I ♥ Faces Fix It Friday

I just got this book, which I am really excited about.
I decided to join in on the Fix-It Friday fun, to try out some of the new things I've learned.
I made all adjustments using Photoshop CS4.

Here is the original image...

Here are a few fixes that I did...

For the above image, I started by running a couple of actions: TRA Boutwell's Magic Glasses (free), and then TRA select-o-sharp on just the boy.

Next I cropped in closer.

Then I adjusted the red using the TAT (Targeted Adjustment Tool) in the Hue/Saturation panel. (This is my favorite new tool that I've learned about from my new book.) The boys face seemed to be glowing red before making this step.

Flatten layers.

Blur background a little more using a layer mask with lens blur.

Run free MCP action touch of light/touch of dark and darken the background with my brush at 30%.

Use TAT again in the Hue/Saturation panel to make the pants a true red and take away the fuzziness.

Add a border.

Flatten and save.

I made 2 different black & white versions, starting from my fixed version of the image.

If you have Photoshop and feel limited in your knowledge and ability to use the program, I HIGHLY recommend getting Scott Kelby's book for the version of Photoshop (or Lightroom) that you have.