Remove shadow in Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop: Shadow Removal

Every photographer knows how important lighting is when shooting. But when it's a sunny day outside, it's quite difficult to get rid of shadows. If they cover part of the face, this can be easily corrected in the finished photo. You will learn how to remove shadows from a face in Photoshop right now. There is not just one method, there are several. Let's look at the simplest of them.

Method 1

But after reducing the intensity of the shadows, the photo may become a little faded - lose brightness, this can also be corrected. To add brightness and contrast to a photo, although there is a special menu item for this, it is best to adjust the levels. It's more fine settings tones You can find this option there – in the “Image-Correction” menu. Select the second item “Levels” and adjust with the sliders. Try moving all three sliders in “Input values” one by one and select the optimal parameters:

You can also add some color saturation to your photo. This can be done in the “Hue/Saturation” menu section, all in the same “Correction” subsection.

Method 2

The disadvantage of the first method is that it not only removes shadows from the face, but also changes the tone/lighting of the entire image. If you want to remove shadows so that the rest of the photo remains unchanged, it is better to use the second method.

We compare the result with the original image.

A shadow can either successfully complement a photograph or to a large extent spoil. Therefore, sometimes it becomes necessary to remove it. Photoshop experts will carry out the operation in no time. But to do this you need to sit down at the computer, and this is not always possible. Fortunately, there are mobile photo editors. Let's figure it out how to remove shadow inSnapseed.

Overwriting shadows in the Snapseed application

We would like to say right away that the operation cannot be carried out efficiently if the shadow does not lie on a monosyllabic background. The ideal situation is that it is on asphalt, ground or something similar. In this case, everything is done extremely simply:

1. Open the photo you want to edit in Snapseed.
2. From the effects menu, select " Correction».
3. Put " Shadows" to the maximum positive value at which the image still looks good.
4. Do the same for " Light balance».

Now the shadows will become much lighter, but will remain. All that remains is to cover them up. And there are three options:

• Take the tool " Brush"and on minimum value with positive exposure, paint them over.
• Do everything with " Pointwise" Areas with shadows and a monosyllabic background are processed without zooming, areas with objects - at maximum.
• Combine both previous methods to achieve the desired result.

Opening the brush

Processed photo with brush

If something goes wrong while using the brush, you can always cancel the painting. To do this, you need to increase or decrease the intensity to the value " Eraser", and then run your finger over the unsuccessful area. But with " Pointwise“It won’t work that way. To reverse the changes with this tool, you need to click on the arrow “ Back"under the photo.

Ruined photo

Restored photo

Photographs of objects that were exposed to hard light during photography are always accompanied by deep shadows, which in some cases simply spoil the aesthetic perception of the image. Fortunately, Photoshop has built-in functions that are aimed at eliminating such aesthetic defects.

We will tell you how to remove or, on the contrary, add shadows to objects

After reading the recommendations on how to remove shadows in Photoshop, even an inexperienced graphic designer will immediately be able to implement everything practically. It is especially easy to perform such a task if the shadow of the object does not completely cover the plane on which it falls.

Adobe Photoshop contains many tools, which can be cleverly manipulated to successfully correct images. In the process of performing such actions, it is not at all difficult to eliminate not only shadows, but also, if necessary, individual objects that degrade the quality of the image itself.

Experienced graphic designers offer to use recommendations on how to make a shadow invisible in Photoshop. There are two options for solving this graphical problem.

Using the Stamp Tool

The Stamp tool in Photoshop allows you to clone one area and immediately transfer it to another. Given these possibilities, some designers often use a stamp if there is a need to remove the shadow of an object.

Let's try to forcefully remove the silhouette on the right

Initially, you should open the photo in graphic editor, further zoom in to improve visual preview the part of the image where the shadow is located.

Next, select a stamp on the toolbar and enter necessary changes in its settings. When the shape and hardness parameters are selected, you can proceed directly to removing the shadow. To do this, press the “Alt” key and left-click on a place that is located at a minimum distance from the shadow. Thus, it will be possible to copy this area using a stamp. Now by pressing left key mouse, it will be easy to “paint over” the entire shadow.

