Ian's Workshop

[BinaryCortex]

Ok, I need some advice. This image is taking me way to long to correct with the healing brush. I would like to know if there are any suggestions on how to remove these spots another way, preferably faster. Ps sorry for the compression, I wanted to make sure i could upload it.

Ian

[paula]

Make a new layer and then copy/paste from the area that you have cleaned up.  Feather about 3 pixels.  Then when you're finished you can adjust the layer to blend. That works for lots of areas especially when the damage is so vast.

[havril]

Hi Ian the easiest way to remove the black dots is as follows:
Duplicate the background layer twice.
In the layers list click on the eye icon on the left of the top layer.
Select next layer down and change the blending mode to lighten. From the filter menu select noise and choose dust and scratches set at radius 4 threshold 0.  This clears the black dots but also clear the facial features. To fix this click on top layer eye icon to make the layer visible again and select top layer. Now take the eraser tool and go over the black spots avoiding the face. Now merge visible and clone where necessary.

Hope this makes some sense.
Good luck
Harvey

[paula]

Even better. :up:

[John]

Hi Ian the easiest way to remove the black dots is as follows:
Duplicate the background layer twice.
In the layers list click on the eye icon on the left of the top layer.
Select next layer down and change the blending mode to lighten. From the filter menu select noise and choose dust and scratches set at radius 4 threshold 0.  This clears the black dots but also clear the facial features. To fix this click on top layer eye icon to make the layer visible again and select top layer. Now take the eraser tool and go over the black spots avoiding the face. Now merge visible and clone where necessary.

Hope this makes some sense.
Good luck
Harvey

You see, this sounds like something I need to practice with.  I'm still stuck in a one layer world and while having success, it's taking me forever to fix things. I hope Mark Wilson sees this and makes a tutorial on layers because for one, I need the help!   Thanks for the tip, I'll try this on my own.

[Dave]

I just tried Harvey's technique on the restoration that I was complaining about in my forum and it's working like a charm. Thanks Harvey.

Dave

[Ziaphra]

Whew...I'm glad you found an easier method then mine. :)

[Peter_AUS]

A couple of books that I bought recently to learn about Photo Restoration are two of Katrin Eismann books.  One on Restoration and the other is Masking & Compositing.

The theme of the Photo Restoration book always says to duplicate the background as a layer and make adjustments on the layer you made as the duplicate.  Make a duplicate for each separate adjustment e.g. Levels, Contrast & Brightness, Channels Adjustment, etc etc.  That way if you find that something isn't working, you can go back to the individual layer and either fix it or restart the layer.  Don't forget that when in a few of the adjustment boxes, holding down the Alt key (windows) changes the Cancel button to Reset Button.  I have found this advice so far with practicing on some images of my own, very helpful.  I used to just do all adjustments on the original layer.  Now I'm not wasting as much time.

I have a pdf file of all the Photoshop CS2 Shortcut keys if people are wanting it I can see about putting it up on the web for those that would find it helpful.

[havril]

Peter is correct Katrin Eismanns books are excellent. The Restoration book to me is the bible and packed full of invalueble info.As peter wrote alway duplicate the background layer and work on the copy. In addition to Peters very useful tips if you look in layers on the Photoshop toolbar you have adjustment layers already set up. The great advantage of both ways is that sometimes you make an adjustment and then after doing a few other things you find that the first alteration was wrong by having it on seperate or alteration layers you can edit or completely delete the layer and leave the subsequent work intact.
One of my favourite shortcuts is ctrl h to hide the "marching ants" when you select something, it makes it much easier to see what you are doing. and then ctrl h to bring them back.
Please Peter I would like the  pdf  Photoshop CS2 Shortcut keys. my email is:
[email protected]

Harvey

[vhansen]

Another method for cleanup:
• Duplicate the layer
• Apply the Dust & Scratches filter (settings vary, just appy enough so that SMALL marks disappear, but texture is left intact)
• Add a layer mask to this layer
• Fill the layer mask with black paint (this will hide the D&S effect)
• Select white paint, and paint on the LAYER MASK wherever there are small blemishes to be removed.
• Once finished, merge or flatten both layers together.

[vhansen]

I just remembered, I wrote a tutorial for this technique:
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=63

[Mark Wilson]

You see, this sounds like something I need to practice with.  I'm still stuck in a one layer world and while having success, it's taking me forever to fix things. I hope Mark Wilson sees this and makes a tutorial on layers because for one, I need the help!   Thanks for the tip, I'll try this on my own.

John, I think we all know by now that you're beyond help  ;) but if you want a layers tutorial, who am I to deny you.

While I'm at it I might expand on Vikki's method - nice one Vikki -  because Layers and Layer Masks are inextricably linked (unless you click that little chain icon between them  ;D ).  Sorry John, just a little insider's joke for us guys who use layers!!!

-Mark. 

[John]

You see, this sounds like something I need to practice with.  I'm still stuck in a one layer world and while having success, it's taking me forever to fix things. I hope Mark Wilson sees this and makes a tutorial on layers because for one, I need the help!   Thanks for the tip, I'll try this on my own.

John, I think we all know by now that you're beyond help  ;) but if you want a layers tutorial, who am I to deny you.

While I'm at it I might expand on Vikki's method - nice one Vikki -  because Layers and Layer Masks are inextricably linked (unless you click that little chain icon between them  ;D ).  Sorry John, just a little insider's joke for us guys who use layers!!!

-Mark. 

lol... looking forward to having my brain dodged and burned a little with the layer tutorial.  Just keep the opacity at around 50% so I can see what you're talking about.  :funny: