Two men

[Oldfaded]

I did finally see the ink marks.
I had opened the file and automatically just changed it to black and white and began to work on it. so I didint even notice.
So here is what they look like:
Original
---

---
Restored:
--

[kiska]

What filter do you use to soften the noise and spots and add contrast?

[Oldfaded]

Oh boy. I have no clue. I dont keep track of my actions.
I did the black and white change in pspx2
color fade correction 100%
went over to cs5
duplicated layer did a glausian blur after I did the healing brush tool for the sky.
then masked the blur sky to the sharpened image
flattened it.
thats about all I can remember and its not explained very well either  ..
sorry Ive do not have skills of telling what I do to get where i get, I just go there. :(
I know how frustrating that is to most, but it is very frustrating to me as well.

[Hannie]

Hi Kate,

It may be that you make adjustments more complicated than they need to be?
The OPR Handbook gives great guidelines on how to restore photos for OPR.  We try very hard to get the photo to look like the original once did, or as close as possible.  Improvements such as red eyes removal are OK but over the top contrast change or the use of other filter like methods are usually avoided.

Below are 2 images, left is your restore and right is the original with only a very simple levels adjustment and a clean up of the sky and spots.
That is all we are looking for really.  Absolutely no sharpening, it makes the prints come out really bad.  Any sharpening, if needed, is done by QC before the photos go to printer.

Hannie

[Oldfaded]

My apologies. I didn't not use a sharpening tool on it at all. I know this as I hate using them, and rarely do even when necessary,
I shall tone it down so it is more dull.

[Oldfaded]

[Mhayes]

Kate,

Since you have flattened the photo and don't have a layered file, there is no way to go back and undo the damage. This is a simple restore and the best thing is to start over and take Hannie's suggestions. The idea is not to try to make the photo dull as you suggested and how you have labled this photo: two_men_dull.jpg. In fact, Hannie's example is not dull and while the contrast is far less than your first; her second is not "dull" as your second. That is what is nice about layered files; you can go back in time. Once your photo is flattened it is sort of like adding too much salt to the soup---you can't undo the damage.

Margie

[Oldfaded]

neither were layered
with the second I started from scratch and did as least as possible.

[Hannie]

Oh boy. I have no clue. I dont keep track of my actions.
I did the black and white change in pspx2
color fade correction 100%
went over to cs5
duplicated layer did a glausian blur after I did the healing brush tool for the sky.
then masked the blur sky to the sharpened image
flattened it.....

This is why I asked not to sharpen.

Hannie

[Oldfaded]

That was just a term I used, I DID NOT SHARPEN the image!
I did a glausian blur for the  sky purpose, then colored the regular photo back into place
that what the only layers I had done I did NOTHING in the sharpening area.
I said also that I have NO CLUE of how to explain what I do, and now your all using that against me, what ever.
I do what I can to try to help, If Im not helping I surely dont want to be a bother hun.
I again apologize for not being able to speak proper terms. and for not doing the photographs to your standards.
I do my best and thas all I can do. :)
the term dull was my my personal reference it wasnt mean for you to use that against me as well....lol
Hope the rest of your day goes better. :)  :hug:

[Hannie]

No need to yell Kate.  They were your words, not mine.

[Oldfaded]

I wasn't yelling Hannie. I was making a point, I dont yell hun.
Re read what I wrote before. I have a new keyboard and monitor and got fumbled and accidentally sent that last message before I was finished. :(
my sincerest apologies again, for making another mistake. :(

[Mhayes]

Kate,

I couldn't figure out how you could possibly work without doing layers in PhotoShop. Even the simplest of restores using only a Levels or Curves Adjustment would add a layer. Color correction is the first thing that we ask volunteers to do before restoring. When I read your work flow I see that you are doing part of your restore in pspx2 and then coming over to PS CS5 to work. When you stated that neither photo was layered, it seems you did layer on the first one:

I did the black and white change in pspx2
color fade correction 100%
went over to cs5
duplicated layer did a glausian blur after I did the healing brush tool for the sky.
then masked the blur sky to the sharpened image
flattened it.

I'm all for whatever software makes you happy and nothing against pspx2 as we have restorers that do great work. The problem is that we really can't help you. We would like to see the color correction done first and PhotoShop gives you the advantage of having an adjustment file (separate layer above original) that does not harm the original, but you have already changed the original before coming into PhotoShop.

I think maybe you would be happiest doing retouching work where you can play around with different looks.

Margie

[Oldfaded]

I apologize that you didn't like my restoration.
I dont enjoy playing with different looks
and what I am being quoted on was a very bad attempt to explain what I did without the knowledge of terminology.
I never should have posted that as I have no idea of what Im talking about.

[Mhayes]

Kate,

We are not asking you to play with different looks, but rather do a color correction which is easy with a Levels or Curves Adjustment Layer. Then switch to black/white and restore the damage. The main problem I see is that we really can't help if your first changes are being done in pspx2 and then the photo is brought over to PhotoShop. The first software is doing changes to the texture and then when you are working in PhotoShop you can't undo the changes you made in the first. This is what causes the confusion.

Thanks,

Margie