Image Help - - Photo Restoration

Mike_H · #1 01-29-2005, 05:25 PM

I am using Elements 3 to restore some old family pictures. I have managed to restore some valuable pictures that were very badly damaged - but one picture has got me beat.

The picture in the link below is the only record of a very young girl who suddenly and tragically died shortly after it was taken. She is about a third of the way down the page at the very right hand side but facing left

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pi...cbvzw57jhM8oEY

The image is a poor scan of an equally poor quality original, which has been lost or destoyed.

Restoring this to capture some image of the girl would mean so much to my relatives.

Does anyone have any advice how I might repair this picture?

Mike

Hephaestos · #2 01-29-2005, 10:49 PM

Polaroid's Dust & Scratch Removal filter seems to have helped this more than I thought it would; it's good for snowy speckles. It's a free download, although i don't know whether it works with Elements.

Mike_H · #3 01-30-2005, 05:05 AM

Thanks for your reply and your work on the photo

I will give the Dust & Scratch Removal filter a try.

Thanks again

Mike

Flora · #4 01-31-2005, 07:42 AM

Hi Mike_H,

Welcome to RP!

I work with PS CS and don't know much about PE .... For your picture, I did the following:

Created a 'Shadow Maks' (select luminosity>Ctrl+Alt+~; invert the selection>Ctrl+Shift+I; copy the mask on tis own Layer>Ctrl+J) and run Filter>Other>Minimum (Radius=1) on Shadow Layer.

Ligtly blurred the shadow Layer.

After that it was selective lightening, darkening and Levels to balance the contrast a bit.... It's really nothing special, but the picture was in terrible conditions....

Hope it helps a bit....

Hephaestos,

Polaroid D&S never let me down!!!!

Mike_H · #5 01-31-2005, 08:07 AM

Flora,

What can I say... I hoped to get some advice but you have done unbelievable job on the picture. I had given this picture up... you can make her face out now.

I'm not sure whether the instructions you gave work in Elements but I will have a go...

Thanks for your help.

Mike

Hephaestos · #6 01-31-2005, 12:36 PM

Flora: Wow! Awesome work on this one.

I think Polaroid D&S only ever let me down in cases where I was using it for something it wasn't designed for--I've only been using it a week. On the other hand, the minimum filter is one I've never touched at all. I'll definitely be trying out your technique on this one; another example of how we can learn something every day here.

Chessmonkey · #7 01-31-2005, 09:24 PM

Hi,
I'm a new member here. I did this in a few minutes using techniques I developed in my work as a Digital Technician. I did it by hand in PS7. If you will allow me to use the image in my marketing materials I will fully restore it for you. You will need to sign a release and send me a much larger scan, say about 4000dpi on the long side, so I can zoom in and do the fine detail work.

Regards,
Michael McBride

Mike_H · #8 02-05-2005, 06:41 PM

Michael,

Thank you for your reply and your kind offer. I need to check with my sister in law, who has the photograph. I have given her a copy of Flora's restoration.

The photo that she has is a copy of a scan of the original if you follow me.

I will ask my sister in law and let you know.

Mike

Flora · #9 02-09-2005, 04:03 AM

Chessmonkey,

Welcome to RP!

Great Job!!!

Mike, Hephaestos,

thanks for your kindness!!!