Removing glare from glasses is a constant challenge when editing portraits, especially if you want a clean, realistic look without losing facial detail. Whether shooting professionally or for fun, glare can detract from your photos, making mastering this skill valuable.
Coming to you from Aaron Nace with Phlearn, this practical video walks you through how to remove stubborn glare using both Photoshop's new AI tools and traditional methods like the clone stamp. Nace demonstrates precisely when to lean on AI, such as minor fixes around eyebrows, versus when manual tools are necessary to retain authenticity. Using generative fill for subtle adjustments works well, but the video clarifies the clear boundaries of AI—especially when dealing with delicate facial features like eyes. The careful balance of using AI where it saves time but pulling back to manual control when accuracy is critical makes this method highly effective. This thoughtful distinction will likely become a regular part of your editing workflow, improving efficiency without sacrificing realism.
The key technique Nace illustrates involves sampling from one side of a face to seamlessly fix glare on the other. You’ll learn exactly how to position, flip, and warp your cloned selections to match perspective accurately. The tutorial simplifies how to layer, mask, and blend these edits so the results are virtually undetectable, maintaining the original character of your subject. Nace’s direct and approachable teaching style reduces the learning curve significantly, making even complex edits accessible. For anyone frustrated with unnatural results when relying solely on generative AI, these clone stamping strategies offer reliable control and believable outcomes.
One especially useful insight in this video involves handling tricky areas near the eyes, where even minor changes significantly impact realism. The clone stamp tool, used precisely as Nace instructs, allows you to retain critical details like reflections or the natural texture of eyelids and eyebrows. Beyond the basics of duplicating, the tutorial also guides you through subtle opacity and warp adjustments to match lighting, contours, and perspective, crucial for maintaining authenticity. You'll also see how small clone stamp strokes with adjusted opacity and softness can blend even tricky edges effortlessly. Each step builds your confidence, giving you methods that ensure every edit aligns perfectly with the original facial features.
The lesson doesn't stop at simple glare removal. It expands into how to use these methods as part of a broader skill set for retouching. By learning to combine AI’s convenience with the precision of manual tools, you can achieve consistently realistic, professional-quality edits. Nace ensures you have a clear roadmap for tackling even difficult glare problems without resorting to overly artificial-looking solutions, keeping the integrity of your portraits intact. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Nace.
