ah I DO get the worst!

[learninlady]

I'm doing a package restoration here so I just stumbled over this one. OMG! Who was it that said I get all the bad ones! why cant I just get a color issue...lol
Check this one out, its a restoration nightmare!

[Markzebra]

Theres not enough of that image left. You would have to create from scratch about 40% of it. No point, especially if its supposed to be a record of some kind of history

[learninlady]

Oh there is. I've done it before with less. Just a pain thas all...lol

[igot2pman]

Hello,

You are for sure right, this is a doozy. Good luck!

This took less then 5 min.

1. I set the white and back droppers in curves to the sky and the fish tail.
2. Then ran "Decrack" (an action found on this forum) @.1.

Its not a full restoration by far, but a good starting point. I only see one eye in a picture with two men, lol.

Is that a keg or a bucket?
-Keven

[learninlady]

hehe Kevin your a hoot. One eye two men...lol too funny.
Thats a bucket of minnows.

[igot2pman]

I see "the minno" now, but that A in the middle. Thought something diffrent.

I see your have already started editing, looking good. hope your getting paid $$$.

Good luck,
-Keven

[learninlady]

HA, I hope so too! Its one of 30 Im doing and the more I work on this one the more I think I'll just throw it in as a 'did my best' freebie...lol
who knows I may get something out of it yet.
haha, I found two eyes now between them!!! hehehe

[TommyO]

Originally Posted by learninlady

Oh there is. I've done it before with less. Just a pain thas all...lol

I would agree. There's plenty to work with. After all, in a restoration, it's not about making it look perfect. Most clients just want the image salvaged and restored as much as possible. A little age looks good.

Please keep us posted on this one !

[Kraellin]

hi kate,

i think it was me that said you seem to find the doozies

if you want any help or just want to show off a bit, why, i'm here most every day

[learninlady]

I'm lucky Tommy that she does just want to be able to hold and look at the photos. There are others with these gents in it so this doesn't matter a whole lot. Unfortunately there isn't a pic I can clone from to this. so I'm just going to do a best as I can and let it go at that job. .

Yes Craig! I wondered if you would remember..lol. This lil project is why Im not here very often. I was for a bit and then realized I was using this forum as an excuse to not do my work...hehe. With photos like these and there are many I don't post as I don't want to just fill it up here with junk.
Its so funny that I have this package of 30 and there were the good ole boys, and others I've done that were tremendously deteriorated. AND I GET THEM ALL! I'm not as good at restoration as I have seen others here that far better shine than I. Nan for instance along with many others. But here I sit and struggle. I would ask for help but I really don't know the questions to ask. I'm a seat of the pants self taught person and just do something even if its wrong to get the photo so my customers can have a viable copy.
Suggestions ARE welcome.

[learninlady]

Well for better or worse heres what I came up with. As usual Im not happy with it, buy hey I don't get much to work with...lol
And again, there are other photographs of these two so its not like they need a perfect replica.

[Kraellin]

your cloning is getting better. and, you never need an excuse to come see us, either needing help, giving help, or just showing off

[learninlady]

Thanks Craig. I originally posted this for you to show you yet another piece from this set of photos that was terrible.
Like I had said I dont know what to ask for help, so that being said, I will take any advice given
I do have one question that I am more than likely in the wrong thread for.
What is a reasonable time to restore 30 photographs, most like the one seen above?

[shanafagan]

omg that is a nightmare. You have done a great job so far!!!! i wouldnt know where to start!

[TommyO]

Lookin' good ! One idea... since the upper half (sky) is so light, and the boards stand out if not just right, you could just copy one of the lower boards to a new layer, move in place and merge into the image just so... a little other compositing required. But, that could have made the upper boards look straighter and more appealing to the eye. The sky itself is quite often washed out in these older photos, especially after a little fading.

[Kraellin]

kate,

there is no fixed time on restoring these. the formula is something like: best-guess - your skill + client expectation + weariness + eyestrain + headaches + godonlyknowswhatelse the biggest point is probably client expectation. that one can be a real variable and easily miscommunicated. it can also determine finished quality. you also have to juggle time versus quality or quantity vs quality. that's always going to be a judgement call. too much time = no more clients. too little quality = no more clients. so, it's a juggle at times. and the last point is, when in doubt, talk to the client! i've bid work before that was way underbid. i just couldnt afford to do the work for what i originally bid. i went back to the client and told them, i'll do the work for what i bid it at, but i'd really need to re-negotiate this one. since this was an ongoing client whom i'd done work with before and because we'd be doing work in the future and because some extra difficulties came up, of which he was aware, we re-nogotiated and all was well. so, the bottom line is always TALK TO THE CLIENT!

[learninlady]

I had thought the same thing Tommy, but wasnt sure where to start with it. I found a point and did my best. Is this any better?
After previewing the post I see its darker than what I have here, but I hope you get the idea.

[learninlady]

Thanks Craig. Thats good advice. There is no science here. I know with one of the disaster photos I worked a solid 4hrs and lost all the work I had done cause pspx2 crashed on me. NOW I save all the time.
I did send her an email and she came back with no worries, that she will come pick them up when I'm done, just let her know. So you are right, just talk to the customer and always be honest.

Sorry I didnt answer this sooner, we must have posted at around the same time or my eyes were clone blind...lol and I missed it. I just now saw your post.

[Kraellin]

thanks, kate and yes, honesty always, except when you need to lie

why the tree in that last posting?

[learninlady]

Oh I do understand the lil white lie when I need to. Like giving up on something and saying there wasnt any way to retrieve the information from the film... When I was just lazy or fed up. bad bad girl.


The tree was in the original photograph.


QUICK VIEW

[Kraellin]

ah, ok. i see it now.