Old school photograph

[figueline]

Hello !

I have this old photograph which is blurred... I've done all basic editing : corrections... then I've applied USM... But I'm not happy with the end result...

3 photos : 1 before and 2 after !

What do you think ?

Any advice are very welcome !

Thanks !

[spotter]

Try smart sharpen,it will give you more control over which areas are hardened.
You could try enlarging the picture first in PS and then do your sharpening and then reduce back to the original dimensions, I have found this to be quite good for subtle sharpening.

[figueline]

Thanks for your answer...

I've first enlarged the picture in PS, then used smart sharpen... Unfortunately sharpening an old and blurred... photograph has the side effect of increasing its noise... So, I've duplicated the picture, applied the sharpening to the duplicate... then, I've duplicated that layer and applied the noise reduction (to the sharpened one).

Attached file : New.jpg

[Tony W]

Hope you do not mind the criticism but IMO the images have been oversharpened leading to ugly artifacts which I believe make both copies look worse than the original.

My preference would be to take it no further than my attempt with your original - I know that there is not a massive improvement and there is more work to be done removing some sharpening artefacts but.......

[mistermonday]

Try getting a good scan on a quality scanner with a high dynamic range to capture the greatest amount of shadow detail. Create an Edge Mask of the unretouched image. Duplicate the background, sharpen it a good amount, then apply the edge mask to that sharpened layer. Finally create a Merged layer and perform a Shadow/Highlight adjustment if required.
The image you attached is highly compressed and has severe jpg pixelation so it was not really usable. You should be able to get pretty good results with a hi res scan.
Regards, Murray

[Kraellin]

what's an edge mask, murray?

[mistermonday]

Hi Craig,
An Edge Mask basically isolates the fine edges in an image and generates a mask which can be applied as a layer mask on a layer which has been sharpened. Only the fine edges are unmasked and everything else is masked. It is very useful in restoration of old images which have lots of noise or are blurred & dirty.
The mask is made by choosing and duplicating a channel of the orig image which has the best contrast. Then the following is performed on that Alpha channel:
- Levels adjust to boost contrast if required
- Filter>Stylize>Find Edges (to define the edges)
- Invert (so that the edges are white and eall else is black)
- Filter>Other>Maximize (usually 1 or 2 pixels to widen the edges)
- Filter>Noise>Median (same radius as Maximize to smooth the edge)
- Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur (2x the Radius of the above)
The Alpha channel is now ready to be used. Just Ctrl+Click to load it, select the layer of the image which has been sharpened and then click the Layer Mask button.
Best regards,
Murray

[Kraellin]

ah, so this is something you're making, not a filter pre-made. ok. thanks

also, why are you calling one of the channels you've selected the alpha channel? are you using an actual alpha channel or are you just calling one of the rgb's an alpha? in file types like .tiff or .png the alpha channel is a fourth channel, usually a transparency to begin with and is not one of the rgb's. and in a .jpg, there is no alpha. so, i'm a bit confused by your statement where you say "Then the following is performed on that Alpha channel:".

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by mistermonday

Craig,

The mask is made by choosing and duplicating a channel of the orig image which has the best contrast. Then the following is performed on that Alpha channel:

Best regards,
Murray

PSSSST, Craig

[figueline]

Originally Posted by Tony W

Hope you do not mind the criticism but IMO the images have been oversharpened leading to ugly artifacts which I believe make both copies look worse than the original.

My preference would be to take it no further than my attempt with your original - I know that there is not a massive improvement and there is more work to be done removing some sharpening artefacts but.......

Yes... criticism is welcome !!!!!
I knew it would be difficult to get big improvement...
I asked for some help... because after many attempts... I was not very happy with the end result !

[Kraellin]

yes, i see that, but when i duplicate a channel it is just that, a duplicate. this is not a true alpha channel, but simply a layer. i dont know how PS treats all this, but in PSP an alpha channel is a specific designated channel that is not and R G or B channel. it's a separate channel which is generally considered to be an actual integral part of an image file. layers arent really alphas, though they can appear to function almost like one at times. so, again, i'm still a bit confused. if he made an actual alpha, which is possible but completely different than simply duplicating a channel, then i dont see mention of this.

sorry, i know this is annoying and perhaps i have a misunderstanding of what PS calls an alpha channel. that's quite possible. i dont call masks alphas, usually, though they can be, so maybe this is confusing things. is a mask automatically called an alpha channel? perhaps that's the confusion i'm having.

[figueline]

Originally Posted by mistermonday

Try getting a good scan on a quality scanner with a high dynamic range to capture the greatest amount of shadow detail. Create an Edge Mask of the unretouched image. Duplicate the background, sharpen it a good amount, then apply the edge mask to that sharpened layer. Finally create a Merged layer and perform a Shadow/Highlight adjustment if required.
The image you attached is highly compressed and has severe jpg pixelation so it was not really usable. You should be able to get pretty good results with a hi res scan.
Regards, Murray

Ok !!! I'm going to try this too...
The attached image was highly compressed... When I tried to reduce the original size.. the photo was too small !!!