The less ordered the texture, the easier it is to achieve the desired effect.

Using the Stamp tool, removing the darkening is really not difficult. However, such actions are not always accompanied by high efficiency. In particular, very often transitions remain quite noticeable in the image, and the process of eliminating dark areas can be lengthy, so it is better to use alternative and more effective methods.

It didn't take long

Alternative shadow removal

It’s not at all difficult to figure out an alternative algorithm for making a shadow invisible in Photoshop. Initially, you should also open the photo, immediately zooming in.

The shadow on the sand is confusing due to its inaccuracy

Next, it is very important to select the entire shadow of the object. This is quite easy to do if you use the Magic Wand tool. After successful selection, it is important to find the “Image” parameter, then go first to the “Correction” item, and then to the “Equalize Brightness” sub-item, which is the last one in the drop-down list.

Go to the “Correction” submenu

After selecting this option, a pop-up window will appear in which there will be a line “Align only the selected area”; add a checkbox next to it. Immediately after performing such completely simple actions, the brightness of the dimming will change, but will still differ significantly from the main plane.

Intermediate result (shadow color may vary)

In order to still remove the darkening and make it invisible, you should make changes to the parameters of brightness, color saturation, and contrast.

In Adobe Photoshop, you can use the Content-Aware Fill feature, which will allow you to almost instantly remove any shadows. However, it should be noted that, unfortunately, this function is available only in new versions of the program, so experienced designers always monitor the appearance of updates and download them in a timely manner.

Quite a powerful feature

Initially, you should also select the darkening using the “Magic Wand” tool, then in the “Editing” drop-down list, find the “Fill” option. By clicking on this parameter, a window will open in which you should select the “Content-aware” item and the “Fading” mode. After such actions, it is possible to remove the shadow completely.

Here is the result of the work

Adding a Shadow

In the process of adjusting a photograph, there is often a need not to remove darkening, but, on the contrary, to draw a shadow. It is for this reason that many users making their first practical steps in a graphics editor, trying to find information on how to make a shadow of an object in Photoshop.

Technique for adding shadows

To draw a shadow to an object that is already in the photograph, you should first select this object. Then it is important to duplicate the layer. Now you can draw a shadow on the top layer using several functions and tools in Photoshop.

In the “Edit” menu you should find the “Transform” option, after clicking on it, peculiar borders with small squares will appear around the selected object. If you grab the top center square and pull it to the side, you can tilt the object you are editing. Next, press the “Enter” key to finish working with this parameter, after which you should also find the following parameter in the “Edit” menu “ Free transformation».

Combine various types transformation

After this, borders with squares appear again around the future shadow. In the same way, you should grab the central upper square, but this time pull it down. Thanks to such actions, it is possible to flatten the object a little. You can exit the Free Transform option by pressing the Enter key.

Everything that was done allowed us to add a new similar object to the photo, but since the designer’s task was different, we should continue working, receiving a new piece of information on how to draw a shadow in Photoshop.

There's still a little time left until the final result

To turn a flattened and tilted object into a shadow, you should significantly reduce its brightness, and then use the “Gaussian Blur” command, having previously set the desired blur radius.

For realism, you can add texture to the background

Now the layer with the shadow should be moved to the second position, after which the photo editing process can be completed.

So, we found out that the principle of adding a shadow in Photoshop is simple, so a designer with any practical experience can master it. The process of editing an image will be successful if you apply not only diligence to it, but also creative imagination.

It happens that the shadow of an object or the photographer’s hand in a photograph is too dark and stands out from the composition. This spoils the perception of the photo and sharply reduces its artistic value and attractiveness. You can remove a shadow in Adobe Photoshop in several interesting ways.

Let's look at an example.

Here the shadow of the monument is too long and too dark. In the first case, you can remove it using the Stamp tool. The Stamp tool creates a copy of the sample image and places it on another desired part of the image.

