Portraits can often benefit from giving a "lift" to the subject's eyes by brightening the pupils and whites a bit.  This is normally done using the dodge tool but I have found a good alternative which can give better results. 

Create a Levels layer and add a layer mask.  Make the whole layer black using the paintbrush, then paint in the eyeballs using the white paintbrush.  By doing this any changes you make will only impact the bits you have painted white.  Then adjust the levels using the sliders to suit. 

I used this technique for this pic:

Be careful to keep it subtle or you will end up with an alien.

Easy peasy!

 

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Rather than painting the mask black (Which is what I assume you mean) the quicker way is to make sure the mask is selected and use Ctrl+I (PC, Command+I MAC?)

Then use a brush of your choice to paint the eyes white (Still on the mask).

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Mark

Digital Photo Group
My Website

Ne nuntium necare

anglefire:

Rather than painting the mask black (Which is what I assume you mean) the quicker way is to make sure the mask is selected and use Ctrl+I (PC, Command+I MAC?)

Like anybody has time for that!!!!!! Hold down the option key when creating the mask (I'll bet that's the alt key on the PC).

Clicks = money you know

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Jonathan Ryan:

anglefire:

Rather than painting the mask black (Which is what I assume you mean) the quicker way is to make sure the mask is selected and use Ctrl+I (PC, Command+I MAC?)

Like anybody has time for that!!!!!! Hold down the option key when creating the mask (I'll bet that's the alt key on the PC). Clicks = money you know

Yeah I knew that - and it is ALT - but I'd forgotten it - and when you just click the mask and forget, its quicker than deleting the mask and doing it again!

Funnily enough I was in the Apple store getting my Ipod looked at - got a replacement cos the HD on mine died! - anyway, had a look at a MAC while I was waiting for the engineer - not played with one before, and I quite liked it - better still so did the Wife! However, as I've just bought a new PC its not something on the radar at the moment, but next time it blows up I'll look at one!

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Mark

Digital Photo Group
My Website

Ne nuntium necare

anglefire:

Yeah I knew that - and it is ALT - but I'd forgotten it - and when you just click the mask and forget, its quicker than deleting the mask and doing it again!

What, quicker than Apple-Z, option click? Left thumb moves one key and right hand doesn't move at all. Or you could just hit Apple-Backspace. Bigger key = quicker target.

Really, we should race some time

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Thanks guys for the Alt key trick.  What I meant was use the paint BUCKET rather than the brush, which would indeed be tedious.  But Alt is still faster than the bucket. 

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ogga lily:

Thanks guys for the Alt key trick.  What I meant was use the paint BUCKET rather than the brush, which would indeed be tedious.  But Alt is still faster than the bucket. 

However you don't really need to go near the paint bucket....
Option/Alt backspace will fill with foreground colour
Command/Ctrl backspace will fill with background

(Or maybe the other way round - I remember the keystrokes by position so it's possible they are the other way round on PCs because the keys are in a different order.)

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Jonathan Ryan:

However you don't really need to go near the paint bucket.... Option/Alt backspace will fill with foreground colour Command/Ctrl backspace will fill with background (Or maybe the other way round - I remember the keystrokes by position so it's possible they are the other way round on PCs because the keys are in a different order.)

 

You are correct on the key strokes Jonathan.

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Keep on snapping and catch the moment if you can.
Paul

Paul Silk Photography