AI Just Changed How We ENHANCE EYES in PHOTOSHOP 💥

Two Ways to Add Detail to Dark Eyes in Photoshop

If you’ve ever edited a portrait where the eyes are so dark there’s no detail to recover, you’ll know how tricky it can be. Brightening them often makes things look worse, leaving the subject with flat, lifeless eyes.

In the video above, I walk you through two powerful techniques that solve this problem:

• A reliable method using Photoshop’s traditional tools

• A newer approach that uses AI to generate realistic iris detail

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll see in the tutorial.

The Traditional Photoshop Method

This approach has been in my toolkit for years. It doesn’t try to recover what isn’t there. Instead it creates the impression of natural iris texture.

By adding grain, applying a subtle radial blur, and carefully masking the effect, you can fake detail that looks convincing. A touch of colour adjustment finishes the look, leaving you with eyes that feel alive instead of flat.

It’s a manual process but it gives you full control, and the result is surprisingly realistic.

The AI-Powered Method

Photoshop’s Generative Fill takes things in a different direction. With a simple selection around the iris and a prompt like “brown iris identification pattern”, Photoshop can generate natural-looking iris textures, the kind of fine patterns you’d expect to see in a close-up eye photo.

Once the AI has created the base texture, you can enhance it further using Camera Raw:

• brighten the iris

• increase contrast, clarity, and texture

• even add a little extra saturation

Add a subtle catchlight and the transformation is incredible. The eyes go from lifeless to full of depth and realism in seconds.

Why These Techniques Matter

Eyes are the focal point of most portraits. If they’re dark and featureless, the whole image suffers.

These two techniques, one traditional and one modern, give you reliable options to fix the problem. Whether you want the hands-on control of Photoshop’s tools or the speed and realism of AI, you’ll be able to bring that essential spark back into the eyes.

👁👁 EYES: BRIGHTEN , ADD CATCH LIGHTS + MAKE THEM POP: One Technique that does it ALL!

I love how one technique in Photoshop can do more than one job. Here I show how a technique I call the Never Ending Lighting Rig, which I use for adding more lights into a picture, can also be used to enhance the eyes in a portrait. With it you can brighten the eyes, add in fake catch lights and make them pop, all from the same starting point and without needing a separate technique for each.

👁👁 TRY THIS to add LIFE to EYES and make them POP using Photoshop

This is one of my favourite techniques for bringing eyes to life and making them pop in Photoshop. It uses a single layer that can brighten, colourise and add contrast to the eyes, so there's no need to build up lots of separate adjustments to get there. On top of that I also show a great way to add sharpening, which finishes the eyes off and gives them that extra bit of clarity.

DO THIS for Super Sharp Eyes (FAKE IT in Photoshop)

In this latest video (which is under 7 minutes long) on my YouTube Channel I go through a Super Fast technique for faking the look of detail, texture and sharpness in eyes.

Of course nothing beats getting it all ‘in camera’ but for whatever reason that just didn’t happen and the eyes are lacking punch, this works an absolute treat…

Nothing beats getting super sharp eyes in camera, but what if, for whatever reason, that just didn't happen? Sometimes the eyes are in focus and yet there's no detail or texture, and they're lacking punch. All is not lost. In under seven minutes I go through a super fast technique in Photoshop for faking the look of detail, texture and sharpness in the eyes, and it works an absolute treat.

Perfect Eyes with Photoshop Neural Filters (Video Tutorial)

Ok so yesterday I shared a new video on my YouTube Channel going through a recent-ish photo shoot I had with a female surfer.

In the video I go through a Behind the Scenes showing what went into making the picture whilst on location but then show how just one slider in Photoshop made the final picture, I believe, a winner.

As is always the case, it’s the small things that make the BIG difference in Photography and Retouching, and that’s exactly where the Neural Filters in Photoshop comes in when used sparingly.

You’ll see what I mean in the video but also, and I think importantly, why the filter had to be used in the first place.

Cheers,
Glyn

So often it's the small things that make the big difference in photography and retouching. This video takes you through a photo shoot I had with a female surfer, starting behind the scenes on location to show what went into making the picture. From there I do a quick edit using the selections and masking in Lightroom to bring the sky and the sea to life, then show how just one slider in Photoshop's Neural Filters changed the direction of her eyes. Used sparingly, that small change made the final picture, and I also explain why the filter had to be used in the first place.