1. Enlarge the part of the image where the shadow is located using the " tool Scale» from the side toolbar;

2. Select the tool " Stamp»;

3. Set the stamp size, shape and hardness that suits you in the options menu;

4. Click Alt key and click the target circle stamp cursor that appears on the tile as close to the shadow as possible. The stamp will copy that part of the image;

5. Fill the shadow with the stamp by left-clicking on it. For more accurate filling, keep the colors bright. To do this, take the color several times in different places where it changes;

6. As a result, you should get a photo without a shadow as in the picture.

Usage " Stamp"To eliminate shadows is not always convenient. Because it may be that the color transitions near the shadow are too different, or it is difficult to maintain the correct geometric pattern. The shadow may be too large and it will be time consuming and inconvenient to carry out this amount of work. There are two other simpler ways to do this.

Removing a shadow using the " Level brightness».

1. Enlarge the photo;

2. On the side toolbar, find the selection tool " Magic wand»;

3. Select the shadow completely;

4. In the menu " Image» select « Correction-Equalize brightness»;

5. In the pop-up window, check the value " Align only the selected area»;

6. As you can see, the brightness of the color has changed, but it still stands out very much;

7.Adjust brightness and Color tone using menu functions " Image-Correction» « Brightness/Contrast" And " Hue/Saturation».

The fastest and convenient way eliminating shadows, as well as other unwanted objects in the photo - use the function " Content-aware fill" This feature, by the way, is an update Photoshop programs CS5, i.e. V previous versions she's not there. To use this feature, also select the shadow using " Magic wand" and select the menu item " Editing-Fill».

In the menu that appears, select " Content-aware»

and the required mode.

Press the key OK. As you can see, the shadow has completely disappeared.

Save the changes using the command " File-Save"or save the photo under a new name with the command " File-Save As».

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Photos are our calling card, so it is very important that they turn out to be of high quality. Nice pictures It’s never a shame to post it on the Internet or send it to friends. But even the most successful shot can be spoiled by minor flaws - for example, all kinds of highlights or deep shadows. Want to know how to remove shadows from photos in Photoshop? You will need its Russian equivalent - “Home Photo Studio”. We have prepared detailed instructions on the basics of image processing.

Step 1. Download the photo editor

First of all, you need to go to your computer. Just follow the link from the official website and wait until the download completes. The download will take no more than five minutes. Next, unpack the archive using double click mouse, and then follow the instructions of the Installation Wizard that appears. Don't forget to create a shortcut for the application on your PC desktop. Launch the utility and proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Upload an image

Before we figure out how to remove a shadow from a photo in Photoshop, we need to add the image to the editor. Select the “Open file” option in the main menu, then double-click on the image to upload it. As soon as it is displayed in the program, you can start working.

Adding photos to the editor

Step 3. Correct defects in the photo

Red eye is a fairly common problem in photography and is caused by the flash not firing properly. However, it can be easily eliminated using the appropriate editor function. Use the combination “Flaw Removal” > “Red Eye Effect”. Next, you will need to enlarge the image so that the pupils are clearly visible. Click on them a couple of times to achieve a natural shade. If necessary, you can change the size, hardness and other parameters of the brush. In the effects section you will also learn how to make a blurred background in a photo. You can adjust the brightness and saturation, lighten or darken the photo.

Adjusting the brightness and contrast of the photo

Step 4: Remove the Shadow

Now let's see how to remove shadows from a photo. For these purposes, “Home Photo Studio” is equipped with a “stamp” tool, located in the column on the left. It allows you to align a particular area of ​​the image by copying pixels from the selected location on top of it. To use a “stamp”, place the cursor on the desired part of the photo and click on it while holding down the Alt key. Then click on the shadow fragment and you will see how it changes color. Repeat these manipulations as many times as is sufficient to completely “mask” the shadow.

Removing shadows from a photo

Step 5. Save the photo to PC

If further processing is not required, save the image in a format convenient for you. Select File > Save, come up with a name and define it by extension from the drop-down list. Specify the folder on your PC where you would like to export the file. Check that everything is correct, and then confirm your choice with the “Save” button. In the program you can also prepare a photo for printing. You just need to determine the appropriate template.

Preparing a photo for printing