Please help me restore this

[suji]

Can someone show me how to restore this with photoshop cs2.

Thanks

[Swampy]

I would start by extracting the woman and child, Apply Image at 100%, then run a Noise-Median filter. From here it's all cloning and tweaking, sharpening etc.

[Guy Thomas]

Hi Suji,

I have attached my restoration efforts below.

Here is a quick synopsis of what I did.

I actually started this photo by using the Shadow/Highlight tool and bringing the details back from the blown out highlights that way. I was suprised at how well that worked.

Then I took a history Snapshot, and applied a Median Filter. Then came a lot of painting out the blemishes with the history brush and recreating lost detail with the clone stamp and healing brush.

You will notice that I didn't smooth the photo and opted to leave in a certain grainy quality. I made sure that the grain was even by using the patch tool throughout the restoration process.

I rebuilt different parts of the dress by actually cloning embroidery elements from one spot to another that had it's detail lost. This worked fairly well, but I think the bottom right hand portion of the dress could still use some work.

I also created some detail by selectively sharpening highlights in the eyes and jewelry with the sharpening tool.

My biggest error was not realizing that the dark mass towards the bottom of the dress were actually the childs boots. I thought it was a fold in the clothing or something, so i ended up leaving a soft edge, where there should be a hard one.

That's all I can really say about the work. I hope that you like it.

-Guy Thomas

[Swampy]

Oooohhh.. Guy, you are so dang good! :-)

[lurch]

Guy, you are a master! Thanks also for the detailed description - we all benefit from learning different approaches to solving restoration problems.

[Gary Richardson]

Nice piece of work Guy.

[yuccaview]

Here is a quick shot at this one. Some stamping and healing brush with a bit
of airbrush then low noise.
Don

[Guy Thomas]

Thanks for the compliments. I have only been on this forum for a couple of weeks and the knowledge that I have picked up from everyone else here has been awesome. I just hope that I can do the same for others in some way.

yuccaview,

Very nice job, the grain in your resto is perfect, and it's nice to recognize the little feet at the bottom there. Great work.

-Guy Thomas

[suji]

Guy, Yuccaview
Thanks for the excellent work and for the detailed explaination.
Suji

[suji]

Guys,
Is it possible to colorize this ?

[zekeode]

Originally Posted by suji

Guys,
Is it possible to colorize this ?

Sure it's possible, but getting natural looking results is a different thing. I have only seen few people that really can master it. Usually giving some color tone can fresh up old photos nicely.

Here is my attempt:

[Kraellin]

well, since no one else has attempted it, i thought i'd give it a shot.

[Kraellin]

and here's the black and white i restored before doing the colorization.

[unimatrix001]

Excellent restorations by everyone. mine is not even close to the ones posted here but i thought i would give it a try anyway. I mainly used the patch tool, I haven't figured out the clone or healing brush tools, I think mostly because i dont have a tablet yet and the pressure setting i cannot use. I think that would help a lot in my restorations. I used noiseware to reduce the noise and then grain surgery to match the grain from the original picture, faded grain then added a slight tone to the picture.

[Kraellin]

a bit grainy yet, unimatrix and did you add a second leg/foot there?

but, you did a nice job on the heads and dress. the background is good too.

but i am curious here. you're not the first to leave that big fold of white, camera right, as if it were part of the dress. i've looked at that and looked at that. is that a normal part of that sort of cultural dress? i took it for a blown out white, but i could certainly be mistaken.

[unimatrix001]

i am not sure but on the original picture it doesnt look like its a blownout or damaged area. i could be wrong, if you look at the blouse near the top you will see a white border at the top of the garment i assumed that it went all the way around. could be wrong i have been before.

[Kraellin]

well, you could easily be right. maybe suji knows the answer.

[suji]

Kraellin,

You are right .. it is a blowout and not part of the dress.

[Kraellin]

thank you, suji.

[Kraellin]

i had another go at this. fixed a few things.

[renaldoandrews]

That a great photo, and the retouched on look even better

[Kraellin]

yes, it is a good photo. and thank you

[chillin]

Work in progress. ..Every couple of days I'll try to change the picture.
I really like this photo; it makes me study Indian culture.

[Kraellin]

chillin,

that's a definite keeper! very impressive.

i'm amazed that you're doing the restore and colorizing concurrently, but it seems to be working

[chillin]

Thanks Kraellin.

The "restore" copy sits on a separate layer. I had a problem with the restoration not being suitable for colorizing. Doing both things at the same time allows me to skip correction phase.

[Kraellin]

well, whatever works and it seems to be working

[suji]

Chillin,
Grateful if u can complete this photo.
Thanks
Suji