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What to do when a lot of image information is missing?

Started by SlideConverter, December 03, 2008, 10:32:14 AM

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SlideConverter

Hi Group,

I am doing my first restoration for OPR.  The image that I have lacks information on the bottom part.

First of all, I think this is a casket with only part of the person in it showing.  What should I do? Blurr it somewhat so no one can tell who/what is in there?  I want to do something that keeps the dignity of the person in the casket und therefore don't want to recreate a face that doesn't belong there.

Second, the bottom left shows no real information and I am not sure what to do there.

I appreciate any suggestion.

Thanks

Richard


klassylady25

Try setting your history brush at mulitiply and see if you can pull out a bit of the deceased man's face however, I don't thin you're going to get much. You're already coming along well with the main subject of this photo.


Hannie

Hi Richard,

Congratulations on your first restore, you have done a great job so far. 
It is not easy to answer your question about the missing detail and what to do with it. 
Candy's suggestion about the multiply brush is a good one and can work well.
I was able to have look at the full res photo in all the different color modes but unfortunately, there is no detail underneath the damage left to pull out anymore.

I agree with you that you don't want to create something that wasn't there to start with. 
The person in the casket looks like quite a young child to me, tiny nose, mouth.  You could, if possible, try to create an impression of what was there without going into any detail.  Don't make it overly blurry because that may cause it to stand out too much?
The same goes for the left part of the photo.  Repair as much as you can and also try to create an impression again without too much detail and only slightly blurry.

I know this isn't much help at all, just remember that photos with this much damage will improve from any repair that you manage to do.  The owner will be pleased that you did.

Hannie
Hannie Scheltema
Distribution Coordinator
[email protected]

glennab

#3
Richard I can't believe you chose this as your first restoration.  Gads, man, are you into pain?????

I don't think there's anything you can do with the person in the casket except to leave the damage as it is.  When I was on the Biloxi run, I didn't accept photos like this, because as I explained to the person who wanted it restored, there's nothing to restore.  All of them agreed that they wouldn't want to get back a photo with someone's guess of their beloved's appearance.  There'd be no value in that to them. Unless admin can get another photo with which to match the child's(?) actual face, there's no way I'd bring out more than can already be seen.  I channel surfed and played with blending modes, and there is NO image under the muck.  Nada. 

My suggestion is to clean up what you can – and you've done a great job with what's visible – and leave it at that.  I feel strongly that doing anything else would be unfair to the owner and have little value to them.  Heartbreaking, because I'm sure this is a treasured photo, but you can't make something from nothing.

Good luck!

GK

P.S. As for the bottom left, that could probably be handled as Hannie suggested, with the impression of the wooden part of the casket and maybe just a little difference in depth to indicate the older man's slacks in the corner.
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

SlideConverter

Thanks for the suggestions - I appreciate it.

Richard