Critiques - - First showing

Noko · #1 09-12-2003, 10:35 AM

Hi Everybody
Just want to say this forum/site is great. I’ve been doing Photo Restoration off and on for about 8 years, more off than on. Been using Photoshop since version 2.5 mainly for fun, doing graphics and photography enhancements.

I was doing Photo Restoration as a side business. I made enough money from it to keep me up to date in computer and photography equipment. I stopped doing restoration when Photoshop 5 came out with the new color management and I could figure out how to match what I saw on my screen and what printed out. Well now it seems that some years later, everybody has got their icc profiles straight and I can print what I see on my screen, I decided to get back into Photo Restoration.

I’m so glad I found this site, it has already helped me with scanning textured photos (one of my biggest headaches) I found the tutorial here on this site. I was scanning the photo one way and then turning it 180 degrees and scanning it again. Once in Photoshop sandwiching together and turning the opacity down on the top one. That work ok at best but then I read the tut and all I had to do was change the layer blending mode to darken. I tell you I was so happy to find that out.

Anyway I I’m currently redoing my website and trying to add new updated restoration pics. This is the latest one that I have done. It has a little of everything in it. Let me know what you guys think.

Wedding

Ed_L · #2 09-12-2003, 05:26 PM

Hi Noko,

Welcome to RP. I think you've done an excellent job on the image. You got rid of the distracting elements, and put the focus on the couple. Good job on the color also. At first glance I thought you might have lost some of the detail in the clothing in the darker areas, but on a closer look, I can see you didn't. Excellent work!

Ed

roger_ele · #3 09-13-2003, 12:12 AM

Hi Noko,

Very well done! Only in the spirit of searching for any possible tweaks ...

-Might be a little contrasty, the blacks and whites don't have the detail I would expect in the scene naturally (as originally photographed)

-Faces are very well done, but a little feeling of detail has been lost.

-The bluish haze from (I am assuming) daylight through a doorway that is reflecting off of the paneling could be removed with Clone (color blending mode) or painting on a new layer set to color blending mode.

Excellent work,
Roger

gina · #4 09-13-2003, 04:09 AM

Noko,

As I am in no way in your league accomplishing the result you got on this photo

please forgive me for pointing this out.
But I wanted to ask why you put all the distracting things as the microphone out of the way but left the white roll lying on the ground? Is it something that has to be there for these two people or was it too difficult to leave it out?
The positive things I can't begin to name so I'm sorry for the critique but for one I very much like how you got the sheen and detail in the dress.

gina

Noko · #5 09-14-2003, 06:35 PM

Thank you for your comments everybody. I thought there was a blue color cast on that back wall but got so distracted with the many other corrections that I forgot about that. I didn’t know if I should leave the white runner on the floor or not. It not to hard to take out, actually it would be easy to take out compared to that microphone lol. Your right though I think I will take that out. As far as the contrast goes I agree that there’s too much of it. I didn’t scan this image plus I don’t know what the actual image really looks like. I tried to lower the contrast before and the whites in the dress looked muddy. I’m going to play with all these suggestions. I want this photo to go into my portfolio.

Gina don’t be sorry for the critique. I’m thick skinned and love to hear the good and bad about my work. If everybody just said "Oh that’s Great" I would never get better.

As far as the dress goes, I had two levels adjustment layers. One for the over all image and one just for the dress with a layer mask blocking everything else from being corrected.

Conk · #6 09-15-2003, 12:48 AM

Noko
Fantastic restore. I noticed the grooms foot having been redone. Great eye to catch that and to make it better.
It's said that there was lost detail in the faces. I'm not sure there was any detail to be lost but I think trying to achive a little more wouldn't hurt. Maybe a soft focus is better suited to the feel of the photo.