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OPR Workshops => Difficult => Topic started by: Jo Ann Snover on November 11, 2021, 03:55:35 PM

Title: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 11, 2021, 03:55:35 PM
This is the same wedding as Bambi posted about recently:

https://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,5889.0.html

I'm looking for some feedback (Bambi said Margie would have to weigh in, especially if the solution is a vignette which we need her approval to do) about what reasonable options there are for this wedding photo. I haven't finished the parts that I know I can do, but there are two people whose faces are so badly damaged that I'm not sure I can do anything much with them.

Original:

(https://i.postimg.cc/VrBktbX4/Brou-P-07-07-8x10.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VrBktbX4)

WIP:

(https://i.postimg.cc/Z05SHgmJ/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-WIP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Z05SHgmJ)

Proposed Vignette:

(https://i.postimg.cc/MMW8h3jb/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MMW8h3jb)

The girl on the left is an invention - no clue what her face looks like and there are no other photos from this wedding. I did try a version based on the woman next to her, but that didn't convince me :) The man (best man?) has eyes but the rest of his face is just gone, so I really have no idea, even if I cleaned up the rough start, whether that would work.

The groom is based on the image Bambi restored, so I know he looks as he should. I have blurred and darkened the image to match the rather soft images in this shot.

The original looks hand colored (and some hand edits on the jewelry) but I'm not sure if I should keep that or just make the restore monochrome.

Any other suggestions for what could be done with this image?
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Bambi on November 11, 2021, 07:13:27 PM
Definitely should be BW. I think the vignette is the best idea.
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Shadow on November 11, 2021, 10:15:19 PM
Agree with the B&W and vignetter. What a challenging image. Will be watching your updates. Good luck.
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 14, 2021, 11:59:44 PM
I did a little more work on this while I'm waiting for a ruling on how to proceed, and it occurred to me that it might work well to use the frame that Bambi's photo of this wedding used (it's vertical but otherwise I've used as is). Link to her post is in my first post here.

I did stretch and squeeze the image a bit to make sure we focus on the bride & groom and cut off the parts on the left side that are so badly damaged. Here's what that looks like:


(https://i.postimg.cc/fVBSDfwn/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fVBSDfwn)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: philbach on November 15, 2021, 10:50:21 AM
I like your most recent vignette better.  I hate that you had to lose the girl on the left but I guess that is what needs to be done.  The white streak running down the grooms nose tended to stand out to me some.  Nice work.
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Candice on November 15, 2021, 01:36:47 PM
Is it possible that this was hand-colored?
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 15, 2021, 01:56:24 PM
Quote from: Candice on November 15, 2021, 01:36:47 PM
Is it possible that this was hand-colored?

It was, but Bambi's reply above said I should leave the restore as monochrome
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Candice on November 15, 2021, 02:14:37 PM
I read that too, Jo.  Still might be fun to play with outside of OPR.  :)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 15, 2021, 05:06:37 PM
Quote from: philbach on November 15, 2021, 10:50:21 AM
I like your most recent vignette better.  I hate that you had to lose the girl on the left but I guess that is what needs to be done.  The white streak running down the grooms nose tended to stand out to me some.  Nice work.

I think this looks better (with regard to the white streak on the groom's nose)

(https://i.postimg.cc/JGQ6mJXb/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette-3a.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JGQ6mJXb)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Candice on November 15, 2021, 05:33:53 PM
You're done a fine job on this one Jo and I agree the nose looks a lot better. 
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Lynnya on November 15, 2021, 06:54:39 PM
Nice job Jo Ann... tough one for sure.
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Shadow on November 15, 2021, 09:08:21 PM
Coming along nicely JoAnn :up2:
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Mhayes on November 16, 2021, 04:06:00 AM
Jo Ann, really love the end result!  :up:
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 16, 2021, 06:48:57 PM
Quote from: Mhayes on November 16, 2021, 04:06:00 AM
Jo Ann, really love the end result!  :up:

I'm glad you approve, but (sadly) this isn't the end result - not the above or today's progress report :). But I will take it that you're OK with the vignette and prefer the white frame from the other portrait of this couple?

Today's struggle was with the bride's legs. The original is barely visible - the red channel has most information in this one - but several tries at positioning her legs didn't look believable. I got out my artist's model and looked at a bunch of photos online and you can see where I have ended up.

I haven't yet put in all the ribbons hanging down from the bride's bouquet (see Bambi's photo referenced above for the elaborate arrangement; I've never see asparagus fern knotted into ribbons before) but do the legs look believable?

The bride's shoes were morphed and warped from Bambi's photo (i.e. I didn't just make up the bows around the ankles). I did make up the chair legs - I think they're about in the right positions and the key thing is not to have them all eerily levitating! If there are any obvious crazy things - beyond the parts I haven't finished yet - please point them out. I'm mentally done with this, but I think I can muster some energy after more tea (mug? two mugs?)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Ff997NY8/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette-4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Ff997NY8)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Mhayes on November 17, 2021, 03:21:32 AM
Jo Ann, what I liked was that you got away from the oval black vignette, this looks so much better!
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 17, 2021, 08:11:42 PM
A little more done today. Not entirely sure how to handle the bundle of veil & train that's on the bride's side (right on the photo). It's probably train, but the details wouldn't be clear given how bunched up it is. The groom's jacket has buttons; the two girls have hands and the somewhat serious bridesmaid has a few more flowers in her bouquet. The side of the bride's chair has depth :)


(https://i.postimg.cc/1fWXB6SJ/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette-5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1fWXB6SJ)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Lynnya on November 18, 2021, 10:20:11 AM
Looking good JoAnn.. yeah.. I think that's veil bunched up..maybe you could find a bunched up veil image somewhere?
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 18, 2021, 07:28:23 PM
Here's today's progress. Have to figure out what is below the serious bridesmaid's arm (left of photo) - or just put furniture there and cover with the flowers from the child's basket as an alternative. I thought it might be a lace arm cover with a triangular edge, but there's other "stuff" as well that I can't make any sense of :)


(https://i.postimg.cc/JykdnRnL/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette-6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JykdnRnL)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Candice on November 20, 2021, 01:28:39 AM
I see a short sleeve and an arm holding the flowers.  *My 2cents worth. :)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on November 20, 2021, 04:26:31 PM
Thanks. I also see the arm and short sleeve, but made up something I think is reasonable for the side of the chair. I hope to hear back that what I uploaded is OK :)

Edited to add that it was accepted. Just to finish the "story", here's the final.

(https://i.postimg.cc/MfqHnscw/Brou-P-07-07-8x10-vignette-final.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MfqHnscw)
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Lynnya on November 20, 2021, 06:37:38 PM
Phew! that was a toughie.. great job JoAnn.
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Candice on November 20, 2021, 07:30:43 PM
Now to let your eyes rest.  The family will be very pleased with your outcome, Jo. 
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: Shadow on December 02, 2021, 04:52:52 PM
Another good one JoAnn.  :up:
Title: Re: 1920s wedding party photo badly damaged
Post by: philbach on December 03, 2021, 09:59:37 AM
Very Nice Jo Ann