Feedback requested

[MFiske]

Hello All,

This is my third "first" attempt at loading photos into this message. Hope they don't all show up!

I would like feedback on this restored photo. It is the second of a series of the same people that I have worked on and part of a museum series. You will see that there is significant damage to the couple at viewers lower left.  The channels did not hold any remnant of the man's facial features or the woman's dress. So here are the questions:
1.  I used the man's head from the first photo in the series (not shown) to reconstruct features. Is this OK?
2.  I constructed a "new" part to the stage in the lower left corner to hide all the yuk. Is this OK?
3.  The man is still pretty "bright" despite several adjustment layers in curves and levels. Any suggestions?  And all general comments more than welcome.
Many thanks, Newbie Marilyn
[img][/img]

[Tori803]

Hi Marilyn,

Looks like you're making good progress. As to replacing the man's face what pops out to me is that he's looking a different direction than in the original photo. I think I would use the other photo as a reference as to the location of the features, then just try to restore a blurred hint of them rather than try to swap in the other face. Try experimenting on a separate layer and see if that approach would work.

Tori

[Marydh]

Hi Marilyn,

I'm a newbie as well but I've found a few things that might help.
You probably already thought of this but sometimes if I have a reference photo, I use the warp tool to get a sense of what the features might look like at a different angle. 
You did a good job on the stage but they (QC) seem to frown upon adding things that aren't there,
especially to historically significant pictures like this one.  When something is damaged beyond repair, the gradient tool (levels..multiply..invert then gradient) has become my new best friend.
A black  paintbrush (soft airbrush) set on about 8% opacity might help darken the man a bit.

It's so challenging but so fun, huh? :)
Mary

[MFiske]

thanks for all the help on this one.

Marilyn