(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/F1_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6.jpg)
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/F2_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6.jpg)
This was harder than it looked. The new tools in CS5 helped a lot, including Puppet Warp on the shirt pattern. Please let me know what still doesn't look right. Look forward to your comments.
Bambi
Great job, Bambi. :up2: You may want to consider reducing the color saturation of his shirt a little to match the lower part. The contrast seemed lost some on their face and cloth. If contrast tool does not give you what you want, you might consider using dodge and burn.
That's on the list, Schen. I want to burn and dodge (on a Soft Color layer) his shirt and match the color a little better. I also want to smooth out the blotchy faces and try to find a better skintone. And her hair should be darker. Then I'll do a Curves Layer overall so it doesn't look so flat.
Bambi
I can't quite place the left margin of his neck. The part within the red circle may need some adjustments. Boy, this is a tough one.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/F1_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6copy.jpg)
Yes. That spot was completely gone. I changed that several times and still don't like it.
Great job on a hard one, Bambi. The other thing besides what Chin pointed out would be to have the woman's hair darker like in the original. On the original it looks to be a dark brown and there are some good sections showing.
Margie
The blue channel has good detail on hair and neck (and everything really):
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/bl1.jpg)
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/F3_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6.jpg)
Hannie, you do work magic! Here's what my blue channel looks like. The muck must just magically clear itself out on the way to The Netherlands! Mine has a lot of information, but yours is clear and beautiful. Seriously, what did you do?
Bambi
Bambi, there is this dirty little secrete about our distributors. Hannie is holding the original that she posted on the forum. But she put the images through this muck machine before posting them in the gallery so that she can keep us restorers busy. >:D
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/F4_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6.jpg)
Schen, I'm beginning to believe it! But her version came in handy and I love the help. Does this look better?
Bambi
Bambi, you are making great improvements in each step.
I took his neck in about 4 pixels and changed the shading of his chin and neck.
I still think his shirt can be desaturated more.
The color of their faces is flat. It is the natural result of the process you took but it can be enhanced. I desaturated her hair, eyes, and teeth. I then darkened her hair.
I put a little make up on her face. The process I used involve adding a new blank layer over it; set the blending mode to color then paint your favorite color of rouge and lipstick with low opacity brush. If you like what I did, you can apply the same to him.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/F4_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6ba.jpg)
Also don't forget about the shirt :-).
For this I used a fathered lasso selection of the areas I found to be too blue, lowered the blue channel in curves and gave it a little more contrast.
Next I added a new layer in "Overlay" mode and painted with black over the bright area of the shirt and using some white I painted in a little contrast in the upper part.
(http://www.abload.de/img/shirt8ue0.jpg)
Great topic with lots of good suggestions!
Bambi, there is an older topic about this photo somewhere on the forum and that is when I did the blue channel image.
http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3281.0.html (http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3281.0.html)
It's been a while so I don't remember the exact numbers but this is basically what I did:
- levels and curves adjustment, making it lighter than I would with an ordinary B/W photo.
- damage repair with healing/cloning etc.
- Dust & Scratches filter with radius large enough to make spots disappear and then move the threshold far enough to restore detail
The above took away some of the sharpness that is still present in your blue channel image. I thought at the time that it was OK to sacrifice sharpness for an acceptable end result. :)
Shujen is right about the shirt color. Instead of lowering saturation you may want to try this, I used Jonas's version:
- Selective Color adj. layer, blues: black slider -52 (mask all but shirt)
cyan: black slider -27 (mask all but shirt)
- Contrast adj. layer, slider all the way to 100 (mask all but shirt)
To bring back the little white stripe pattern:
- Selective Color adj. layer, whites: black slider -100 (mask all but shirt)
Hannie
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/shirt8ue0-3.jpg)
Just what the doctor ordered! Thank you, Shujen, Jonas and Hannie. All great techniques that I wouldn't have thought of—but will use from now on. I can't believe how generous you are with your vast knowledge. This is what makes it really fun.
Bambi
Bambi, great thread and great tips!
Margie
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/F5_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6.jpg)
Used all your tips and it looks much better. Thanks. I think their faces could use a little more highlight. Anything else?
Bambi
Bambi, you have really worked wonders with this one. Maybe some creases on his pants, but that is minor. :wnw:
Margie
(http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/BambiNicklen/F6_StrobelSeigenthaler21_7_4x6.jpg)
Unless someone sees something I missed, I think this might be done.
Bambi
:up2: :up2:
Margie
Awesome job on this one, Bambi. Kudos!
GK
Great restore Bambi!
:up:
Hannie
Bambi,
That was a tough one and you managed to pull it off. Great work! :up2:
Would have been stuck and frustrated without your help. I learned soooooooooo much working with all of you on this one. Thank you for all the help.
Bambi