Severe color cast problems

[darield]

Hi,
My name is Dariel and this is the first time I have posted to this site. I am currently working on a digital photo genealogy book for my father's side of the family. I have run into several problem photos that are giving me fits. On the one I am attaching, It took me days and probably 50 attempts to get it this far but what is bothering me now is the purple in my Dad's pants and shirt. I can't get the purple to brown without everything else shifting drastically. I've tried every combination of histograms, channels, color cast, etc... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Der_W]

Hi Dariel,

welcome to RetouchPRO :-)!

Since the blue channel in this image is pretty bad, I replaced it with a channel mixer.
To do so, I went to the blue channel, subtracted 20% red from it (to make the faces darker), added 100% green and added 20% blue to the mix (all starting from 0%).

Next I used a curves adj. layer on "Color" mode and the gray eye dropper to find a neutral area in his shirt.

After I did this, I wanted to drive the colors apart a little, so I used Dan Margulis' Man from Mars Maneuver.

Edit: I'd probably add a little surface blur on "Color" mode or do some manual painting in "Color" mode as well, because some areas still show up a little blue.

[daygraphics]

I think you have gotten pretty far with your attempts.

Lots of ways to get there... I used some levels (not traditional level techniques) techniques to get to close to where you were.

Then I simply began to paint in a "COLOR MODE" mode. This you may have to do finetune and/or finish your project.

Good luck!

[Cupcake]

Photoshop
color balance & selective color.

[jeremy1986]

Here's my attempt

[daygraphics]

I really think that at the point that you are at... you will have to start making some decisions about color (what color "was" everything) and paint with color mode to get exactly what you want. Like for instance, maybe your Dad was wearing a classic red flannel shirt of the times... maybe not.

[Crapaud]

I didn't use any false colour this time.

Took it into Lab and made a brutal curve in the b channel. I aimed for a decent skintone, figuring that I could correct the rest in RGB. This left the whites as an insipid green.

Back in RGB, I gambled that the girl's shoes were black, socks were white and the boy's collar was white and drew curves to set then as neutrals, forcing some contrast into the image. A hue/sat layer moved the skintones a bit closer and a final curve just to tweak everything into position.

I wasn't sure of the colour of the girl's dress - a light blue perhaps - or whether the boy was on a rock or earth, so left them as they turned out.

[daygraphics]

This original is NOT only severely casted, but it is also stained and/or chemically altered in irregular patches. So, I really don't think that any selection of points for realistic reference tones will totally bring in the image to its original color and tones.

One should note that there is likely a BLUE sky as the image has strong casted shadows which imply the sun is shining.

[darield]

Thank you everyone for all of your input. Obviously, it is possible to get some pretty descent colors from this photo. I am back to work tomorrow (I hope, after some other projects) to improve my skills when it comes to severe color cast issues.

D.

[Pixelshaw]

My attempt is just using 2 curve adjustment layers. There is no false colour. The first curves was done in colour mode. Then a second curves layer using a mid contrast s curve in luminosity mode. One thing to remember with old colour photos is that the emulsions used back then were not as good and the latter day equivalents. So colour reproduction was never as accurate.

[chillin]

After levels adjustments I would do some colors matching.

[tom60634]

My first impression was that your file has a large amount of detail and color information, but the scan is bad. Your scanner should be able to bring you to a better starting point.

My second thought was that the era the photo seems to have been taken did provide some strange colors for clothing. During the 1960s and 70s there was a brownish maroon type of color that was popular in men's pants ( particularly bellbottoms). I believe this is the case with the gentleman's pants. I would get the shirt colors right and let the pants go where they may.

I attached a file that I believe should be representative of the starting point that your scanner should be providing.

[coincutter]

Quick dumb question

I see many scanned pictures here all leaning towards this lovely nasty yellow cast which i assume is the UV coating Kodak put on their prints in times past.

Since it gets in the way of scanners only would it not be easier to forgo scanning and shoot these with a good camera as cameras are blind to this coating.

Seems like it would save a lot of work.
\
steve

[Tony W]

Interesting question and not sure that I know the answer but it is my opinion that in these old colour prints no UV coating was employed. Apart from the possibility that the paper base was not a 'pure white' I think it more likely that the yellowing effect is due to uneven fading of the medium. This effect is due to dye stability in manufacture and will be affected by storage i.e. heat, light, dark, humidity etc. The Yellow, Magenta and Cyan dyes likely to fade at different rates which increase the apparent yellow stain.

I cannot see (although have not tried!) that shooting in camera vs scanning will have any real effect as the camera should record what you actually see in the print

[Wolfman]

Set the white point and black point in curves and reduced the yellow slightly in hue & saturation.

[daygraphics]

Having run a service bureau specializing in image capture with very expensive hi-res scanners (drum scanners and flatbeds). I am talking about 40-50K scanners - I can tell you that with a good scanner, along with premium software, you can virtually filter out anything. With that said, with less and less originals (transparencies, negatives, c-prints), we began doing more and more image capture of original artwork (Paintings, etc. that could NOT go on a drum or fit in a flatbed) with our cameras. AND as the cameras got better (hi-res professional cameras) they certainly proved capable of capturing great detail, but really lacked the ability and bells and whistle in the scanners for color correcting, neutralizing scans, etc.. Also, it has been my experience that you have to shoot the original in a professional manner. mounted flat, with strobes lights, slow exposures, large apertures (best detail). Also works best when filling your full frame (pixel chip) and using your sharpest fixed lens.

[daygraphics]

I might add that I am seeing a lot of different results from playing with this image (and not necessarily going back and rescanning the original). While folks are getting "different" results from incorporating differing techniques - none are necessarily "BETTER". Just different. Actually, some are worse.

[coincutter]

agreed
takes expensive toys to do things right

but its a great way to wast time

the yellow borders are the clue
scanner is weird-ed out
color space is whacked
not much to work with
it would be nice to see a picture of the picture

i dont want to date myself but i was printing color when kodak first released it to the general populace
it was a big change from dektol and yellow safe lights!

[coincutter]

Not that it means much but i have a few pics of myself shortly after returning from nam
same weird purple brown cast cast to the pants and clothes

not much to do but recolor using the guessamatic approach.