Old Faded Color Damaged Photo

[Adobitech]

Hey all,
I was wondering if anyone could give me any help with this picture its the only picture of my grandfather that has survived through the years and i would love to someone restore it to look better. It seems really faded and down towards the bottom half it looks almost water damaged or something. I tired doing some stuff with photoshop but i could never get the colors right or make it look very good. Any help or even tips would be great!

Thanks!

Here is the image:
http://aycu17.webshots.com/image/318...1207269_rs.jpg

[Alison]

Hi Ad,

Just a quick try because I have to go wash the dishes

I adjusted the individual levels in PS and then did some hand painting with layers. Still heaps that can be done with it though - like tidying up some of the grungy stuff

[Kraellin]

nice job, alison. maybe add a little usm?

[chillin]

Nice work Alison & do the dishes later

[albatrosss]

My attempt.

[Alison]

Originally Posted by Kraellin

nice job, alison. maybe add a little usm?

Thanks Kraellin. Didn't know whether to bother with sharpening or not, perhaps I should have tried it on the gentleman. Maybe next time

[Alison]

Originally Posted by chillin

Nice work Alison & do the dishes later

Thanks Chillin. I'm looking for a multi millionaire husband so I can sit down at the computer all day playing with Photoshop Do you fit this category ?

[Alison]

Originally Posted by albatrosss

My attempt.

Hi albatross,

Nice colouring, looks a little vivid on my monitor though. I've just changed computer rooms and I'm trying to adjust to the different light scource

[Flora]

Hi,

Adobitech,

welcome to RetouchPRO!!!

Alison,

Nice work!!!

I'm looking for a multi millionaire husband

...once you found him ... please, let me know if he has an older brother..

albatrosss,

Vivid coloration...
just a couple of tips...

• Smooth the edges of the different colours to blend them better in ... harsh lines are a bit of an eyesore and a dead giveaway ...
  
  
• You probably used Swampy's tutorial to colour the sky ... careful with that because some of the added cyan has 'bled' into all lighter parts of the image ... you can strongly see it in the face of the gentleman ..
  
  
• Smooth the edges of any change in contrast ... again ... harsh lines are a bit of an eyesore and a dead giveaway ...
  
  
• Ease off the contrast a bit ... you lost a lot of details in the shadows ....

Still talking to me??

Adobitech,

I had a go at your image ... nice challenge!!!

On opening it in Photoshop, I noticed that it had photographic paper texture which I removed with the FFT Filter. Tutorial + link to download the filter here ... (Attachment 1 ... I increased the contrast in this example so it would be more visible)

After that I used a Shadow/Highlight Adjustment (from PS CS upwards) to balance the contrast.

I used Levels, Selective Colors and Hue&Saturation Adjustment Layers to further improve contrast, tone and definition and correct the colours.

I used blank Layers set to Color and Soft Light to add and enhance colours. Tutorial here... just scroll down the page to the 'BLANK/EMPTY LAYERS SET TO....' paragraph.

Finally I used USM to sharpen.

My result (Attachment 2).

Hope this helps ...

[albatrosss]

Flora,

With all the help I've gotten from you, most of which I haven't acknowleged, I would NEVER not talk to you. Later today I'm going to go back to that photo and see what I can do with it. As I mention in previous posts I have no artistic ability at all. What is passable or what looks good to me is colored by my lack of "artistic" ability.

Thanks again for the comments and all the other help.

[Kraellin]

man, i have missed your great works like this, flora!

when you were last here reguarly, i only had psp. now i have cs3, but i've been putting off doing much with it. so, in the past i could only look at your work and drool or, at best, try to translate photoshop terms into psp terms and attempt to duplicate things like this. i'm still dodging starting to seriously work with photoshop, but on something like this, i may just overcome my fears and take the plunge.

[Flora]

thank you, albatrosss,
... so glad to hear that!

... and thank you too Craig!!! .... WOW I can't believe you have finally surrendered to Photoshop!!!!!

...just overcome my fears and take the plunge

always the best way ... and you know you are in good hands here!!!