How do I go about removing a flash reflection? or reducing it..

inlineadam

inlineadam

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Adam
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Hello folks, Looking for some advice/help.

I've been to an awards ceremony today, a fairly low key affair where I was tasked with the photos of the prize giving. I'm still very much the amateur so get things wrong ( I guess you learn from your mistakes). The awards given out were made of glass, and in 1 photo i've managed to direct my flash right at it without realising.. meaning I have a quite obvious reflection there.

Is there any way of reducing it? Thanks

 
How about getting the guy holding the trophy to hold it in a slightly different angle to stop the flash reflecting straight back.

Another solution maybe to use off camera flash so the light fires at a different angle at the subject from the lens.
 
Hi, If you have a photo of even someone else holding the same trophy you could clone it in but IMO what you have is not that bad, they say that the first thing your eye is drawn to in a photograph is the bright parts and the first thing I looked at was the trophy and that is again IMO the focal point of the photograph.
Russ
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Amer, thanks for the tips but i'm trying to work on the image as the event is finished..

In terms of the cloning, I don't have access to Photoshop, but I could give it a shot in GIMP i think.
 
I don't think you're going to make it much better without some serious skills. You won't be able to clone from someone else's picture because it's see through and the clothes behind wouldn't match.
 
Charlotte, thanks for the post. Do you think It could be "less bright" as I feel it is dominating the image?
 
Are the highlights totally blown in the area where the flash is reflected off the trophy? If so, then you have zero information there and the only possible solution would be to introduce information from elsewhere, e.g. cloning or patching. But that will almost certainly look rubbish.

If the highlights aren't totally blown, you may be able to tone it down a bit by judicious dodging, or constructing a sort of radial ND grad effect.

But personally I think it's OK as is. The flash draws your attention to the trophy, but doesn't swamp it.
 
inlineadam said:
Charlotte, thanks for the post. Do you think It could be "less bright" as I feel it is dominating the image?
Click to expand...

There's no information left there, you can't make it less bright without removing it.

Next time either don't use flash or check the shots as you take them.
 
StewartR said:
Are the highlights totally blown in the area where the flash is reflected off the trophy? If so, then you have zero information there and the only possible solution would be to introduce information from elsewhere, e.g. cloning or patching. But that will almost certainly look rubbish.

If the highlights aren't totally blown, you may be able to tone it down a bit by judicious dodging, or constructing a sort of radial ND grad effect.

But personally I think it's OK as is. The flash draws your attention to the trophy, but doesn't swamp it.
Click to expand...


I've had a look in Lightroom and I think it's probably fair to say it is totally blown. If it looks fine to everyone else then that makes me feel a bit better :)

Charlotte, The lighting was terrible so I never had much option, I thought about bouncing the flash but the high ceilings and awkward shape of the room made that difficult.
 
You could actually reduce its effect by lifting the shadows and exposure on the rest of the image too. The exposure isn't bad but it could take some [small amount of] pushing and the shadow detail could could pushed even a tad further, making the whole thing brighter so the bounced light stands out and draws the eye less. Cloning is an option but would be very hard indeed and require some serious skills, far better left as it is tbh, I will bet the non photographers looking at it will not think it is a problem ;)
 
Last edited:
Open in a pp program.
Copy layer.
Make a selection around the L/H rim of the trophy from above the man’s thumb to just beyond the centre top.
Copy and past into a new layer.
Flip horizontal and move into place.
On the copy layer, select (biggish) a soft round brush at 10% opacity select a colour from the blue shirt and paint over the glare to reduce.
Selecting a skin colour and with a reduced brush size paint the thumb and hand.
Flatten.
Save.

1253-1385901980-5b7f69a6465356d2bd2e5f8ef53878d6.jpg


Rhodese.
 
Rhodese said:
Open in a pp program.
Copy layer.
Make a selection around the L/H rim of the trophy from above the man’s thumb to just beyond the centre top.
Copy and past into a new layer.
Flip horizontal and move into place.
On the copy layer, select (biggish) a soft round brush at 10% opacity select a colour from the blue shirt and paint over the glare to reduce.
Selecting a skin colour and with a reduced brush size paint the thumb and hand.
Flatten.
Save.

1253-1385901980-5b7f69a6465356d2bd2e5f8ef53878d6.jpg


Rhodese.
Click to expand...

Wow, that is amazing! Thank you very much. I'll try those steps to see if I can get similar for the future. :)
 
Rhodese said:
Open in a pp program.
Copy layer.
Make a selection around the L/H rim of the trophy from above the man’s thumb to just beyond the centre top.
Copy and past into a new layer.
Flip horizontal and move into place.
On the copy layer, select (biggish) a soft round brush at 10% opacity select a colour from the blue shirt and paint over the glare to reduce.
Selecting a skin colour and with a reduced brush size paint the thumb and hand.
Flatten.
Save.

1253-1385901980-5b7f69a6465356d2bd2e5f8ef53878d6.jpg


Rhodese.
Click to expand...
I quite like that, and a pretty good result, always shows it pays to ask, the knowledge is normally out there.
 
oh Rhodese, I forgot to ask - do you mind if i use your edit?

If so, would you be able to email a copy as the image I get from here is quite small.

Many thanks
 
Adam the picture is yours. I edited the screen image as I didn’t have access to the original, or a larger size.
 
Ah I see. I will need to try and do the same with the original then. Do you think it is possible with GIMP ? I don't have access to photoshop
 
Adam I have never used the GIMP. The steps I listed are very basic moves and the GIMP is considered most capable so it should be OK.
Try it yourself and if you have difficulty PM me and I will sort it, but have a go yourself first.

Rhodese.
 
Thank you Rhodese.

I will give it a shot. They are preparing a press release later today so I may well take you up if I can't get it :)
 
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