Damien Symonds

Have you calibrated the laptop screen as well? Is it over-saturated too, or ok? (Just trying to rule out an issue at the computer end.)

What do you think of this?

No, it's because you posted the image here as a png!!!!!

Also, off topic, but very important: http://www.damiensymonds.net/png-file-format If you can post the actual photo, rather than a screenshot, I'm happy to help.

No, only this: http://www.damiensymonds.net/preventing-banding-in-backdrops/

Never clone, it's too risky.

Ok, so your first step in troubleshooting has to be to try one of your older folders (which you know worked in the past) to see if it still works they way it should, or if it's misbehaving now too.

That's right. That's right, you have to Alt-click where you want the detail copied from. If you've never used the Clone Tool before, I suggest finding a YouTube video about it. Actually, it's not necessary to do Ctrl J in this case. You'll see in my file that I used blank layers instead.

In Bridge, can you go to the View menu and see if "Show hidden files" has been turned on? Generally, it should be off.

I'm curious why you're sending raw files to your retoucher, if you're doing the raw editing yourself?

Here's the PSD It's done, basically, using this method.

I figure it will have to be a plain cloning job. Hold on, I'll play ...

Yep, this will work a treat! Your first step is in the Raw processing. You must must must make sure that there is no shadow clipping. Not even a single pixel. The histogram has to be short at the shadow end. While you're doing the raw processing, you can certainly err towards a lighter edit, but don't worry if you can't get it light enough - we'll do the rest in Photoshop. Go ahead and do the raw processing, and post again for me.

I don't know, sorry.

Aspect ratio? Sorry, I don't understand the question.

I need entire screenshots, showing the layers panel and options bar for each tool. Also, please do this for me.

While it's technically true that the could have a little more contrast, no, they don't look flat to me.

Well ... I certainly would be interested to see what happened if you had the exact same files printed on lustre, for comparison.

Nah, there are too many variables.

@Brian? @Christina Keddie? @Kim? Any advice about this?

Not even Shift. Just zoom way in and use a very small brush, very patiently.

Perfect!

Ok, so I'd start by opening it in your raw program and fixing the white balance. Then in PS, draw guides where you think your square crop will go, and add a clone layer to clone out the bits of people on either side. Then choose a light-coloured "Solid Color" layer, and mask it onto the background, over the guy.

You and I know what's been done, but I don't think the casual observer would pick it.

Yeah, I think that last one would work. The right-hand side.