Pink/Magenta Photos

[tamuag]

Hello all - new to the forum.

I have a stack of pink/magenta photos that I need to try to restore by Sunday for a birthday gift. Does anyone have any quick tips?

[Doug Nelson]

Fix one using adjustment layers, then drag those adjustment layers to the others.

[mistermonday]

Tamuag, welcome to RetouchPro. Are these images output from a camera or are they scans of slides or scans of prints? Is the origin of the pink/magenta from a color shift or from some stain / chemical spill? It would be best if you provide more information or better still if you can attach a sample . The solution will be different depending on the nature and cause of the color cast.
Regards, Murray

[tamuag]

Thanks for the responses. I'm new to restorations, but I am assuming the pink/magenta is color shift from improper storage. These are scans.

My mom gave me a stack of 20 photos that were developed around 25 years ago. I've had them for a while, but haven't had a chance to work on them. Tomorrow is her birthday and I was hoping to at least get them color corrected and printed for her.

I'll try to attach a photo - me at age ~5. Thanks in advance for any further suggestions you can make.

[Der_W]

The magenta color cast comes from a nearly black green channel.
You could fix that by first running the "Filter"-"Blur"-"Surface Blur" on the Background layer on "Color" mode ([Shift]+[Alt]+[F]), after that do create a channel mixer adjustment layer, go to the green channel and put in 50% for the red channel, 20% for the green one and 30% for the blue one.
That should correct most of the color.
The last thing I did was a levels adjustment layer, go to every individual channel and drag the black and white triangle towards the foot of the mountain.

http://www.abload.de/img/magenta4k95.jpg

[mistermonday]

Tamuag, as Der_W has pointed out, your green channel is extremely week. Judging from the size of you image (1" x 1.25" x 600) it appears to me to be a scan of a slide or negative. The scan was done at too low a resolution - should be 2400 dpi for print quality resolution). Moreover it contains considerale noise. Finally, the scanner appears to have a low dynamic range.
With a better quality, higher res scan you could probably get a pretty reasonable restoration.
I only spent 2 mins on this to adjust the color and smooth the noise a little bit.
Happy Birthday!
Regards, Murray

[secretagents]

Using the auto level command or the auto button in the curves tool in photoshop will help a big deal. Alternatively the auto button in the free plugin smartcurve does just as well.

[tamuag]

The image I posted was a re-sized (smaller) version of a 600 DPI scan of a ~ 2.5" x 3.5" photo. Using your suggestions, I used adjustment layers (and noise reduction) to come with the attached file. Thanks again for everyone's help. I think my Mom will be very happy.

[secretagents]

Not good.

Here is a 2 minutes quickie with what I said above plus a bit of selective colors adjustement (and some denoise just to get rid a bit of the artifacts of the compressed sample).

[Kraellin]

i first used 'color balance' in paint shop pro x2. this was done as an adjustment layer. this is important because in images like this with it as an adjustment layer, i can go back and correct it in place.

next, i added a 'brightness/contrast' adjustment layer. again, make it as an adjustment layer for the same reason as the other.

i went back and forth between those two items, getting things as good as i could and then i added a 'channel mixer' adjustment layer. and that one did the trick as far as fixing the color.

then, just because this was a low light setting and an older image, i did a little noise reduction, again in paint shop pro x2.

and that was it. dont expect too much on this type of image. it was shot in low light, has aged, and may or may not have been scanned at a high enough resolution. plus, with our file size limits here on RP, it can add to some problems at times.

[chillin]

First channels balanced, next levels adj., next many HSLs and at the end channels cleanup.
It is a route, I would take.

[Kraellin]

pretty good there, chillin

[roger_ele]

Don't forget if you are in a real hurry or want a variety, some of them can be made into black and whites or brown toned photos.

[secretagents]

Craig I am not sure why you don't get rid of that purple cast nor adjust the luminosity of this pic as there is no difficulty in doing either.

[Nasturtium]

in RGB

choose green channel
apply image (red channel) screen
apply image (blue channel) screen
went to LAB
ran shadows/highlights on L channel
steepened A and B curves, and shifted the A curve towards green
back to RGB
reduce noise, apply green channel on Overlay, faded at normal 50%

HTH

- Nancy

[Kraellin]

secretagents,

yep, on both points. that's what i get when i speed through things and dont double check before submitting.

[Dave.Cox]

Yep, not much to work with, but I did this very quickly with the eye dropper tool in the levels pallet.

You may be able to do more if your image is higher resolution.