Old Photo Fix

[Shoku]

The knit dress on the left is a copy of the original dress on the right - made by the same person. The original photo is from the late 1960's.

This is an example of some of the more difficult retouching jobs we get.

Challenge: Where would you begin with the image on the right, and where would you end?

[Damo77]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Hi Shoku, did you scan the photo yourself, or was the scan provided to you?

I'm wondering if you consider it to be a faithful scan of the original.

[Tony W]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Immediate reaction this is a job for Lab, accepting that others may wish to go another way.

Very quick play here - as proof of concept.

Not changed overall colour just played with the dress colour and the hands. Circle and flower would need attention. Would need more care as I am sure you would do with a better starting image

[Shoku]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Hi Shoku, did you scan the photo yourself, or was the scan provided to you?

I'm wondering if you consider it to be a faithful scan of the original.

All files were provided by the client. The bad image is her scan of a very old transparency, full of fingerprints and dust.

[Shoku]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Immediate reaction this is a job for Lab, accepting that others may wish to go another way.

Very quick play here - as proof of concept.

Not changed overall colour just played with the dress colour and the hands. Circle and flower would need attention. Would need more care as I am sure you would do with a better starting image

Good beginning. I started with LAB also- to open up the shadows and put more color into the overall image. It's not just the dress that needs fixing. Also, her legs should be slightly green as she is wearing shear green stockings (per her instructions).

[Tony W]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Green legs!! - now he tells us, TBH if I had spotted a green cast to legs I would have probably tried correction

Alright I did not try hard enough so I would probably do something like attached - same principles as before. My decision for the reddish hair and the strong green legs

Now don't tell me she had heliotrope shoes

[Shoku]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Now don't tell me she had heliotrope shoes

Wow, that's really good.

Her shoes are apple green.

[Shoku]

Re: Old Photo Fix

Client approved edit - she realizes the original photo was garbage.

The sheer green stockings give the legs just a hint of green. The shoes are darker than the original but are good enough. the main focus is the knit clothing.

The back photo was worse than the front.