Train Restoration -

Learnin'lady · #1 07-09-2007, 05:02 PM

Ive been restoring an old photograph for a customer and Im wondering what the critique would be.
With this photo my scanner was too small and I had to scan it in two phases, then cloned the two together.
To see the larger picture just click on the pic in the album.

TRAIN RESTORATION PROJECT

Any ideas and critique welcome.

Dave.Cox · #2 07-09-2007, 05:41 PM

I'd say that you did a very good job. I tried to find where you merged the two halves, and couldn't really tell. Very nice. I might want to play with the levels a little more, but not sure I could improve on it.

Good job.

Learnin'lady · #3 07-09-2007, 06:19 PM

Thank you for your thoughts. I am very anal when it comes to cloning pictures together. That took me about 6 tries before I was satisfied.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by levels, of what level? As my name I'm still learnin'!

Kraellin · #4 07-09-2007, 10:16 PM

levels, it's a filter to adjust the light 'levels' of an image.

and i pretty much agree with dave. nicely done on the cloning but the sky is a bit too bright/white and is affecting other areas of the image, like the engine. 'levels' could help to bring that down. there also seems to be a fair amount of grain/noise on the engine. a noise reduction filter could help that.

DCobb · #5 07-09-2007, 10:38 PM

I just gave this a quick try. I did start with your retouched picture. I used the dodge tool to enhance the numeral 12 on the front of the engine and the words around it. Also went to FILTER>RENDER>CLOUDS to add something to the sky. These are all very subjective changes and the results may not appeal to everyone.

Anyway, very nice train pics.

dc

Dave.Cox · #6 07-09-2007, 10:51 PM

By adding a level adjustment layer, you can adjust the light levels of the image. You can also increase or decrease contrast, or set the levels of individual areas. Here is an example with 1. your original, 2. levels adjusted to enhance contrast, and 3, a little of the brown color added back in. A nice touch would also be to put some clouds in the sky, and knock the brightness of the sky down some.

There are several kinds of adjustment layers you can add, but for this picture I used levels, and hue/adjustment.

You can make these adjustments without using layers, but that modifies the original, and hard to undo if you decide you don't like it, so not recommended.

Learnin'lady · #7 07-13-2007, 05:03 AM

Wow. those are wonderful! I personally do like the clouds. adds more. but the customer wants it as original as possible thats why its so bland.
Ive tried a couple times to use layers, (I ALWAYS use a copy never the original!) but never quite understood that so much. I need to practice with that more.
thanks so much for all your help!

dmrdm · #8 07-13-2007, 05:25 AM

Hi there. Glad to see you made your way to this site. Am sure you'll find it helpful.

Dave.Cox · #9 07-13-2007, 03:05 PM

Just think of the layers as layers of acetate layed out on top of the original work. You can paint on the acetate without changing the underlying layer. You can also cut holes in the acetate to allow the layers below to show through, or you can block it. (Masks) It makes it easier to make changes, and much easier to undo changes.

Kraellin · #10 07-14-2007, 12:24 AM

dave, easier if you say 'transparencies' or 'overlays'. not everyone knows what acetate is.

Learnin'lady · #11 07-14-2007, 06:16 AM

Yes I did find it and this is a wonderful place! very homey and helpful!

Heres a very very quick try on the sky correction. Now not too much critique on this as I know its a through together. What I did yesterday was a cloudy grey day so I took my camera and went out and took a pic of the sky, then rearranged the color and levels to more match the photograph then cloned (God, I love clone!) it into the photograph. I have other pics of the sky that I plan to try and I can get much more intricate and smoother than this, but I did want you all to see it. It almost looks like a storm brewing over the mountain!

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...oudsupload.jpg

Kraellin · #12 07-14-2007, 11:27 PM

LL, well, that added a lot of mood. i wouldnt go overboard on that. i'd erase a bit of the dark of that sky (you do have it on a separate layer, right?). it's very good work, but it significantly changes the look of the image. it's fine if that's what you or the customer wants, of course. but in restorations, it's a good idea to keep things looking pretty much like the original. the sky was bare and flat, so i do like that you added a bit, but you've now got it as a darkening, gloomy sky sort of image and that just changes it a bit much. make sense?

as for layers, think glass. each layer is like a blank piece of glass, completely transparent at heart. and each layer stacks on top of the next. so, if you were looking down from the top through the rest, like glass, you would see down through the layers, providing there was nothing on the various panes of glass. that's the simplicity of it. every layer is like that.

but, where it gets a bit more complex is, some of the 'glass' you stack up has something on it. you can put whole separate images on top of other images this way but you're only going to see the one on top, or, the one that is highlighted if you have one other than the top one highlighted. but, it's always the same rule even if you have one down in the middle highlilghted. EVERY layer below that one is in the stack. by highlighting you are simply putting yourself right over that piece of glass, instead of the one that is actually on top. with me so far?

'adjustment layers' are specialized layers. but, they still follow the same rule. things like 'levels', 'curves', and 'hue/saturation' can be adjustment layers. they 'adjust' the 'glass' below them based on what they do. the closer the lower layers are to the top, beneath the adjustment layer, the more influence the adjustment layer has on it.

ok, there's still a bit more to layers, but i'll let you play with that for a while

Learnin'lady · #13 07-15-2007, 06:43 PM

ok give me time to figure all this out. layers aren't easy for me. at all. I work straight up and just don't understand how to do that within the programs. I do get the concept and if I were to be able to physically do this I could do it in a flash..lol..but I guess flash is yet another avenue..hehe..
give me a brush and some colored oil..id be happy..hehe..