[figueline]

Many thanks for all your help...
So, I'm going to work on this picture... once again... hoping that...

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by Kraellin

yes, i see that, but when i duplicate a channel it is just that, a duplicate. this is not a true alpha channel, but simply a layer. i dont know how PS treats all this, but in PSP an alpha channel is a specific designated channel that is not and R G or B channel. it's a separate channel which is generally considered to be an actual integral part of an image file. layers arent really alphas, though they can appear to function almost like one at times. so, again, i'm still a bit confused. if he made an actual alpha, which is possible but completely different than simply duplicating a channel, then i dont see mention of this.

sorry, i know this is annoying and perhaps i have a misunderstanding of what PS calls an alpha channel. that's quite possible. i dont call masks alphas, usually, though they can be, so maybe this is confusing things. is a mask automatically called an alpha channel? perhaps that's the confusion i'm having.

I sorry for being a smart A$$ Craig,, I forgot you are a PSP guy..
Guess it is a difference in PSP and PS... In PS If you click the little circle icon at the bottom of the channel menu(or Ctrl click the selected channel) it loads a selection of the channel selected... then if you click the mask icon next to it, ... it will save the selection as an Alfa channel

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by figueline

Ok !!! I'm going to try this too...
The attached image was highly compressed... When I tried to reduce the original size.. the photo was too small !!!

Yeppers lots of artifacts in the posted image.. this is all I could do with it...

If you want to post a larger resolution that is over 100K then you can host your image elsewhere and attach a link in the thread.

Other Hosts if you do not have your own site: ImageVenue.com (3Meg max, free) pixentral.com (2Meg max, free) photobucket.com (1 Meg max free, 5 Meg PRO) mediafire.com (100 Meg per file, free) post a link in the thread to the site that is hosting the larger image.

[figueline]

Originally Posted by 0lBaldy

Yeppers lots of artifacts in the posted image.. this is all I could do with it...

If you want to post a larger resolution that is over 100K then you can host your image elsewhere and attach a link in the thread.

Other Hosts if you do not have your own site: ImageVenue.com (3Meg max, free) pixentral.com (2Meg max, free) photobucket.com (1 Meg max free, 5 Meg PRO) mediafire.com (100 Meg per file, free) post a link in the thread to the site that is hosting the larger image.

Here's a larger resolution...

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VGMFBHIC

Thanks...

[figueline]

Or :
[img=http://img167.imagevenue.com/loc148/th_88991_Ecole_Avant_122_148lo.jpg]

[mistermonday]

Craig, I also forgot you are not a PS user. olBaldy's response is correct. I duplicated one of the channels in the Channels Palette; I did not duplicate the entire layer.
I have never used PSP so I am sorry but can't show you the equivalent.
Best regards, Murray

[figueline]

Originally Posted by mistermonday

Craig, I also forgot you are not a PS user. olBaldy's response is correct. I duplicated one of the channels in the Channels Palette; I did not duplicate the entire layer.
I have never used PSP so I am sorry but can't show you the equivalent.
Best regards, Murray

I followed your "instruction"... but the end result... is very bad !!!

[mistermonday]

Figueline, choosing the correct radii is important. That value will be different depending on the resolution of your image. The technique is pretty sound and fundamental. It shapens edges of the image while protecting other all the areas. When prepared correctly its pretty hard for an Edge Mask to make the image look worse that it started.
Regards, Murray

[figueline]

I don't know why... but I have a big problem with this picture !!!
So... I've "played" with the radii... unfortunately... the photo is worst than before... really ! Still a bit of noise visible... My first attempt (not uploaded) looks what you've done...

[mistermonday]

Figueline, the Megaupload file has a jpg marker error and will not open. The file is probably corrupted.
The other link on imageview does not work, possibly because the file is not a valid jpg.
Regards, Murray

[figueline]

Megaupload doesn't work anymore... I've just tried...
The other link works... I've tried too...
Let me know...
Thanks Murray !

[figueline]

You may try this one... It works !

[img=http://img167.imagevenue.com/loc148/th_88991_Ecole_Avant_122_148lo.jpg]

[mistermonday]

Figueline, the Megaload file downloads but will not open because it has a corrupt jpeg marker.
The Imageview link looks like the attachmnent below. The file is not accessible (at least not to me). Perhaps I am missing adequate Permissions.
Regards, Murray

[figueline]

I've just uploaded a new file... Hope it works this time...
New link : School Before :
[img=http://img16.imagevenue.com/loc184/th_17836_School_Before_122_184lo.jpg]

You may also try a drag... to your desktop...

Sorry for that !

[mistermonday]

Figueline, this last link works. However, the file is only 3" x 2" at 300 ppi (only 936 x 640 pixels). You really need a higher resolution scan than that or you won't be able to end up with a good size printable image.
Regards, Murray

[figueline]

A higher resolution...

[img=http://img167.imagevenue.com/loc252/th_19205_School_Before_122_252lo.jpg]



Regarding the "Fliter>Stylize>Find Edges" I don't have in Filter : "Stylize"... Sorry but I'm a newbie with PS !

[mistermonday]

Are you using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements?

[figueline]

Photoshop CS5