Now, what did I get myself into? Now I have seen a picture that looks much better in thumbnail than hi-res.
I extracted the green channel which seemed to contain much more details and tones and adjusted the level. I restored the upper half of the face of the woman at the lower right corner. The rate it was going, this will take a few hundred hours to complete. Did I do anything wrong? Any suggestions to move things faster?
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_2.jpg)
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_2green.jpg)
Chen, are you into pain???? The only thing I can suggest is to try using your original to duplicate the layer and play with layer effects to see if you can pull any more detail. You might have lost some in the channel work. Where the image is too light, try duplicating and multiplying the layer. Where it's too dark, try lighten, screen or pin light. (I've been known to spend close to an hour just playing with the layer effects with multiple layer duplications and effects trying to pull out just that little bit more) I'd wager you're going to have some areas that have no image at all, but you might be able to get a little more. Then I think it's going to be pushing a few pixels at a time to garner what you can. And yes, I'd say you'll have put quite a few hours into this one before you're finished. Brave soul!
Good luck!
Glenna
schen, I think you have taken on mission impossible, there are just too many faces in there and by the time you get it to a size where you can work on it you probably won't be able to make out the detail, I took the original and played with contrast & brightness - pushed brightness to +12 and contrast to +40, to my mind it seemed to make the detail a little clearer, especially the damage.
Good luck with it, hope it comes out for you.
Max
I did a gray scale conversion and in the histogram 1-99 percentile spans from 39 to 87, a paltry 18% of the full range of luminosity.
I took Glenna's advise, abandoned the channel separation, did a gray scale conversion then a level adjustment layer. Two multiply layers one with white mask and the other with black mask. I painted the black mask with white brush to increase the contrast and the white mask with black brush to decrease the contrast. That seemed to bring out more contrast for the few closer faces at the lower right. I might be able to simply these two layers with an overlay layer but these two separate layers are keeping my vision straight for now.
Christina, expect this to come back in at least a few weeks.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_28x12A.jpg)
I see what you meant when you said you were working on the "impossible". That is a tough one but it looks to me like you've got it under control. You're getting there. Good work. :up:
Paula
Help! I am confused.
I took a few days off this one and am returning to it. After a while, I was not sure whether I was painting or restoring. And my favorite impressionism painting style is showing. :-\
Am I going at the right direction?
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_28x12C.jpg)
Hi Chen
I don't see anything in the restoration that looks "painterly." And wow! Do you have your work cut out! What a bear. This'll be a pixel-by-pixel torment in some areas. And it also appears that some of the image is just plain GONE. There's nothing you can do with that. I'd say just keep on truckin' and do the best you can -- from what I've seen so far that's darn good!
Glenna
You've sure come a mile or two since I last viewed. :wow: Good work!
Thats the trouble I have with resoring the worse photo's..they end out like painted faces...how do you stop that?
Sanbie
Sanbie, I painted on the masks of adjustment layers. That seemed to retain the original texture and appeared less "painted'. The downside is that the original was very grainy.
After staring at it for such a long time, I started seeing something different. The picture before had only brightness and contrast adjusted.
I used to think the arm belongs to the younger lady on the left but I now think the older lady was clutching her purse. There seemed to be a lighter patch across her right shoulder/upper arm. What was it?
Did she have her eyes closed?
The area enclosed by yellow line seemed to have weaving pattern. Where are the hands of the younger lady?
I got four eyes and apparently were not enough :( I need your help.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/whats_here.jpg)
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/whats_here2.jpg)
Hi schen, I am fairly sure it is the arm of the young lady, the older lady is sitting almost sideways in her chair and for it to be her right arm she would need a forearm 3 feet long and the elbow angle is too acute, in the gray image the arm is clearly coming out of the black sleeve.
Max
I think you were right with first guess and that arm is the ladies in black...I think the lady in the striped shirt has one arm hanging down under that lady's arm and that the arm nearest the front is under the lady's arm and her hand is over her own arm that is hanging down...
OMG I just read that back..I hope you understand what I mean!
Sanbie
The arm definitely belongs to the lady in the black dress.
You picked yourself a good one there Chen ::) it looks like a real pea-souper!
Good luck with all those scratches!
Vicki :up:
(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/3691/whatshere2sy8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
By klassylady25 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/klassylady25) at 2007-07-20
Thank you for your effort and your keen eyes.
Is it possible that lady #2 had her arms crossed in front of her under the right arm of lady #1?
What is that light color thing in front of lady #2? I thought it was the chair back but the fold in the middle looks weird for a chair back.
I think it's some kind of ceremony and lady #1 is pinning something on #2; so #2's arms would probably be down.
It is a chair back. And no the arm is dangling, you can make out the sleave of the older woman's dress.
After looking at this one a bit more...I think the arm is lady 1... no 4 is the table...no 5 is lady 3 knee...and the front arm on lady 2 goes down the inside of the chair and her other arm the elbow is on the table and her hand is just above lady no 1...
Just to add more confusion!
(http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g320/Sanbie2/MitchellC_3_28x12C.jpg)
Sanbie
Well spotted Sanbie, I think that's exactly how it is!
Why thank you...Sometimes it's deceiving as to just is what and where...I am sure we have all been there!
Sanbie
Thanks. These have been very helpful. With the suggestions, I started seeing something different.
I think lady #2 had her chest facing toward lady #1. We see her back and left shoulder/arm. Her forearm was behind the chairback. Her right arm is behind her body and not visible.
Here are my current interpretations:
A. The back of #2
B. The left arm of #2
C. The skirt of #3
D. The right arm of #1
E. The table
F. The chair back #2 sit on
G. ???
H. Table again?
I. something #1 is holding with her right hand?
J. ???
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_What.jpg)
I think G is the knee of lady between #1 and #3 ...H is front of #2 T-Shirt who I think is now a male!! I dont think she is holding anthing in her hand I think that is the hand of #2
Just to confuse you more!
Sanbie
I think you nailed it with B Chen. That looks like lady no 2's arm with her elbow resting on the back of the chair.
This is coming along very slowly. Some days I was wondering whether I was making any progress.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_2E.jpg)
The hands on the table and placement of man's arm on the back of the chair look very natural. I think you've done a great job on this.
Lorraine
Well done Chen! You've cleaned it up amazingly well.
You certainly picked a doozey with this one! but it's looking great.
So glad you picked this and not me!! You are doing a marvellous job with it!
Sanbie
I have been sitting on this one long enough and could not make much progress. Often I was wondering whether I was restoring or painting. Should I stop and turn this in or should I work on it more?
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_28x12G.jpg)
I don't think there's a heck of a lot else you can do with this photo. I'd say, "good enough" and move on to the next one. Looks good!
Kurt
I agree with Kurt on this one, I think you've done about all that can be done.A good job on a very bad photo :up:
I also agree...I think you have done a marvellous job on what was a total mess to start with...well done!
Sanbie
Hi Chen
I've looked over this monster several times, and it's made me dizzy. I went back just now and took a look at the original, and I'm amazed at how much you were able to pull out. You deserve a medal for tackling this one!
Glenna
I did a little more cleaning and I am going to send it home.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/MitchellC_3_28x12H.jpg)
That looks amazing! I love how you managed to bring out so much detail without getting that "painted" look,
well done! :up2:
Hannie
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/tessc/clap.gif) Great job on a terrible photo.
How beautiful, it makes you imagine as soon as the camera caught the action the room went back to chaos.