Your thoughts.

Ausimax · February 21, 2009, 08:27:42 PM

Have been struggling with this one for a couple of weeks, this is where I'm at with it, and at the stage where every thing I do to improve it seems to be a step backwards.

Does anybody have any ideas to improve it, other than giving it to somebody who knows what they are doing? And even that is an option.

Max

glennab · February 21, 2009, 10:14:01 PM

Hi Max

I thought I'd play a bit with your original just to see if I could get more detail. I converted to CMYK, went to Image-Calculations, combined the yellow and magenta channels and set them to overlay. The result follows. You're an ace at coloring a grayscale channel, so I'm wondering if this would help. There's a choice when you use Calculations to create an Alpha channel. What I'm posting is the option I took of making a new file, but either way, I was surprised at the detail that appeared. Hope this helps.

You can play with opacity and different blending modes and may find something better. It might be worth checking channel mixer, too.

Hugs,

GK

Ausimax · February 22, 2009, 06:03:02 AM

Hi Glenna, that certainly bought out more detail than was available in the blue channel, I haven't progressed to Calculations yet, still stuck in "Clone Stamp 101" I think!

Will give that a try anyway, my colouring prowess hasn't been too evident on this one, just seems to have been struggle street from the start for some reason, I have ended up with so many layers open that my file size ends up around 400/450 Mb and then the computer bogs down.

Just one of those real annoying ones, you can see everything you want to achieve, but just can't seem to bring it to fruition. Getting too old for this game I think.

Oh Well! Back to the drawing board. :'(

Max

Tori803 · February 22, 2009, 09:42:19 AM

Max - I think it looks great, much better than I could have done!

Glenna - I never heard of Calculations before. It never ceases to amaze me how much more I need to learn about Photoshop.

glennab · February 22, 2009, 12:12:38 PM

Max, you can't get too old to do restorations. You're a master! Besides, if you give up, I probably won't be far behind. We oldsters are battling with the same syndromes (I won't enumerate them here, as we'll bore the young'uns to tears.)

I totally get the "seeing what you want to achieve but not quite being able to get there." I've had a couple like that and they've about taken me over the edge.

Tori, you're spot on that Photoshop seems to have a never ending supply of surprising functions that are perfect for what we do. I think I got desperate one day and played with calculations because nothing else was working. I was blown away at what I was able to see.

I'm forever looking for "input" and always happy to share with the OPR crew.

Cheers

GK

Mhayes · February 22, 2009, 02:09:41 PM

Max, I think you are making a very good start on this and the detail that GK posted should help some more. You have done a great job on the skin tone on the man. The one thing that you need to watch out for is to have a smooth blend between the subject and the back ground. What you don't want is sharp edges that give the effect of them being cutouts. Great job on the Christmas tree, but it too needs more of a feathered look to the tree's outline.

Margie

Ausimax · February 23, 2009, 11:40:36 PM

This is the latest rework, don't know if it is much of an improvement, but it seems to be about as good as I can get it.

Max

haleygd · February 24, 2009, 09:21:57 AM

Hey Max, Take a look at this version. I redid the guy's left eye. As seen through the glasses the face should be shrunk or distorted inward. I added the wall color inside the glasses and just slightly moved the eye inward. I then started playing with the ladies hair. I did a noise reduction to get rid of the green speckles (10 str, 100% save detail, 100% color deduct, and about 70% shrpen). I then got the smudge tool and at a very small brush size started pulling out strands of hair on her left side to soften the edges. Now it looks like the frizzies but starting on the original should help. I did the same thing but in reverse on the Christmas tree. I pulled the wall color into the tree trying to get the illusion of pine needles instead of rounded masses.

I am still troubled by the hand holding. Need to get a partner and mimic the pose. I think either her fingers or her thumb should be seen between his.

Your doing a great job and I hope these suggestions help take it over the top.

Gary