Vietnam guy

Judy · June 23, 2011, 04:45:45 PM

This is my first restoration, and first upload, so let's hope it all goes as planned. I have reached the point where I am just diddling with the photo so think maybe outside input would help. It is really hard to know colors when you don't know anything about the photo -- this one turned out to have a green wash almost. Anyhow, I chose to believe the woods were not bright green!

Original

Restored

I believe I got rid of the personal data taking the hint of saving it as web file to do so. Probably nothing is going to show up at all -- I didn't even know I had a Photobucket account.

Thanks!

Judy

Judy · June 24, 2011, 10:15:14 AM

It looked like there might have been some photo damage I missed and I hadn't done dust yet, so I did that and uploaded the picture.

Judy

Mhayes · June 24, 2011, 12:53:12 PM

Hi Judy,

I know you have uploaded this version, but I would work some more on color correction. Yes, it does go to green, but it would be better to still have some color in the rest of the photo. I did a Curves color correction and then I worked on correcting color cast; I used the Color Balance Adjustment layer and played with moving the sliders. If you work with the red slider you will be able to bring more of a brown color back to the photo. When done, you might use a layer mask to use the best of both.

You are off to a great start!

Margie

Judy · June 24, 2011, 07:22:30 PM

Hi Marge,

I did do a curves color correction, but must admit I changed the opacity of it to about 80% as I remember, as it made everything very harsh to my eyes. The foreground got very red and vibrant and didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the photo (the red is somehow on the posted picture still, but not on the regular jpeg so the webcolor must affect things). I'll try the color balance adjustment and fiddle some more with it I really dislike when it starts looking like it has a green wash over the whole thing though. It could be what I really object to is the lack of color contrast in the background area. Don't know how much I should play with that though, as what is there might be realistic. If I went with the green I would go with a darker one I think rather than the one that comes up.

Do you see on the left hand side in the posted picture the box, and it looks like there is a tear there from the photo? That was one thing I fixed in the uploaded, but I really hadn't noticed it (as the color was driving me crazy frankly). I believe you said in some post it was better to do color correction before dust and other such, is that true? I did save it and rename it before I started in on the dust as I was getting so many layers.

I am entering a rough patch time wise, but I will try and see how your suggestions play for me.

Judy

Mhayes · June 24, 2011, 10:45:45 PM

Hi Judy,

I did just an auto color correction in curves, because I could tell this one was not going to do a global correction right the first time. It was more green that way and then I decided to do the Color Balance where I could offset the green. I don't think it will ever look as good as new, but it will help.

Yes, I always do the color correction first so that any repair work doesn't end up looking strange. I didn't really see the tear, but will look at it more closely.

Margie

Judy · June 25, 2011, 01:08:18 AM

Okay, I have two versions -- obviously a lot one. One is he is in a forest, green. The other a woods brown. Not sure what is authentic. The person stands out better on the initial one I believe, but these are more colorful.

Brown Woods

Green Forest

Hannie · June 25, 2011, 09:35:17 AM

Hi Judy,

I Googled for images of Vietnam and it struck me how green everything is over there!

If you check the info on skin color, boxes or anything that isn't part of nature you can decide if the overall hue of the photo is correct.

It probably is somewhere in between the brown and green version that you have now?
The Color Balance that Margie suggested may work very well. (Yellow/Blue slider +22)

Hannie

Oldfaded · June 25, 2011, 10:13:20 AM

warning - I have unorthodox skills.
that said, what I did was to crop the lower corner of the photo as a color guide. as I believe its the most faithful.
saved and brought up both photos in cs5
on the entire photo clicked
image
adjustments
match color
when the pop up asked which to match I chose the tiny crop Id made
and that gave me a more realistic color for the rest of the damaged area.
I fidgeted as well with this and that, to adjust color to form a more blended look
but this is what I came up with: its a bit on the red side, but that can be adjusted :)
-------

-------

Judy · June 25, 2011, 04:49:42 PM

Interesting method Kate, though a bit on the red side is somewhat of an understatement!

