Is this OK for B/W restoration? How do I colorize it?

BLR · #1 08-07-2007, 06:41 AM

This is the flower girl and ring bearer from my parent's wedding in the early 1950s.

I'd appreciate any suggestions and examples for improving the B/W restoration. The steps I used were to scan it in color, straighten and crop, adjust levels, adjust shadows & highlights, use Neat Image filter to try to reduce noise, use spot healing brush and clone stamp tools to remove spots and scratches, use unsharp mask, and convert to grayscale.

I'd appreciate any step-by-step instructions and examples on how to colorize the picture.

Thanks.

Dave.Cox · #2 08-07-2007, 05:23 PM

Hi BLR,

This looks to me to be a very nice photo. It's very clean, and is a good candidate for coloring.

The method that I usually use to color a photo, is to add hue/saturation layers, one for each color that I want to add. I started here with the skin color.

Skin color can be the hardest. I have a pallet of skin colors that I have created for reference. To create this pallet, I took the photos of several models and copied a sample of there skin. I then added a guassian blur, to eliminate off detail, and save the result in a single psd file, with different layers. These layers become my skin color samples. When I need to select a skin color, I grab one that is close in color to what I need, and copy it to the top layer in the photo to be adjusted, and lay it over the subject. Then add a hue/adjust layer, under the skin sample, and adjust the skin to match.

When adding the hue/adjust layer, I select first select the area that I want to adjust. Then click the hue adjust button. Click the colorize button and start making your adjustments. The adjustment will only be applied to the area you had selected. You can add or remove areas by painting on the mask, white to add color, and black to remove it.

Continue to add layer masks, with colorize selected, and colorize for each area. Below, you can see where I have started the process for you.

zganie · #3 08-07-2007, 06:31 PM

when scanning you might want to try 16bit mode instead of 8bit mode it will give you smoother tonal transition fro light to dark

zganie

Kraellin · #4 08-07-2007, 10:55 PM

BLR,

this is the one vikki uses. vikki is excellent at colorizing.

http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

Alison · #5 08-09-2007, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLR

This is the flower girl and ring bearer from my parent's wedding in the early 1950s.

I'd appreciate any suggestions and examples for improving the B/W restoration. The steps I used were to scan it in color, straighten and crop, adjust levels, adjust shadows & highlights, use Neat Image filter to try to reduce noise, use spot healing brush and clone stamp tools to remove spots and scratches, use unsharp mask, and convert to grayscale.

I'd appreciate any step-by-step instructions and examples on how to colorize the picture.

Thanks.

BLR,

My quick effort is attached. I usually do all the corrections needed, then simply add a new layer (named) set to colour or multiply and paint on the colour for that area. Add new layer for each part you are going to colourize.

Kraellin · #6 08-09-2007, 09:32 PM

i think before i tried to colorize this one, i'd correct the lighting. indoor flash photography could get pretty bad.

nice job, alison

yours is good too, dave, but shows what i mean about correcting the lighting first.

BLR · #7 08-09-2007, 09:38 PM

Thanks for your help everyone. I'm always amazed what's possible.

Alison · #8 08-10-2007, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kraellin

i think before i tried to colorize this one, i'd correct the lighting. indoor flash photography could get pretty bad.

nice job, alison

yours is good too, dave, but shows what i mean about correcting the lighting first.

Thanks Kraellin

Dave.Cox · #9 08-10-2007, 04:17 PM

Craig, I agree with you about adjusting the light levels. But for demonstration purposes, on this one I did nothing but add the bit of color on the kids. I purposelessly left the rest unadjusted.

Kraellin · #10 08-10-2007, 07:43 PM

that's cool, dave

sergio2263 · #11 08-14-2007, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kraellin

BLR,

this is the one vikki uses. vikki is excellent at colorizing.

http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

The above link tutorial is just the tip of the iceberg there are lots more to do to colorize a black and white photo especially if the photo is old and damaged you have to repair it make it good before you'll get a desiring effect, remember the author is using a nice clean good photo so you need to study your photo carefully before you even start the tutorial otherwise the result you will get whilst following the tutorial won't be a good one.

regards

sergio