Photo Restoration - - Big problem with a pageant enhancement

LeAnne · #1 03-09-2005, 04:00 PM

Hi everyone. I've got a big problem.

I am thisclose to finishing my first pageant enhancement (thanks to everyone who helped me with the eyelashes!!). I had the photoshop file I was working with stored on a USB drive and an older copy saved to the desktop of my computer. My USB drive failed, and I had to go back to my older copy and redo a few of the changes the customer had asked me to make on the last proof. The customer said that on the resulting proof, the sharpness was not nearly as good as before and that it would not be sufficient to use for competition.

At first I thought I had saved a lower quality proof file and so I sent her a new higher quality proof, but with the same result. So I asked her to send me a copy of the older proof that she was comparing the new, supposedly less sharp copy to. She did and it looks to me like the newer proof looks at least as sharp, if not sharper than the older one! Several of my coworkers agree. She said she sent it to some of her friends and they agree with her.

She offered to pay me anyway but I'm not concerned about the payment. I really poured a lot of time and effort into this job, and I need to know if I didn't do something right. I'm attaching the two proofs, does anyone else think that the photo with the shadow under the nose looks sharper than the one without the shadow?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and look at the photos. I just don't know what to think about it all.

realaqu · #2 03-09-2005, 05:33 PM

I usually check this kind problem by histogram, compared the two histograms, I reach the conclusion the one(filename proof1) has much more details than that proof2. Only my 2 cents.

LeAnne · #3 03-09-2005, 05:38 PM

Very interesting. How do you compare the histograms?

limaze · #4 03-09-2005, 06:06 PM

im not sure but i guess he means this (higher means more detail):
http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs19&d=05104&f...s_contrast.gif

Fizzgiz · #5 03-09-2005, 06:11 PM

Hi LeAnne,
I'm no expert, but I opened up each picture in a seperate window and toggled back and forth between them. What I see is that the first picture has darker eyebrows, along with the shadow under her nose. Also, the light spots in her eyes are slightly bigger, giving the illusion that her eye color is slightly darker. All of these features seem to me to give the impression that the first picture is sharper. When I look only at the rest of the picture in sections as I toggle, there seems to be no other difference. So, my opinion is that due to those features being slightly changed, it creates the illusion of the first picture being sharper. I hope this helps.

Fizzgiz · #6 03-09-2005, 06:12 PM

BTW, beautiful job!!
Jessy

limaze · #7 03-09-2005, 06:17 PM

i have a btw too

do you still have the original photo? i would love to see with what picture you started from.

realaqu · #8 03-09-2005, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeAnne

Very interesting. How do you compare the histograms?

I put proof1 on top of proof2, hide/show top layer and watch the histogram. much easier to read the difference.

Fizzgiz · #9 03-09-2005, 07:27 PM

It's really interesting to see the difference in histograms between two pictures that may seem to have only minor differences to the naked eye. I wonder if the differences I see and posted before, have that much impact on a histogram. I'm looking foward to reading others opinions on this. Oh, another BTW LeAnne, although I prefer the first picture as being more pleasing to my personal eye, I can't understand how either one would not be "sufficient" for competition. I would have a few choice words to say to that customer, and would certainly hold back in giving out proofs in the future. It seems to me that she might be looking to take advantage of you. But, on the other hand, I really don't know anything about professional pagent retouching, so I might be way off. Either way, I agree with realaqu in that I would also love to see the original picture you started from.

Fizzgiz · #10 03-09-2005, 07:31 PM

Sorry, that was limaze who wanted to see the original. I got names mixed up.
Jessy

Vikki · #11 03-09-2005, 07:39 PM

Yes, I can notice the difference the customer mentioned.
Here is where the differences are:
(layered images over each other, and changed top layer mode to difference).

Duv · #12 03-09-2005, 09:04 PM

Vikki, that succinct little ditty is worth the price of admission to this wonderful site. And most don't pay! A great idea that I can retain in my relatively small brain.

Dave

limaze · #13 03-09-2005, 09:16 PM

@vikki, i have a question regarding the difference mode. those two pictures have many differences but only the huge ones are visible in the difference mode. how can i make the tiny differences clearly visible too? its like soft selections, when theyre so tiny or soft that the marching-ants dont appear.

Vikki · #14 03-10-2005, 04:48 AM

limaze, I don't know the answer to your question. What you can try.... follow my instructions below, then flatten the image and invert it. You could then tweak it with levels.

LeAnne · #15 03-10-2005, 08:47 AM

Thanks for all the great input!! I had one more idea after I posted this thread and it seems to have worked. I had sent the "sharper" proof as a smaller file than the "less sharp" ones. I noticed how in photoshop when I had a photo that was reduced at an odd value to make it fit on the screen, it looked like the edges were rough. I decided that perhaps whatever software my customer was using to view the photo was reducing it in such a way that it did not appear sharp. So I made the "less sharp" proof exactly the same size and resolution as the "sharp" one and sent them both back to her. Not sure if any of that makes sense but at any rate she says they now look exactly the same and is thrilled!

Someone had suggested that maybe the customer could be trying to take advantage of me. I wondered that too until she offered to pay me even though she wasn't satisfied and without me asking. The proofs I gave her were always low resolution and marked as proofs. Does anyone think it's a bad idea to give proofs like this in the future? I thought it seemed pretty safe but I'm new to this, I really don't know.

I'm attaching the original photo I started from. Thanks for all the compliments on my work. I can't wait until I get internet at home and am able to spend more time here. You guys are great.