View Full Version : Uneven coloring on tinted photo (newbie)


cfair
03-31-2008, 01:20 PM
I am new to this forum. So if this post is not where it needs to be, someone please feel free to move it. I was sent this photo from my husband's family. It is circa 1935. You can see there is definite yellowing but some parts are more yellow than others. Unfortunately, my family seems to like the "old" photo color better than a black and white. Is there a way to smooth out the color so that it is all one color. I know I have a lot of work to do on this photo. I would welcome any and all suggestions. I am using Photoshop Elements 5. I have this photo also in photobucket at this link:

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/cfair_2006/spring%20flowers5/restoring%20photos/

crazyfly1
03-31-2008, 02:04 PM
Hi cfair, welcome,
I would take an eye dropper sample from a good protion of the yellow color that your family likes (not tape area). Now just use hue and saturation to drop all of the color out and then on a new blank layer use paint bucket to fill with yellow and color blend mode.
Hope this helps.

cfair
03-31-2008, 02:41 PM
That works pretty well. I used the overlay blend.

0lBaldy
03-31-2008, 03:36 PM
It looks to me as if it were Sepia toned before.

Levels
Desaturated
Used Polaroid Dust and Scratch filter (both light and dark) on separate layers with hide all mask and painted white over the cracks.
cloned some needed areas
Applied a sepia tone layer
Sharpened

Slightly larger version here (http://img144.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=98834_jack3rdgrade_copy_122_792lo.jpg)

cfair
03-31-2008, 03:50 PM
OlBaldy, You worked really fast. I'm amazed. The color is not exactly the same but it looks good. I am wondering how you fixed the eye on the boy (my father-in-law) on the back row. A crack is going right through his left eye. When I tried making a selection of the right eye and flipping it horizontally and moving it over it appeared too dark I guess because of shadows or something.

0lBaldy
03-31-2008, 04:11 PM
I am wondering how you fixed the eye on the boy (my father-in-law) on the back row. A crack is going right through his left eye.

I forgot to post that part.. Sorry ! I didn't think anyone would notice!

I stole the eyes and nose from the boy who's head is tilted in the lower row just below.. made a loose selection of those parts, copied, pasted, free transformed (rotated till the eyes were in alignment.. held down the shift key>grabbed the corner handles and adjusted the size till the eyes were the same distance apart as the originals then moved them into place

cfair
03-31-2008, 04:45 PM
Ha! Ha! I wonder if anyone in my family would notice that he looks a little like the boy in front of him. He is one of 18 kids. They may think this other kids is number 19? LOL

hawkeye60
03-31-2008, 05:51 PM
Here is my try in B&W:

cfair
03-31-2008, 06:39 PM
I like the black and white too. My family, on the other hand, prefers the yellow look. I have to get the color even. That tape messes it up. And how did you fix the eye of the fellow (my father-in-law) in the back row? He had a crack running through his left eye. Did you also borrow the eyes of another child?

hawkeye60
03-31-2008, 08:12 PM
Actually I borrowed in several places on the photo.

cfair
04-01-2008, 02:11 PM
I was wondering.....If I desaturated the photo and then corrected all the tears can I then recreate that color. That color is the original yellow, tan or whatever you call it. My family seems to like look. What combination of colors can I use and what tool do I use. This is all new to me. I am getting good with the clone tool though. This photo needs a lot of that. I would appreciate any suggestions from all of you experts.

hawkeye60
04-01-2008, 02:28 PM
Yes you can, use a gradient map or even just hue and saturation (set to colorize) to add color after you make the repairs...

This is the photo I posted before, after adding a hue and saturation layer.