtain them.

Alternatively you can email a few as attachments to the address I will PM to you and I will evaluate and play around a bit. Unfortunately each level of Photoshop and each different version can have different ways of accomplishing the same end, and each individual problem may require its own unique combination of manipulations to achieve a solution.

Jeff

[figheadair]

Thanks Jeff. PM sent.

[Grizzly]

Peter as Jeff said each Edition of photshop varies. The best solution may be apply different levels of contrast to different areas of the photo. Dependent on how Jeff gets on I would be willing to see if I can reduce the glare. I am not bad at photoshop. If interested pm me and I will email you my address.

I should add that any degree of success is dependent on the amount of burned out highlights. Unfortunately if areas are significantly burnt out then it would be impossible to retrieve the detail in the pixels .

To prevent this happening in the future the flash should be bounced off a ceiling. Not directly pointed at the glass. This obviously requires a separate flash gun and cannot be avoided if you have a compact camera wherethe flash position is fixed.

[ForresterModern]

Peter sent me two different photos that were shot through glass display cases with ambient lighting +/- in display low lighting, both of which have pretty profound reflections that either completely or nearly completely wash out the underlying tartan and other fabric pattern and details in large parts of the images. As I told Peter IMHO the two he sent me are basically not reparable without some serious professional Photoshop expert time and money, and even then not likely to get him the images he wants for an honest and display quality image. I also gave him some suggestions re: future techniques to try in similar situations---basically off axis flash, preferably off camera flash, and dimming the room to eradicate other reflections. If anybody else is having similar issues and wants the info (including a couple neat websites) I sent Peter I would be happy to cut and paste it into a PM or email to you. As I told Peter it is better to get a good quality original image that either needs no or little photoshop modification than to try to salvage a pretty far gone image digitally. Also there are several other image manipulation/editting software than the various forms of Photoshop, some of which are actually free and pretty good too.

Good luck with the project Peter. Wish I could have helped more.

Jeff

[Grizzly]

That's excellent advice Jeff . The only other solution is to clone the area out replacing it with sections that are correctly exposed. Though that would be an extremely time consuming and difficult task to match up areas of tartan and then trying to balance the overall photo. But you would have to have much time and patience to attempt it.

All said and done I agree with Jeff that it's better to get it right in camera first time rather than try to retrieve it in a photo editing programme.

[figheadair]

Thanks both. The problems with photography arise when trying to capture costume in museums as a visitor, i.e. off the cuff, when there is no prospect of changing lighting levels, setting up specialist camera equipment or otherwise tinkering with the situation. Often the use of flash is prohibited. Obviously the best solution is to be able to get the artefact out of the case in a non-public room where it can be examined and photographed but that generally requires prior notice. I guess that it will continue to be a case of pot luck.