Photo Restoration - - Help with restoration please

Colan · #1 01-17-2007, 03:44 PM

This is only my second post and a newbie to restoring. Working through old post for tips and techniques, but there is so much to take in.

Below is a photo of my dad and my effort of restoring. I only used Photoshop as I do not have not any of the other tools/add ins I have read about in some posts.

I do not think the contrast is correct, his face is a bit pastey? and the dark part of the coat is not correct. Is this what silvering look likes?

Your comments/suggestion would be greatly appriciated and assist in my steep learning curve.

I am enjoying learning and now have the bug. It is so rewarding to see a dead photo come back to life and with the digital age live forever.

Thanks

Colan

Colan · #2 01-17-2007, 03:57 PM

Hi Again

Another question, when in Photoshop I had my restored image on screen with only the red channel active which removed some damage and brightened the image. I save the image in this mode, but I see when I uploaded it above it has all channels active again.

I have tried again and it does the same. When I save in red only and then re-open all channels are active. Can I not save in one channel only?.

Thanks again

Colan

Gary Richardson · #3 01-17-2007, 04:19 PM

To save just the red channel do the following.

Make just the red channel active, now click on Image > Mode > Greyscale you will get a pop-up asking you whether you want to discard other channels, answer OK.

Now click on Image > Mode > RGBColor to convert it back to a RGB image (gives more options for possible later work).

Now Save As, and give it a new name. Close the original and reject any alterations made.

You should now have your original, and a copy which is based on just the red channel.

irshgrlkc · #4 01-17-2007, 04:19 PM

Gary's way works very well, but once you chuck the other channels you may lose the details in them. You may want to try this method first...

What you need to do is add a Channel Mixer adjustment layer so that the red channel becomes your complete picture.

1. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Channel Mixer
2. Click OK
3. Click the box next to Monochrome and make sure the red channel is at 100% (you can play with these settings, try using different variations of all the channels to get the best result).
4. When done click OK.

The great thing is that this is completely reversible if you change your mind.

Gary Richardson · #5 01-17-2007, 04:32 PM

Didn't say this was the best way to do things, just answered the question that was asked.

ie how can I save just the red channel.

If you have the red channel set at 100% in channel mixer, and the other channels set at 0% then you will have no more detail than you had using the method I described.

If you add any of the other channels, then you may gain in detail, but you will now have a situation which is not what the questioner asked.

(Removes Nit Picking Hat) sorry just being pedantic.

klassylady25 · #6 01-19-2007, 05:39 PM

Not often that I get to see the word pedantic! It's used in an old movie of the '40s. Bing Crosby used it.

Adjusted levels, corrected area that was dark on the cover. Cleaned up a bit of dust. Used Virtual Photographer; Classic B/W filter. Lastly, brightened the light in his eyes.

Colan · #7 01-19-2007, 06:38 PM

Hi

Garry and Kerry, thanks for both methods, tried both. Did not wish to cause a difference of opinion between members with my query.

Klassylady25, thanks for your image. had not heard of Virtual Photo before.
Downloaded it and it looks good. Will play with it to find out all it can do.

Thanks

Colan

CJ Swartz · #8 01-19-2007, 10:56 PM

Klassylady, I really like your submission -- good overall work, and the grain effect from Virtual Photo tops it off very nicely.

Colan, this is a wonderful image to have of your dad, and I'm sure you're going to enjoy having it restored.

klassylady25 · #9 01-20-2007, 09:56 AM

Thank you Colan for sharing your father's photo and to you and CJ, Virtual Photographer is a great aid. I don't always use it but at times it adds to the photo. There are also many great filters that go with it so look for the additional ones as well, Colan.

Sleeting here in Oklahoma.... Brrr but good day to work.

Have a great one!

Janet Petty · #10 01-20-2007, 11:53 AM

Sleeting here in Arkansas as well. I agree with klassylady that it is a good day to stay indoors.

Here is my attempt. The picture actually wasn't in awful shape. It was fun to work on. Just a bit of cloning, healing brush and a run through Neat Image at the end.

Janet

unimatrix001 · #11 01-20-2007, 01:27 PM

thought i would give this a try and see what i could do with it .... i did no other corrections other then repairing the cracks and replacing the missing parts.. i wanted to try and keep the original look to the photo. If this photo is what you want there is a larger size at this address.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/3...92acd28b_b.jpg

crazyfly1 · #12 01-21-2007, 02:34 AM

I finished this last night but it was only tonight that CJ Swartz told me how to post images (thanx again CJ) so I had to look back at PS to see what I did.
Levels. Sponge to pull out some of the yellowing, lots of healing brush,Dodged the eyes (too much?), noisware pro, and gaussian blur on the background, little unsharp mask and there you go. It was a lot of fun, neat picture, got one like that of my Dad.

Colan · #13 01-21-2007, 05:59 PM

Hi

Thanks to all for your images, advice and encouragement. I also think it is a great photo and are very happy with the way it turned out. I am glad you all had fun working with it.

As Janet said, it was not in too bad a condition to start with, even though it is around 60 years old.

For a beginner like me it was ideal, I learned and got to practice the basics as well as restoring a cherished photo.

Regards

Colan

smittan · #14 01-21-2007, 09:11 PM

Hey!

I saw sme wonderful restorations here and they looked great as far as each one of them went. I wanted to approach it from a slightly different angle and do a hand tint to give it an antique kind of approach. I first cleaned up a couple of stains off of someone elses restoration and then I used Alien Skin Exposure to give it some nice grain and a clean black and white to work with. From there I used Mystical's Tint Tone and Color to hand tint it to colors I imagined may or may not have been in the original photo. I noticed a Naval insignia on his cap so I gave it kind a blue tint to his Uniform. His eyes looked to dark to be a blue so I was left to decide between green and brown. I went with the green for fun because I liked how it stood out. From the tint of his left eyebrow I figured he had probably light brown or a dark sandy blonde hair so I tried to keep that going too.

When i was all done coloring I used Alien Skin exposure one more time to give it an old Kodachrom look like you would see in color advertisements from the late forties and early sixties. (I am only 24, but I do remember seeing stuff like this in old National Geographics and other magazines.) I know this isn't a regular restoration, but I thought it would be fun. If my coloring isoff and you would like it redone and sent to you in a size and color scheme of your choice to be printed - please drop me a line and I will be more than happy to help. What a neat old photo.

I didn't want to put down any of the other results - I just wanted toadd my own perspective for fun sakes. I hope you enjoyed!

-Spencer Mittan

Colan · #15 01-22-2007, 06:07 PM

Hi

Thanks Smittan for taking the time to tint and give give workflow for the photo. I showed my old mother and she was blown away at seeing it in colour.

If my coloring isoff and you would like it redone and sent to you in a size and color scheme of your choice to be printed - please drop me a line and I will be more than happy to help.

If you could change the colours and resize for print that would be great. I will PM with my address.

Thanks again for all who replied

Colan