I need help! with dark image.

[TwinANJ]

This picture was taken by my friend Ginger of her parents 50th wedding. This is the only one of Mom and Dad dancing and it came out very dark. I play with photoshop but have no idea where to start to help Ginger on this one. Can someone redo this picture for me?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Jean

[CJ Swartz]

Jean -- this was taken with a digital camera - right?

It's not just dark -- there's missing detail in the blue and the green channels. We can make it better with some work, but it probably will take some painting skills to correct the skin tones.

I'll let you know what I can do with it, and hopefully some other of our folks here will have time to work on it.

[TwinANJ]

CJ it was taken with a 35mm and then I scanned the image in. Should there be something I should have done in the scan? I do not know anything on channels so any help would be greatly apperciated.

Jean

[TwinbNJ]

So is that like "I don't know nothing about birthing no babies" ???

Sorry sissy --- I just had to add that in! LOL

But on a serious note this is an area both Jean and I need help --- we just do not understand channels.

And I have read about them! I guess I am Channel challenged!

[CJ Swartz]

Don't worry about "not knowing about channels" -- I didn't "know nothing" about them until I came here almost 2 years ago -- and I had READ about them also. I am STILL learning about them.

They are a very important part of Photoshop and digital editing to learn, and you can start by looking at a tutorial right here at RPro--
Jak's Tutorial - Replacing a Color Channel

[roger_ele]

Hi, I did not like anything that I did that tried to keep the color, so here is my b&w version ...
Roger

[TwinbNJ]

CJ - thank you for the link - I went, I learned -- I tried.


roger_ele - the B&W came out much clearer than what I am capable of doing.

Jean - Here is what I did to try and fix this. This has been a difficult learning image for me.

I just could not get rid of the noise -- any suggestions are welcome.

[CJ Swartz]

Jill and Jean -- I haven't been able to work this out either. If you can re-scan, you might be able to get rid of some of the noise, improve the color, and/or obtain more detail. Perhaps not, but it's worth a try.

I don't own Neat Image, but I have a demo version that I tried which helped. Someone with skill in using Neat Image might be able to help here.

The shadows are blocked out with no noticeable detail in the man's arm, backline, and coat. The worst part is that nasty colored noise on their skin tones. We have some painterly retouchers here that could do better than I have -- you might send it to Doug to see if he'd like to use it as a Members' Retouching Challenge. (try a re-scan, first)

If I figure something better out, I'll let you know. Maybe someone else will be able to fix it better.

I re-posted a newer version based on LAB (per Chuck's rendition) , Neat Image, and some layers of cloning and color burning. I hate not being able to fix something successfully -- I will learn to do this one better sometime.

[TwinANJ]

CJ...real quick that is not our parents. It is a friend of mine family and she asked me to see if we could help her. When I found I could not do anything with the picture Jill suggested posting it.

Roger....I think the B/W came out really good.

Jill your's came out much better than mine. I am still working on it.

CJ....I can see where the neat image is going with the picture. I can see how it works to clean up the noise that Jill and I are fighting. What is neat image? Is it a plug in or it's own software?

Chuck... WOW this is a very workable picture. Great skin tone. You have managed to clean it up real well.
Now the question is may I print any of your renditions (Roger, CJ, Jill and Phil) to put in the album that Ginger is making?

Everyone one that has posted so far is much better than mine. Can not bring myself to post yet.

Jean

[CJ Swartz]

Jean/Jill -- misunderstood about whose parents. Excuse, please.

Chuck -- much better! Good job. Interesting -- you had success at working with the LAB format. I tried Calculations on varying channels in LAB, CMYK, and RGB, but never hit a good formula. I'm going to try all LAB now to see if I can re-create one similar to yours.

I re-posted a slightly better version, but it's so blurry that it's not usable. Back to the old drawing board.

[TwinANJ]

Oh gosh I was on the phone with Jill while I was typing (just as I am doing now) and for some reason I typed Phil instead of Chuck.... I am sooooo sorry. Here you are doing such nice work and I can not even get your name straight. No wonder I can't fix the picture either.

Jean

[TwinANJ]

Chuck...CJ What is Neat Image?

Got the second one Chuck and Chuck I must say this is great and am going to try and print it. Did I say Thank you Chuck?
Well if not Chuck, I would like to say thank you Chuck.

CJ I am also looking forward to your next submission. I would like to print a few so Ginger can pick what she likes.

Jean

[TwinbNJ]

So Jean that still does not answer the question:
"who is Phil ? "
and is this something I should let your husband know about !

CJ and Chuck I am learning more thank you both!

[TwinANJ]

Once again thank you! Can not wait to try it out.

Jean

[CJ Swartz]

Still don't have a good technique for this one, but I did less with this submission than the other that I uploaded, and the many others that I have tried since last night. I did a bit of smudging, which I am NOT practiced at or good at, but it helped on her neck, I believe.

Jean -- you're getting really good at smudging, so this might be one thing for you to try.