Need help with scanned photo

[Bill M]

Flora and Jeanie, truly remarkable work. Thanks for the tips.
Bill

[Flora]

Hi Bill!

...Thanks for your comment and Happy Easter!.....

[jeaniesa]

Thank you so much for your kind words Bill!

Flora, yours is beautiful as always. I'm amazed at how similar ours turned out - I must be learning some things from you!

I have one question though... What is an "Overlay Adjustment Layer"? Is that an adjustment layer in overlay blending mode? If so, what kind of adjustment layer?

Jeanie

[themanda]

I would just like to say how wonderful all of these image adjustments are. I took a quick swipe at it and came *nowhere* close to what you all got. Great work!

Jeaniesa and FLora, though...wow! Those are both truly awesome rescues of that photo!!!! I am just reeling with appreciation of what you can do.

And Diddle, I'm so sorry to hear of the loss your family has experienced. Children are a precious gift, no matter how they come into your life, and it hurts even more when they're taken so abruptly.

[Diddle]

I am totally amazed at your work !! Both of you did an outstanding job on this photo !! I just can't hardly believe how great they both look !! I can't imagine how much time was spent working on this photo. My daughter is going to be so pleased !! Jeanie, you were real close with the hair color. If I can figure out how to send a smaller photo (a good one), I will post one so that you all can see how close you were with details, hair color, etc.....

I am really grateful to all who have spent their time, working with the photo. You don't know how much this means to me.......
Diddle

[Flora]

Jeanie, Amanda, Diddle

Thank you so much for your kind words...and Jeanie...I 've learnt a lot from your constant beautiful work....

Jeanie

As for the 'Overlay Adjustment Layer', it is exactly what you described: an empty Adjustment Layer in Overlay blending Mode on which I selectively paint either black to darken or white to lighten parts of the image below....the intensity of the results are determined by the Opacity of the Brush or of the whole Layer.

A very Happy Easter for you all and your families.

[gland]

Overlay adjustment layer!! I learn something new every day.

These are some remarkable restorations. I'm afraid my attempt isn't worth posting.

[jeaniesa]

Flora, So is the Overlay Adjustment Layer like another way to do dodging and burning? I've been trying it out to see what it does (since this is a new technique for me) and it seems like it doesn't matter what kind of adjustment (levels, curves, color balance, etc.) it is, they all have the same "effect" when set to Overlay mode. The problem is, I can't quite tell what the effect is! It seems to darken and increase saturation over the entire photo - and painting with black on the layer mask removes any effect, while various shades of gray control the intensity of it. I can't find any "documentation" about this though, so aside from using it as another way to dodging and burning (actually, more like just burning), I'm not sure if I'm missing something. (Sorry, I'm an info junkie. )

Diddle, I'm so glad you liked the versions that Flora and I did! If you want to send me another photo with the correct colors, you can e-mail it to me. I prefer not to post my e-mail directly in a post because I've found it attracts spam. I tried to send you both a Private Message and e-mail, but it looks like you've got both of those features disabled here. So, you can send me an e-mail by clicking on the "profile" button beneath any of my posts and then clicking the link that says "Click here to email jeaniesa". You won't be able to attach a file to that message, but then I'll be able to send you an e-mail with my "real" address.

Jeanie

[Flora]

Gary

Thank you so much for your kind comment....and here is the correction to what I wrote on my previous post...

Jeanie

...so sorry to get you confused with my mistake.....

When I wrote Overlay Adjustment Layer or again ..empty Adjustment Layer, I should have left the word Adjustment completely out.... .... because what I use is a simple new empty Layer in Overlay blending mode ..... I find it works much better than Color 'Dodge or Burn' for the following reasons:

1) Being on their own Layer, all corrections can be erased or faded (changing Layer Opacity)...which can't be done with 'Burning or Dodging'

2) Working on an empty Layer the file size doesn't increase as much as having to work on duplicate Layers...

3) I don't use it only to darken or lighten (black or white brush), but also to increase or decrease colour depth or, sometimes, even to lightly colorize an otherwise flat part of the image, by sampling and using the sampled colour brush.

Since learning this technique, I very seldomly use either Color Dodge or Burn anymore since I found the usage of these Tools unsatisfactory and sometimes it leads to loss of precious details....

.....attached is an example.... hope size and compression let you notice the difference....

......from one "info junkie" to another ...

[gland]

Thanks for the explanation Flora....

[roger_ele]

Wonderful work!

I like yours better in terms of being pretty - but I thought I would throw mine in the pot for a diofferent take and technique.

I am thinking that if this had been photographed with grainy 35mm film on purpose it would be loved for artsy and feeling, so I made it b&w and kept the grain to the minimum with no grain removal roughly as follows;

Duplicated image, changed to LAB mode

returned to original image, created two new layers, to the first i used apply image to insert the LAB a channel, to the second the LAB b channel, set both layers to overlay mode, then i think it was to light and i used apply image on a new layer to insert the cumulative affect of the layers and set it to multiply (i played with it a couple of different ways). Then used the green layer from this to make the black & white.

Had fun, Roger

[jeaniesa]

I like it Roger - I think it still has a "soft" feel to it, which really works for this image. I definitely need to study "apply image" - I've seen it used a few times now and I think it's time for me to learn the technique!!

Flora, Thanks for the clarification. I've been using that method for dodging/burning for a while now - for all of the reasons you mention. You just confused me with the term "adjustment." Don't worry - you're forgiven!

Jeanie

[Diddle]

Roger,
I love this version also !! I'm sure my daughter will too, because so far, she LOVES all of them !! I will e-mail her your version as soon as I get finished with this post.
Thank you so much for working on it and I'm glad that you had fun doing it. You all have done an excellent job, I'm totally amazed at each person's work !! Everyone has their own style.....

Jeanie, my daughter loved your version, just the way it is, and doesn't want anything changed (hair color, etc.). She was very impressed with all of them and a little surprised that anything could have been done to improve the image as much as you all improved it.

Flora, she liked how you had the before and after, and just can't hardly believe how great it looked !!

She wanted me to "Thank" each and every one of you for helping us out with this and your time spent doing it. She was so excited and anxious to show her hubby (Justice's daddy). I know he will love them also !!

Thanks again to all and not to forget, Gary, for re-sizing and posting the image.

Diddle

[jeaniesa]

Diddle,

I'm so happy to hear that your daughter likes all of the different versions. It is always interesting to see how everyone works on a photo differently and often with different goals in mind for the end result - even though the same basic techniques are often applied.

Jeanie

[jerry]

Diddle,
I was very sorry to read about your loss..She is a beautiful little girl.

All of the restorations are really excellent..I have been doing photoart at this site for quite a while.. I took a try at your photo and came out with a stippled image..Its not great but I thought I would let you see it.

Flora..thanks for the really interesting tip for dodge and burn..You are so talented..

Jerry