(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/StrobelSeigenthaler21_6_4x6_F1.jpg)
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/StrobelSeigenthaler21_6_4x6_F4.jpg)
Definitely still in progress. Please give me your best advice to polish this lovely family portrait.
Bambi
Bambi, I think you have done a great job on this one! The woman in the center looks like her sweater could have gone yellow, but with the damage I wouldn't fault the color.
:up: :up:
Margie
Thank you, Margie. I had her sweater brighter, but then I saw another picture of her in that sweater in the gallery, so I took the color from that undamaged sample.
Bambi
Looking great Bambi!
I also thought that the sweater was yellow but you are right, I looked at several other photos of the same event and it is green.
Hannie
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/green-2.jpg)
That's the picture I took the color sample from. I see not that I could have done a better job on her collar.
Bambi
Bambi, I guess seeing how the man's pants to the left had the yellow and also the other man's shirt by the collar had some yellow. Funny how you assume that since there is more yellow and it looks undamaged---it must be correct. :-\
Margie
I am taking a shot at restoring the photo Hannie has posted here. Since this is my first attempt at using the blue channel, I need some help with this. First, I copied the blue channel to a new layer. (That was an adventure in itself. The procedure of copying the channel did not work for me. I had to make a copy, delete all the channels except blue then copy it over to the original.) I changed the blending to luminosity. And here is what I came up with.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w97/david_gr/Miscellaneous/StrobelSeigenthaler7sample.jpg)
It cleaned up a lot of the damage but it seems a bit darker than the original. My question is do I merge the two layers and work off of that or how do you folks suggest I proceed.
Help I am pushing my boundaries here. :)
David Gr
Hi David,
It is really easy, but if you miss a step may be why it didn't work for you. I duplicate the background so that I can do a layer mask and us it to tweak.
1. Go to the Channels pallet and click on the blue channel--or the best channel.
2, Use your short cut keys of Ctrl A or Com A (Mac)---which is a short cut for capturing All.
3. Hit the short cut keys of Ctrl C for copy of what you just got in step 2.
4. While in channels, click on the rgb channels and then go back to your layers menu.
5. Now that you have the rgb file showing, hit the short cut keys Ctrl V which will paste your blue channel on top.
6. Change your blend mode to luminosity and use your opacity slider to get what you want.
Yes, this will make some areas look worse, but you are looking to work on the sweater. What I do next is a layer mask where I conceal all and then with a white brush--to reveal--i paint back in the parts I want. You may have to do several layer mask to get what you want.
Hope that helps.
Margie
Hi, David:
I tip my hat to you for tackling this toughie! I followed Margie's technique exactly.
As you adjust the Opacity of the Luminosity Layer, focus on the damage area only. When you have your best level for that spot, add a Layer Mask and paint out everything else. If your damage is in a small area, like her face, Select the face, Select Inverse, then go to the Layer Mask and Fill with Black to hide everything else. If different areas require different Opacity levels, you can copy the Blue Channel Luminosity Layer several times and use each one for a separate area of damage.
One important thing to remember, you'll still have a LOT of work ahead of you. This family's photos are not easy. So give yourself a hearty congratulations!
Bambi
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/StrobelSeigenthaler21_6_4x6_F5.jpg)
Fixed the collar on the sweater. I think this is done.
Bambi
Bambi, your restore looks terrific!
Margie
I am still working on this one. I took it from Hannie as more of a learning experience than anything else. It is a real challenge. I got the blue channel thing to work after a fashion. I need some more help though. Does anybody have any suggestions about cleaning the noise up particularly in their faces? Also, any suggestions about fixing his shirt?
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w97/david_gr/Miscellaneous/StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6copy4.jpg)
This is going to take me some additional time. I won't mind if Hannie wants to pass it on to someone else. It's really out of my comfort zone. However, I am going to keep plugging away at it. I know I can learn a lot from it.
David Gr
I think you are doing well, there. Congratulations!
I generally hate noise filters as they blur the image. Some people use the dust and scratches in PS with success. I have a Nik filter where you can paint on the anti-noise effect and it worked pretty well on the faces there. Nice thing is you can make it more or less later also either by painting in the mask more or reducing the opacity of the layer.
The shirt is a bear -- I don't suppose OPR would go for a tie dyed shirt -- it would be so much easier than gingham. With cloning you can see how things are going to match up now (if you have a later version of PS) but it sounds like a real pain and unlikely to work perfectly. You might be able to create a gingham swatch by copying and pasting/cloning separately and then after you liked it copy/paste it in place. It looks like the only place there are folds in the fabric are under the arm. Can't figure out whether that is a blessing or a curse!
