Swapping Eyes

JohnBradbury

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John
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I have two pictures, one where the subject is looking at me, the other a fraction of a second where she is not. I'd like to swap the eyes but not by cloning. I'm pretty sure this can be done with layers and masks?

Can anyone point me to a tutorial?
 
Open both pix, select the eyes in the one ( lasso tool)you want to copy then edit>copy, then close the pic-saves you getting mixed up.( make sure your selection is large enough-you are going to erase a lot later on)
Switch to the pic you want to change then layer>new layer.
Make sure the new layer is active then edit>paste- you should now have the eyes on a separate layer.
Then move and erase until it looks correct.
This assumes you are using PS
 
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What software do you have?
 
I would
  1. Open both pictures
  2. In the image with good eyes:
    Select the left eye you want with lasso tool, leaving plenty of border
  3. Ctrl J to duplicate layer & rename new layer 'left eye'
  4. Select right eye similarly
  5. Ctrl J to duplicate layer & rename new layer 'right eye'
  6. Select both layers, right click and select group. Name group eyes.
  7. Right click group and select duplicate. Change the target to the other image.
  8. Close the image with the original of the good eyes
  9. In the image with bad eyes:
  10. Select the good left eye layer. Reduce opacity to 50%. Ctrl T (transform) & move around until it lines up. Right-click and select Warp if required to push & pull it into place. Change opacity back to 100%
  11. Add a layer mask and use a soft edged black brush to blend the edges in
  12. Repeat for right eye.
You may need to do some additional work to blend in the skin of the old and new eyes. That'd need a more detailed tutorial.
 
Hi john can we see the photo's?
I would use layer masks it shouldn't be too hard as long as the lighting is roughly the same.
I could do a video tutorial if you use photoshop, if that helps.
 
Simplest way is perhaps to just first try healing brush tool sampling from the other photo... if it doesn't work you start playing with the layers and the rest. As long as you match exposures, angle and light is the same you just paint in a fuzzy mask around each replacement eye and no one will notice.
 
As a matter of interest after all the advice did you get it sorted?
 
I used to do eye swaps, but found the bigger a bit you swap, the easier it is to make it look ok.

I tend to swap headsnow.
 
I use a similar process to @juggler but i don't do individual eyes, i lasso select both eyes (as if they were looking thru a letter box) and feather it about 5px so the edges of the selection are not so solid. Paste as a new layer and re position. I havn't had to do a lot of work after that to be honest - and have had a pretty high success rate (if it doesn't look good, obviously i just accept that's not going to be a photo that will get used). if the 'good eye' photo was taken immediately after the bad one, it shouldn't be too hard to make it seamless. Used it for blinks, glasses flares and other similar issues, i've also replaced whole heads on some occasions. disclaimer being in most cases, customers are receiving a sub dye print of the photo which is quite forgiving but for the most part look fine on the digital image also. Maybe I am too much of a bodger but it shouldn't take too long.
 
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