I had been working more on it and looking at the pictures of the war in Vietnam. There didn't seem to be anything such as our brownish woods. Also, even though his clothes always seem to come out brown (even in the hideous green wash that Photoshop gives when you try autocolor or autotone) I decided he absolutely must be in green camouflage. It is also how I remember the guys dressed. I focused on that and went somewhere between the green and brown but with his clothes being green. I lightened his face a bit and the inside of the tent as that detail seemed to be getting lost and added green in a few places. I wanted to keep some brown, though, as this area looked very twiggy and there was brown in the photos.

Not sure what kind of image you all have in mind, but this looks pretty decent to me.

Actually do you believe that there was storm damage to the picture? It really looks like a picture that has faded with time to me. I have lots of them around myself and ones where the color has gone berserk (one such group of pictures was processed by Kodak using Kodak paper so it surprised me). I showed this to one friend and he said it just looked like a faded photo to him where there had been color shifts because of that. The photo I don't think was ever a very good one as the detail is pretty poor in his face.

Judy

Mhayes · June 25, 2011, 09:05:50 PM

Judy,

I think it's looking good. I'm not sure if the soldier's uniform would have been brown, but you could use the Brown Woods with the Green Woods and do a layer mask and use the best of both. All of these photos from Nashville would have suffered flood damage. Some came out with minimal damage, but others are really bad. I think you are right about the quality of the photo, plus with age there would have been some color shifts as well.

Margie

Oldfaded · June 25, 2011, 10:25:30 PM

I see Judy...OMGosh way too red...lol sorry. I was only trying to show a way to get the colors to match.
Your doing a great job. that is a tough one!

Oldfaded · June 25, 2011, 11:14:33 PM

from what I recall that wars fabrics were shades of green. the brown tones were more for deserts.

Judy · June 26, 2011, 05:26:13 PM

I am going to be an expert on camouflage soon. They had some really green ones it turned out and then ones that had some brown in it. Of course it doesn't appear he is wearing camouflage except for the hat. Also oddly enough the thing on the left hand side I at first thought was corrugated tin (a really stupid concept unless you are trying to attract bombers!) but looks like it is some camouflage that is not listed in any articles. It is odd. Definitely he is not wearing the brown camouflage as that was a very bold looking one.

It'd be nice if there were a form filled out that told of any knowledge about the picture -- like the color of the hat/clothes. I would be pretty sad if it were my pix and it came back green rather than brown or vice versa.

Also if you look at pix of the era, some of the jungle ones are really green (but this doesn't look like a jungle it is so twiggy -- can't see any references to woods in Vietnam though) 10 years ago I had people I could ask about this, now I can't think of a one.

Judy

glennab · June 26, 2011, 08:01:22 PM

Hi Judy - I think your last version looks pretty darn good. The fatigues in Viet Nam were an olive green, so I'd say you're pretty close. I downloaded the photo, and it appears that there's a tremendous amount of film grain (that's where that awful red splotching is coming from). I used the eyedroppers in the Curves menu and got a little less green than you did, but I think you've gotten a more feasible color. I just had my hubby check it out, and he said it looks as if the soldier is in the highlands. If so, you have the color just about right. Since he was there - I'm taking his word. Nice job!

GK

Mhayes · June 26, 2011, 10:50:54 PM

Hi Judy, GK is spot on about the fatigues being olive green. I just got off the phone with the owner and he confirmed that. He also wanted all of you to know how much he appreciates what you are doing. It isn't only for the memories, but is also helping him track down those in the photographs that is benefiting him getting medical help.

When there is a question on a photo, we try to ask the owners. As far as having a form detailing the color of the hat/ clothes, etc.; we would never get to first base to getting their photos on to be photographed. When they come in there is a lot of time spent measuring and getting the consent form filled out. On Nashville, we have over 1,000 photos and you don't have that kind of time. Plus, ususally color correcting will get there, but then there are ones like this that with age and water damage you ask questions.

Margie