Hello from Arkansas - Just finishing my first!

[rbird]

Hello to everyone,
So glad I found this organization.  I'm finishing up my first restore and thought I'd share.  Anything else I should do?

[Tess (Tassie D)]

Hi Ron, your cleanup looks great. The only thing I noticed is it probably needs the levels doing first? I just used auto-levels for the photo to take out the reddish haze.

[philbach]

I agree that the color isn't quite right.


Another way to define a gray point in a photo that has no obvious white or gray areas is to try this:
This method involves identifying middle gray. Add a blank layer above the background layer and fill it with 50% gray – Edit>Fill>50% gray. Put this layer into "difference" blend mode. This will display anything that is 50% gray as the darkest parts of the image. Since we need to identify the darkest parts of the image, using a "threshold" adjustment layer makes the most sense. Bring this up through the layers palette, with the adjustment layer icon. Move the slider all the way to the left (turning the image totally white). Now bring the slider up slowly to the right until you get a cluster of black to show. Add a point of reference here as "middle gray".
Essentially, the threshold layer identified the darkest part of the image below, which in fact would be 50% gray because of the fill layer in difference mode.
Cancel the threshold dialog and you can move the 50% gray layer to the trash if you like as we are finished with them. Using a curves or levels adjustment layer, this time select the middle eyedropper as the sampler and click on the new point.

[Hannie]

Hi Ron, congratulations on your first OPR restore, beautiful repairs!
It is not easy to correct colors on this one, Tess and Phil already gave great suggestions.
To get the skin color back to normal you may need to use layer masks.
I tried that and the result is still not optimal.




Hannie

[rbird]

Wow!  Thanks for the help with this.  I haven't had time to work this much further but have done some testing with all of your comments below (except for masking).  Phil, thanks for your post on 50% grey use.  The little I've used it so far looks to be a great tool.
Here's what I got with some testing.  It looks like I'll have more restoring to do with the color difference.

[Hannie]

Looks great Ron!
I have to admit that I cheated a little with the skin color  :-[:  I used a color layer and used some of my skin color samples to make her appear less cyanotic.



Hannie

[rbird]

Thanks Hannie,
I think that this is what it really needs.  I'll keep on it!

[Tori803]

Hey, Hannie, where have you been hiding your skin color samples? I don't know how often I've looked at a face in a photo and wondered what color the skin should be!

Tori

[rbird]

Thanks again to all.  I feel like your comments has stepped up my abilities.  Anyway... Here's my latest.  Anything else need done?  Are my colors looking correct?

[Mhayes]

Looks beautiful!  :up:

Margie