Help with mum's childhood pics please!

[fatimzz]

Hi all,
Im a new member and dont know what I am doing yet Here's a picture of my mum and aunt in the 50's. I've tried fixing it, using stamping, history brush and levels, but I seem to lose all detail. Any tips would be welcome!
Thanks,
Fatima

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Fatima,

Welcome to RP.

Had a quick go with your picture. Hard to get much detail from the blown out areas with such a small picture.

Duplicated pic, set new layer to multiply, then reduced layer opacity.

New levels adj layer, adjusted contrast a little, then used a graduated mask (top to bottom) to even out exposure across image.

New layer and a lot of cloning and patching.

Finally used Neat Image to reduce noise a little.

[Littlecoo]

G'day Fatima,
Have you still got the original photo? If so, based on what I see ( I may be wrong here), some of the blown out areas may have been caused by the scanner (ie: photo not completely flat against the glass causing the light to bounce off uneven areas around the creases) try rescanning it from different angles and (if you used a flatbed scanner) with something flat and heavy like a large book (Tolstoy's "War and Peace" works for me lol) weighting down the scanner cover, to get the best scan/s you can to work with.

[tomvason]

Here is my quick effort for this great picture! I used a little of everything and not a whole lot of anything. Needs more work, but hope this is a start.

[Kraellin]

i didnt mean to do this much. i was only going to do a small amount for an example. i ended up doing most of the girls and around them. with a better crop it would make a good image.

this was my typical push/clone/airbrush on a blank layer with a lot of clarify and some brightness/contrast and curves thrown in.

craig

[Flora]

Hi,


Fatima,

welcome to RP!!!

I also had a quick go at the girl on the left (my left) in your nice picture ... (actually I concentrated mostly on her face/head ..)

You don't say which version of Photoshop you are using ... (if Photoshop at all)...

Working with PS CS2, I used a Shadow/Highlight adjustment layer to bring out the details in the highlights,

Patch Tool and Heal Brush on the scratches and tears

Levels and Brightness/Contrast for the contrast.

Gary, Craig,

Great jobs!!

[Gary Richardson]

Gary, Craig,

Great jobs!!

Thanks Flora, I didn't think it was too bad, then you dashed my delusions by posting your picture, and I realised just how much extra detail could be found.

I'm currently creating a Flora shaped Voodoo doll into which I'm going to stick pins.

[fatimzz]

First of all thanks for the warm welcome.
Secondly, I CANNOT believe what you all have done with the pic! Gary, Craig and tomvason, you did a great job and thanks for the pointers about what you did. But Flora, OMG, I dont know what to say but that I salute you! I did NOT know there was so much detail in that picture!!! You did an awesome, awesome job!! Can I be your apprentice? :p I do have photoshop 7.0. I will be sure to work on all the tips and will post again when my masterpiece is ready
Thanks again everyone!
Fatima

[tomvason]

Everyone did great work on that pic. However, I'm blown away by the work you did Flora! The work on that girls face is outstanding! I wish I could get to that level of skills with PS that you are at now! Nice, very nice.

Tom

[byRo]

Been rather absent lately, nice to be back.

Nice work all around on a very interesting photo.

Here's my effort. Went something like this....

- Inspected the histogram and decided that the red channel was too clipped, so with the channel mixer made a monochrome from 30% green and 70% blue;

- Looking for details 1: Duplicated layer, Image > Adjustments > Equalize, backed off opacity to around 15%;

- Looking for details 2: Duplicated layer, ran an "Adaptive Equalization" plug-in, set layer blending to hard light. Hide all mask, painted with soft brush where the details needed enhancing;

- Rotated the image to square up (I used Lens Correction in CS2, but you can rotate in PS7 too);

- Took Gary's tip (thank you ) and applied a levels adjustment to darken the lower part, masked with a top-bottom gradient;

- Cloned away the scratches. I like to clone inside the CS2 Vanishing Point tool because you have a preview before applying the patch;

- Saved, and opened the image in Painter. Cloned and using a bristle brush with a very low "Resat" did an airbrush / smudge paintjob to retouch the photo;

- Back to PS for finishing up;

- Added a wee touch of colour to break the greys.

(as always - took longer to write than to do)

Rô

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Ro,

Good to see you back, we've missed you.

Nice rendition of the picture, (but then you always do good work).

[Flora]

Wow, Fatima , thank you so much for your kindness!!!

So glad we could be of help and looking forward to your masterpiece!!!

********

Gary,

Originally Posted by Gary Richardson

I'm currently creating a Flora shaped Voodoo doll into which I'm going to stick pins.

... ..... My husband would be very grateful if, using your 'Flora' Voodoo doll, you could find a way to make me shut up at wish ... his wish ...

Thank you so much ... this is one of the best compliments I've ever received ...

********

Tom,

thank you very much for your kind words!!! ....

I wish I could get to that level of skills with PS that you are at now

.... Shhhsshhh ... the Voodoo doll maker is listening....

********

Rô,

missed you!!!

Very nice restoration! I particularly like the smoothing of vests and skirts!!!

[Gary Richardson]

Don't think even a Voodoo doll can make a woman quiet.

The ones I've made of my wife have failed miserably in this regard.

Tell him he'll just have to grin and bear it like the rest of us.

this is one of the best compliments I've ever received ...

Which is of course how I hoped you'd take it, as that is what it was meant to be.