Basketball star: need fresh eyes, please!

glennab · November 02, 2008, 12:11:02 AM

Hi all

I've been struggling with this lovely little lady for quite a while now, and I think she's ready for new eyes and a new perspective. I'm at the point of diminishing returns, and am not sure what else needs to be done. Here are my main concerns:

I managed to find a Wilson logo to replace the battered one on the original, but I can't make out what else is there other than the letters that I've rendered. Not sure whether to delete them, leave them there unfinished or place a few unidentified blobs in the middle.

Her face and arm on our left were plucked from the blue channel nearly intact. Her hand bothers me, because it looks so much less accurate than the one on our right, but it's all I can make out of the shapes. Suggestions?

I left the background a bit "blobby" because I thought blurring it would look too contrived. Yes? No?

I'll be grateful for anything you can suggest so I can send this young champ home.

ORIGINAL:

SO FAR:

Thanks so much!

GK

BTW, this was most assuredly one of those "What was I thinking?" choices! But it's been an interesting challenge.

Tess (Tassie D) · November 02, 2008, 12:36:13 AM

You've done a beautiful job on it Glenna. :up: I can't make out the writing on the ball and can't find any photos that resemble that letter configuration. :wow:

PatW · November 02, 2008, 12:46:44 AM

Wow! Talk about a nice save.... That's pretty impressive.

I'm wondering if it might help if you darkened, reduced the contrast on, or even slightly blurred the fingernails on her right (left as we see it) hand.

The Wilson lettering needs to be darker & more clearly defined. I don't know if it would be worth trying to move it down to the middle section of the basket ball and let the top of the W & the Pro show slightly at the bottom. It's a long shot, but tomorrow, I'll ask my son who has both played and coached basketball if he has any idea what that W..... Pro model might have been.

If I were the mom or dad of that youngster, I'd be so happy to have her back that I wouldn't even notice if the ball were historically correct. I suspect even the player wouldn't remember exactly what it said. They would just remember that it was a Wilson.

pat

glennab · November 02, 2008, 10:31:26 AM

Tess & Pat

Thanks so much for your feedback. I'd downloaded a pdf catalog of Wilson basketballs, and the closest thing I could find to the center wording was JET. However, the lettering isn't shaped the same, and I couldn't find anything that included Pro. (Pat, I didn't see a W, but you may be right. So hard to tell with all the muck!) That said, there's nothing in the catalog starting with W either). If your son has any ideas, that would be awesome.

I'm sure you're right about the "historical" accuracy not being the main issue here, but the "detail oriental" is making itself known, and I get frustrated when I have to leave something incomplete.

Will give it a day or two, revisit based on any more comments, and send this sweetheart home.

(This young woman is special to me not only because of the restoration but also because I was really good at basketball when I was a kid – 200 years or so ago – and girls were only allowed to play half the court in school games, so I rebelled, cut off my nose to spite my face, and refused to play the organized version. Earlier I'd started playing in the school yard with the boys, who'd invite me to join them. And then SEXISM reared it's ugly head, and – I swear this is true – the school principal, a woman, escorted me off the basketball court and made me play jacks with the girls. It was "unladylike" to play basketball with the boys. Dammit! Guess who was in the middle of the woman's movement in the 70s???? So seeing women now playing their hearts out just like the guys do really lifts my spirits! Oh, sheesh, there goes the GK again. Sorry Max!)

Hugs!

GK

PatW · November 02, 2008, 11:49:41 AM

I emailed my son late last night and just got his answer. I think this might help.

You've come to the right guy. I'm pretty sure I had one of those balls at some point. The ball is a Wilson (top logo) and the style is Jet-Pro Line (lower logo). Looks like a W but is really a J. It's has the older style Wilson lettering that is similar to the pic below (3rd ball from the left). Who's in the photo?

http://images.google.com/images?&um=1&hl=en&q=wilson+jet+pro+basketball&&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20

I'm going to go have my coffee now....

pat

glennab · November 02, 2008, 03:28:19 PM

Pat, it's poifect! Please tell your son he's one peach of a guy for finding this for me. Actually, you're pretty peachy, too! Thanks so much.

Enjoy your coffee.

Hugs

GK

GP · November 02, 2008, 05:32:19 PM

Hi Glenna, my friend :)

Great job on this one! I have only a tiny nitpick on the hand you restored. The perspective is not quite right. I copied the other hand and put it on its own layer, flipped it horizontal and than smooched it in the right position. Give that a try, it will look more natural.

:hug: Gerlinde

glennab · November 03, 2008, 02:10:34 PM

Hello my pal Gerlinde,

I think you've probably found the answer to my dilemma. I was fighting snitching the other hand, but there's too little to pull from the black & white image of her right hand, so I can't think of a better way to go than yours. Will try distorting it a bit, too, so it doesn't look exactly the same. I think with the comments and suggestions I've gotten on my basketball star, I'll be able to wrap her up and send her home this evening. Whoo hoo! Now I can look for another "What the heck was I thinking?" image! Love this job.

Thanks everyone for your eagle eyes!

Hugs,

GK

glennab · November 05, 2008, 11:46:37 PM

Hi all

It's burn-out time, and I think my star basketball player is nearly ready to go home. I'd appreciate your giving her another look to see if I've missed anything. I did a little scootching and readjusting, and now I can't tell whether she's okay or not. Last comments much appreciated!

GK

Here she is:

Johnboy · November 05, 2008, 11:59:41 PM

Glenna,

Great job!!! :wnw: The hand looks fine.

Johnboy

Hannie · November 06, 2008, 05:47:38 AM

Hi Glenna,

What an amazing job, you were able to make this photo look like new again and I love it!
(It was so much fun to watch the progress of your restore.)
The colors are lovely, I would try just a little less saturation.

:loveit:

Hannie

glennab · November 06, 2008, 08:41:01 AM

Hannie, your comments tickle me, only because just before I posted her I thought she looked a bit too washed out, so I ramped the saturation just a little. I'll back it off again, and tonight the lovely little lady goes home. Wow, have I learned a BUNCH on this one! Thanks all for your suggestions. Couldn't do these monsters without the "team!"

Hugs,

GK

PatW · November 06, 2008, 11:38:46 AM

Beautiful job Glenna! I showed my son your before and after and he is convinced that you have magical powers. Hmmmm..... now that I take another look, I think he may be right.

pat

Mhayes · November 06, 2008, 11:53:21 AM

Glenna, what a beautiful finish on this one! :up:

Margie

glennab · November 06, 2008, 08:47:57 PM

Thanks so much everyone for your kind words and all the help. I'm sending her home.

Pat, please tell your son that I greatly appreciate his input and his comment about the "magical powers." As I tell my associates at work, "This is a job for professionals only, and I are a professional. DO NOT try this at home!" Good for a few snickers.

Hugs

GK