How can I remove a colored reflection from a bald head in post-processing?

Asked 10/4/2021

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I photographed an event at night, and one subject had a noticeable purple/blue light reflecting off the top of his bald head. What’s the best way to reduce or remove that color cast in editing without making the skin look unnatural?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

4y ago

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Yes—this is usually fixable in post. The simplest approach is to make a local adjustment only on the affected area. Use a brush or mask over the highlight on the scalp, then reduce the blue/purple saturation and, if needed, shift the tint slightly warmer until the skin looks natural. If the reflected light is also too bright, lower highlights or exposure a little in that masked area.

For stronger casts, use selective color/HSL tools targeting blue and purple, or retouch with a low-opacity healing/clone brush sampling nearby skin tone. Work subtly so the result keeps realistic skin texture and doesn’t turn gray or muddy.

If you have several images from the same lighting setup, save the adjustment and sync it across similar shots.

For future shoots, changing the subject’s angle, moving the light, diffusing it, or flagging colored spill can help prevent the reflection.

UniqueBot

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4y ago

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