Need Advice with clean and fix faded pic

[Kraellin]

i'm posting this one only to show what the background looks like. i didnt try to clean up the rest of the picture.

also, flora, what exactly does the heal brush do? i dont have anything like this in psp 7.xx and brushes and tools like you're using show me that it may well be time to get better software. you did an excellent job that i would have had to do with a lot of cloning. oh, and how much time did you spend with the heal tools on this one?

Craig

[Flora]

Craig,

Thank you very much for your kindness!

The following is the Photoshop Help File definition of the Heal Brush:

The Healing Brush tool

The Healing Brush tool lets you correct imperfections, causing them to disappear into the surrounding image. Like the cloning tools, you use the Healing Brush tool to paint with sampled pixels from an image or pattern. However, the Healing Brush tool also matches the texture, lighting, transparency, and shading of the sampled pixels to the pixels being healed. As a result, the repaired pixels blend seamlessly into the rest of the image.

.... and I would add colour as well ...

I'm posting two examples of differences between 'Clone' and Heal ... As you can see, the Clone just covers up .... the Heal corrects blending in .... With the Heal Brush you can also create a pattern of a good part of the picture and use it as a sample for larger areas to be restored, without bothering to sample all the time ... It has its limits of course, but it is a really fantastic Tool!!!

Attachment 1 is just to show you the 'macroscopic' difference between these two Tools .... Attachment 2 shows a practical example of it in what could be a routine restore work ... In both cases I used the same brush size and hardness ans sampled from the same points .... (needless to say ... the heal brush version is the right most one in both attachments... )

[Kraellin]

thanks flora

yup. that's the tool i need.

However, the Healing Brush tool also matches the texture, lighting, transparency, and shading of the sampled pixels to the pixels being healed. As a result, the repaired pixels blend seamlessly into the rest of the image.

let's see.... i'll need a new computer, photoshop cs, corel painter, a new printer, a new house to put them in......

Craig

[tomvason]

Hi folks,

I've done a little more work on the photo I posted previously and would not like to get more feed back.

I've done some correcting and also colorized it. The coloring was done in hopes of it bringing out more in the image that I can work on.

My problem is keeping the picture from morphing into what looks like a painting.

What would ya'll suggest from here? Thanks in advance!

Tom

[Flora]

Hi Tom,

You are getting there ...

Your last version isn't much like a painting like your first one was .... just a bit on the 'flat' side for lack of contrast, a little 'over-denoised'' for an old picture ... and, at least on my monitor, the colours look barely there ...

I tried it again using the bigger size (light sepia and partially coloured) ... I replaced the planked wall (not too happy about it ... ) ... and the girl's arm and hand 'borrowing' from another picture ...

[tomvason]

Thanks Flora,

That is great!

What I am having trouble learning is how to get rid of the flat look. The curves thing and the levels both seem confusing to me. I know practice makes perfect but just can't seem to get it. Also, the borrowing from another pic, which I have tried on the hand, but none of it looks as good as yours does.

This is a great job! I'll go back to the drawing board one more time.

-Tom

[Flora]

You are very welcome, Tom!

.... it's always easier to correct a 'rather flat' image than too strong a contrast since, once you get solid black or white areas in a picture, you lose any detail which might have been there ... So, I rather work on a 'flat' image and 'pump-up' contrast near the end ...

Curves and Levels are very confusing when you are not yet familiar with them .... My tip is to experiment (play ) a lot with these two amazing Tools ... and to not forget the mid-tones when using them, as mid-tones have a very strong impact on how an image is going to look at the end...

The Tutorial that got me 'going' with the Curves can be found here ....

Hope this helps.

[tomvason]

Hi Flora,

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I am learning an lot from the tutorials you have pointed me to as well as the suggestions you have made.

Here is my latest attempt to correct the photo. This time, I went for half the image. (The hands are driving me crazy! LOL! Although I did think the imposed hands in your posting looked good. I have tried it myself and can't get it to blend no where near what you have done).

Also, the curve tutorial is very helpful, but playing with it as probably going to be the only way I can get it. I still can't do much with the lady on the right side of the pic. Her hair will have to be borrowed from another image, and not sure how to get any real substance in her face. The colors are just flat.

Oh well, let me know what you think! Thanks again, have a blessed day!

Tom

[Billfields]

Tom,

I played around with this some yesterday (taking a beak from my own -----------------). I used the first version you put up. First, I think you were right to crop it. I took out the top part right away. It really doesn’t add anything to the picture. With the rest of the background instead of blackening it out you might try a something like this—I just used the Gaussian Blur filter but you can play around with several if you want.

If you have a bigger version of the picture with greater detail I would try the healing brush on the arm. I’ve been using it a lot the last couple of days. It can be slow but you can get good results, much better that I was able to get here with the smaller scan.

I think that some of the hair texture you need is in the image. It is sometimes easier to use what you find in the photo itself if you can as things tend to match up better. I selected out the hair from the right side of the baby and used it to “improve” the hair of the other two. Basically I just rotated the sample and added it as several new layers with varying opacity. On a couple I set the layer to multiply, lighten or darken vary the effect. I have included the selection I used. I only took one selection but changing the place you cut from and the shape will give a less cloned look to it. And again, if your actual scan is more detailed the detail is easier to cut out.

Hope this is useful, I did it all very quickly just to see if it would work. It could look a lot better if you took more time

Bill

[tomvason]

Hi folks,

Here is another posting of the picture I originally posted here. I have been going at it with a little more care. I have used mostly cloining and the healing brush, patch tool and a couple of cuting and pasting efforts (hair taken from the picture itself and not an outside source).

What I would like is your input on where to from here?

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Tom,

Well, you've persevered with this and got a really good result. I don't think there's really too much more you can do, considering the state of the original.

Possibly you could adjust the contrast a little, and there's a couple of burnt out areas on the face of the girl on the left that you could possibly attend to, but nothing of any real consequence.

A very nice piece of work.

[Flora]

Hi Tom,

I don't really have much to add to what Gary has already said ...

You have preformed near miracles in some parts of the picture (reconstructions and cleaning) .... .... But, in my opinion, the shadows/highlights/midtones balance isn't what it should be ... and, if not done on purpose, the already limited 'sharpness' of the original has been lost by blurring along the way ....

[Billfields]

I think you have managed wonders! I recall that early on you planned to color this. You might look at this tutorial which i found when Flora suggested it in anothjer thread. I have been trying to master this method and it might work for you here

http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

Good job!

Bill

[Panpan]

Originally Posted by Billfields

I think you have managed wonders! I recall that early on you planned to color this. You might look at this tutorial which i found when Flora suggested it in anothjer thread. I have been trying to master this method and it might work for you here

http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

Good job!

Bill

There are many fascinating tutorials on that site, among them two other colorizing techniques. The galleries are worth a look too.


Pierre

[pjanak]

Excellent supplied tutorial