Judy
Hi David,
You could work the blue channel like a black an white photo, repair it it, make it fairly light.
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/bl1.jpg)
Then use a color layer on your WIP to to repair color, don't worry about damage.
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/bl2.jpg)
Paste the b/w layer (luminosity mode) on your WIP
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/bl3.jpg)
From here you can tweak a little more but it looks pretty good already.
Hannie
I like Hannie's solution. I always do everything the hard way. I would have taken a piece of the undamaged shirt and painstakingly warped it into place over the damage. I don't suggest it.
There should be a law that no one can be photographed wearing stripes, patterns, checks or windowpane. I'm just saying.
By the way, do you know who that man is? Wikipedia: "John Seigenthaler, born December 21, 1955) is an American former news anchor and correspondent who worked for both NBC and MSNBC. He is the son of the newspaper journalist John Lawrence Seigenthaler. He is best known for his 7-year tenure as weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News. " His father is in the photo I'm working on now.
Bambi
Hannie, Thanks for the advice. You make it look so easy. Like I said before I am taking this one on as a learning experience. I will give it a shot.
Bambi, Interesting bit of information about the photo. I never thought to look up info on the people we do restorations for.
David Gr :)
I lived in Tennessee and used to watch NBC News. His father published The Tennessean in Nashville and was founding editor of USA Today.
Hannie,
I love your solution, and when I take your pictures, with the amazing consistency of computers I come out with the same look as your final.
However, I am not sure how you get your color one from the WIP that was posted. You said not to play with the damaged area, but I still have a tie dye effect on the shirt that when I post the blue channel comes through loud and clear. The trick seems to be converting that pink to white but that is the damaged area so I didn't do anything. Please explain how you got that color as what you did was magical (though you did do an awful lot of work on the blue channel it seems).
Thanks!
Judy
Judy, I used the original and did just a basic levels correction in each channel R, G and B.
Then, Curves black dropper on men's belt; white dropper on window post.
Curves grey dropper I don't remember exactly where, probably roof area
Then a color layer and I kept sampling from the undamaged colors to fill in the yellow and orange stains. Don't worry if it looks weird or makes areas turn white or grey instead of the color you had in mind (middle photo above). Once the luminosity layer is pasted on top it all falls into place.
Hannie
Thanks Hannie,
You had said "don't worry about the damage" and I took that literally. I didn't see why you needed a color layer on that particular picture, so didn't do that step . So, I had the levels and curves and then directly tried the blue channel paste and that doesn't work. It is sort of mystifying to me how well the other works in fact, though mine wasn't as good as yours as I painted too generally and not just in the spots that needed it. What an amazing technique -- thanks so much.
I hope my question helps others as much as it did me!
Judy
Judy,
QuoteYou had said "don't worry about the damage" and I took that literally.
That would be the fondest wish of every volunteer, but not going to happen. :funny:
Margie
Hannie,
Please take back this photo and give it to someone able to do it. It is more than I can handle and the family deserves a better restoration than I can provide. I am glad I tried. I learned a lot and which was my purpose in trying.
Thanks for your help with this.
David Gr
Hannie,
Could I get a little more explanation?....I understand working the Blue channel (or best channel) as a B/W. You then say "Use a color layer to repair the WIP". Are you using the color corrected original as a top layer above the B/W you've corrected? If so, is the blend set to "Color"? Then you say, "Paste B/W layer...." (luminosity mode). Are you basically ending up with a "sandwitch" of B/W on top in lminosity, Color corrected color in color blend mode in the middle, and the original corrected B/W in normal mode on the bottom?
I really want to understand this, because your way sure looks like it's effective for getting rid of all that water streaking!
Thanks.
Hannie,
I guess I didn't read far enough. I see above that by Color layer, you mean a layer where you have painted the corrected colors over the damage. Is the blend mode on that layer set to 'color' or 'normal'? I'm guessing 'Color'.
David, I somehow missed your post! I will re list your photo, no problem at all.
Betty, you figured it out yourself already. Yes a layer set in color mode over your WIP and then paint back damaged color. That is the point where I said don't worry about any damage. The B/W layer that you paste on afterwards (in luminosity mode) will take care of the damage.
Hannie
This technique is fantastic! :loveit: Thank you so much Hannie! I just used it on my latest photo and boy what a difference. It's a little like doing the photo twice, but it's a great way to seperate the color problem from the texture problems. I'll be using it a lot!
Thanks again. :wnw: