Need some help with eyes

[kman]

Hi, hoping someone can help me or give me some tips. I recently took the below shot and am struggling to get the eyes processed nicely.

Below are 2 pics, the first is with no processing applied to the eye and the 2nd my attempt though I'm not happy with it. What I'd like is some help or tips on how to go about getting the iris to pop, removing or improving the look of the catchlight and cleaning up the white area of the eyeball.

I used the high pass filter + soft light layer blend (several passes) on my attempted edit and then smudge tools to try and clean up the iris/pupil.

These are 100% crop shots

image 1: original

image 2: my (poor) edit

 

[Kerioak]

What about something like this

Heal/clone the red lines in the eyes and then select the iris and use the curves to darken it a little

 

[hairboy]

First of all, the eyes are not in focus properly, so it's going to be a slight case polishing the brown stuff, unfortunately. However, here's my quick 5 min attempt.

1. hue saturation adj layer - red channel, down by about 50%. use layer mask to desaturate the veins.
2. new layer: clone the rest of the veins out
3. new layer: clone a bit of the catchlight. Not eliminate it though.
4. curve adj layer inverted mask, brighten the white of the eye
5. curve adj layer, inverted mask, brighten the shadow on the face a touch
6 duplicate everything, high pass filter, invert mask, selectively sharpen.

I think it took longer to type this than to do the processing

 

[Lunaticsamurai]

Can you provide camera settings? the whole image is not in focus.

 

[hairboy]

Kerioak - a good idea with the screen print of layers

I'll do the same

 

[Kerioak]

I was taking longer to type explanations than to do processing which is why I started the screen shots which I hope are more useful - helps to rename/describe the layers though I think if there is no explanation attached

 

[kman]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I have made a nicer edit and am happy with it. Yes the eye focus isn't perfect but on the full image, with the sharpening I think its ok. Will post a complete image a bit later.

 

[Lunaticsamurai]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I have made a nicer edit and am happy with it. Yes the eye focus isn't perfect but on the full image, with the sharpening I think its ok. Will post a complete image a bit later.

Are these for a client or personal?

 

[DekHog]

It's not properly in focus, so makes thing more difficult - lighten whites; adjust iris; selective sharpen....

 

[kman]

Are these for a client or personal?

for my personal portfolio

 

[kman]

It's not properly in focus, so makes thing more difficult - lighten whites; adjust iris; selective sharpen....

i like that one. thanks.

 

[gman]

This is the best I could quickly do...

 

[xSitara™]

This is the best I could quickly do...

That's perfect.

 

[gman]

 

[kman]

I have to agree there - gman thats great!

 

[gman]

Someone's gonna bust me soon enough....haha