PhotoShop Wizards Challenge -or- HELP!!!!

[Pixel Popper]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am desperate for your help!!! What I have here is a rather crappy image on on kinds of levels. The lighting is bad, the flash coverage was uneven -hot at the top, not enough at the bottom, shiny faces, and soft focus.

My problem here is that a VERY high profile client wants this image, and I am too embarrased to hand over something of this low quality. My second problem is that I am not proficient enough with Photoshop to fix it.

On the right is Doug Gansler, the Attorney General for the state of Maryland, and to his left is a genuine war hero, Major Daniel Gade and his wife.

I am appealing to your kindness and generosity. Please, PLEASE, won't someone work your magic on this photo to make it presentable. I would be forever grateful for any assistance you might be able to offer.

Here is the image:

http://lh6.google.com/Howard.Starrett/RwMvHyuXaBI/AAAAAAAALC4/wUh4Mn8SnyI/s800/DSC_0214.JPG

[pemmett]

Not exactly an expert, but here's my attempt. Do you have the hi-res image?

http://lh4.google.co.uk/peter.emmett/RwNOC5l1GCI/AAAAAAAAATU/1Tmbwn6s4lk/s800/PHOTO2.jpg

[Pixel Popper]

Hey, Pemmett, thanks for taking a crack at it. I appreciate that. And yes, I do have the high res image. You want I should send it to you?

[pemmett]

Hey, Pemmett, thanks for taking a crack at it. I appreciate that. And yes, I do have the high res image. You want I should send it to you?

You can send it to emmett.photography@gmail.com

Cheers/Peter

[pyrtek]

BEFORE:

http://lh6.google.com/Howard.Starrett/RwMvHyuXaBI/AAAAAAAALC4/wUh4Mn8SnyI/s800/DSC_0214.JPG

AFTER:

http://bertold.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p513899474.jpg

[Pixel Popper]

Thanks ever so much, Bernard! Somehow, I just knew that you would get in on this one. :D

If it exists out there on one of these forums, might you point me toward a tutorial or two which would explain how you accomplished this?

Thanks, again!

-Howard

[Pixel Popper]

You can send it to emmett.photography@gmail.com

Cheers/Peter

SENT! Many thanks. :thumb

[pyrtek]

If it exists out there on one of these forums, might you point me toward a tutorial or two which would explain how you accomplished this?
There are literally thousands of tutorials out there. I prefer books, myself. I
can simply tell you what I did, though.

First, I used a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to reduce the reds a little bit.
I also lightened them a tad so that they wouldn't be so harsh. I masked out
the background from this adjustment so that only their faces were affected.
Next, I used the healing brush to get rid of the flash glare from their faces.
I just sampled good skin and healed the white patches working with a small
brush and zoomed to 200%. Then I added a levels layer, hit OK without
changing anything and set its blending mode to Screen. This made the entire
image brighter, but at 100% it was too much so I reduced the opacity to 25%.
Finally, I cloned out the nasty sign behind Messieur Gansler and sharpened the
image a little bit.

[z_28]

Effects should be better if full size unprocessed file would be available.
52kB picture is way too small for processing.


http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t247/CameraSouth/DSC_0214-a.jpg

[rwells]

Before:
http://lh6.google.com/Howard.Starrett/RwMvHyuXaBI/AAAAAAAALC4/wUh4Mn8SnyI/s800/DSC_0214.JPG


After:
Got rid of the stuff coming out of Gade's head, hair on side of wife's face, red cast out of AG's shirt, lost the sign behind AG, etc...
http://rw.smugmug.com/photos/203902956-L.jpg


-or-
http://rw.smugmug.com/photos/203906676-L.jpg