Not sure how to proceed

[vinniesworld]

Hi, here's part of an image that I'm trying to restore. I don't like the results I'm getting so far. I did a levels on each layer, changed the background and I've been using the stamp tool in different modes, i.e normal, lighten and darken to try to remove the stain. The dress was originally pink. Can anyone please give me some pointers and direction on how I need to proceed, the help sure would be appreciated.

[venivedi]

I think it's so far, so good. Cheer up!
What about referring to other photos of her if available?

If I were restoring a portrait, first of all, I would search a photo with similar skin tone and light condition. With setting original photo beside a reference photo, I examine(?) each channel. After copy BG into a new layer, then I adjust brightness/consrast of each channel of the duplicate.

In my humble opinion, in a portrait, skin tone is more important than clothes color, much more than mottled background. Because background and clothes can be processed separately with layer mask( colorizing, cloning background from other photos, applying lighting effects and so forth ) It seems that in case of photo...people usually look more carefully at one's face than his/her clothes and background.

[venivedi]

(15 minutes later...)

This is what I came up with.
2 levels adjustment layer with luminance mask and 1 channel mixer adjustment layer were used. By the way, it's hard for me to catch(?) some decent skin tone because I used to correct the skin tone of Korean people.(maybe self defense? ^^;;

[vinniesworld]

@ venivedi
Thanks for the input, the skin tones look great on the one you did. I'll see what else I can do to it this weekend. I'd say you're right about the skin being the most important component, I think maybe I got lost in the big picture and need to go back and start over.

[venivedi]

I also pleasured in making her smile more lively.

[Flora]

Hi,

I had a go at this picture ....

Beside removing the big scratch across the little girl's face, I didn't do any other restoration work ... I just concentrated on the colours.

• Duplicated the Background Layer and run Neat Image on the duplicate.
• Loosely selected the skin.
• With the selection still active, I created a new empty Layer (Blending=Color).
• Chose a colour which seemed appropriate.
• I filled the selection on the empty layer with the chosen colour.
• I duplicated the 'Color' Layer changing the blending to Soft Light.
• Adjusted each 'created' Layer's Opacity until happy with the result.
• Carefully erased (with or without Layer Mask) any Colour 'spillage'.
• Repeated the procedure on the dress and background on which I used a Radial Gradient.
• Used USM to increase the contrast a bit.
• Lightly sharpened the image.

Hope this helps.

[vinniesworld]

Thanks Flora, great job as always. I've been putting it off, but will try again this week and see what I can do. I appreciate yours and venivedi's help and input. I thought that I was pretty good until coming to this site, some of the results still amaze me.
Thanks again,
Vinnie

[venivedi]

Wow, gorgeous! Great job, Flora.

[Flora]

Vinnie, Venivedi,

thank you very much for your great feedback!!!