Using LAB to make image uniform?

SP
Posted By
steve_peters
Sep 7, 2006
Views
252
Replies
8
Status
Closed
I have an image of a beach that I need to clean up and make the whole beach uniform by removing the tonal variation and any imperfections in the sand. Here is a link to a portion of the image: <http://www.stevepetersdigital.com/sand.html>. The final file is going to be quite large, 20.5"x13.6" @300dpi, so you can see some fine detail in the sand. I was just wondering what are some techniques others have used to do something like this? I was wondering if maybe there might be a good way to smooth out some of the tonal variation in LAB? Normally, where I have nothing to be able to clone from, I would just paint and mach the texture of the sand, but I am thinking there must be an easier and faster way?

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AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Sep 7, 2006
In RGB,a flattish Curve in Luminosity mode would flatten-out tonal differences considerably; and the result of doing the same thing to the L Curve in Lab mode would be similar.
SP
steve_peters
Sep 7, 2006
I guess I should have been more specific. I am not trying to flatten out the contrast of the overall image. I need to make this look like a smooth beach, thus darkening the lighter, what look like old tracks, so that they disappear. There is not enough tone variation between those areas and the flat sand that would allow me to simply get rid of them with just using a curve. I am trying to figure out if there is an easier way than trying to make a selection of those areas then darken them so that they are the same color and tone of the rest of the beach or just simply recreating the sand by painting and applying some texture?
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Sep 7, 2006
I think that you will do best with a Curve Adjustment Layer with its own Layer Mask
PF
Peter_Figen
Sep 7, 2006
Go shoot a smooth patch of beach and drop it in for the most realistic effect. If that’s not possible, a couple of adjustment layers, one moving tone up and one down, should be able to take it to a point where you can smooth it out with other means. Definitely not a problem where Lab would be of much benefit.
SP
steve_peters
Sep 7, 2006
After viewing it in LAB, I could see that most of the defects where defined in the L channel. I was wondering if there was some way to just clone in the L channel or something? I tried, but I could not get it to look right. I know that you can set the clone tool to luminosity, but I am not sure if that would work the same as cloneing on the L channel.
PF
Peter_Figen
Sep 7, 2006
It’d be very similar.
RM
Rick McCleary
Sep 7, 2006
When you clone in the L channel to smooth out tonal variations, you’ll get subtle, but weird color shifts in the areas you’ve cloned. This is because the a and b channels have not been similarly adjusted.

I think your best bet is to follow Ann and Peter’s advice. Used Curves adjustment layers – in Luminosity mode if that helps.
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Sep 7, 2006
… and remember that Curves Adj. Layers can have their own Layer Masks … .

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