Hi Hannie,
At the risk of starting a ruckus again, here's that ripple photo. I bet you thought I was going to retire with this one... All those ripples distorted the detail causing all sorts of trouble! Everywhere I looked (except in the leaves in the foreground) it was messed up. Anyway, enough excuses, I really should save some for other photos. Here's the original, lightened so you can see the detail, and my best efforts to date.
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j442/PhotoBob63/Stephenson/StevensonL22_19_5x5-orig.jpg)
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j442/PhotoBob63/Stephenson/StevensonL22_19_5x5-Final-Maybe.jpg)
What do you all think? Where can it be improved?
Bob
PhotoBob, you have done a wonderful job ironing the photo without burning it ;D
I think the picture is a little too red. This could be caused by discoloring in time not the flood damage but I feel it should be partially corrected. What I did was to add a level layer; pull down color and select Red; slide the center pointer to the right until the red overcast disappeared.
I also burned the background vegetation (with photoshop burn tool not an iron). I thought the original may be darker there from the area between the left two tree trunks just above the lady's head and the area around the top of the right numeral digit. I could be wrong.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/StevensonL22_19_5x5-less-red.jpg)
Schen it does look much better. I got so caught up in the restoration that all that red looked normal to me. :D I will go home tonight after work and write on the chalk board " I will adjust the color first," 100 times. I know I've heard Margie recommend that at least three times on this board in the short time I've been a member. Now I understand why it happens! Thanks for being my second pair of eyes. As far as density goes, the original was very dark.
One of my concerns is the young lady second from the right holding the little girl. If you compare to the original, her face and neck received a lot of damage. ::) I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I took care of most of her neck problems by buttoning a few buttons. ::) My overall repair on her still doesn't look good. Advice? Please :)
Bob
Bob, you did a great job. The neck line of the lady on the right is fine too. You are still not happy with the lady's looks but I don't think there is much you can do any more? (he faces on this photo have very little detail and not much can be done about that)
I like Shujen's color adjustment, it has made up for the sloppy iron burn mark that he left earlier.
Hannie
After I got finished with the caulk board last night, I repeated Shujen's color suggestions and it looks much more natural now. Then I studied the original of that young lady - on the left side of her neck you can barely see what most likely is the collar of her shirt. The reason it looks "low cut" is actually damage to the photo. So I'm recanting my statement about getting into trouble. Part of the shirt is covered up by damage. (it also doesn't make sense for her to be so "open" when everyone else in wrapped up in sweaters.)
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)
I'll be finishing it up and uploading the final for you Hannie.
Bob