Lend Me Your Thoughts!!

[klassylady25]

Attached is the original.  Below is a good start but I'm not yet satisfied, so i'd like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,
C

[klassylady25]

Final work maybe!  lol

[mschonher]

Hi Klassylady,
you're doing great but I do have one suggestion for you if I may. Upon studying the original I find it to have much richer tones than what your restoration is showing. I think you have gone too light. Also, I don't know if it's just me but it also looks like too much noise has been added. I hope this helps you...............Mary

[klassylady25]

I think that my calibration is just a bit light on the machine and I will check that out.  IF I could do anything like you did I'd be tickled pink.  I viewed your brown-eyed soldier, btw! 

I'll make the changes and I thank you.

[mschonher]

Hi again. I learned this little trick that has helped me along the way. It concerns the light and darks in photographs. Of course it is very important to callibrate your monitor but this also helped my work. Now I'm not very good at explainig stuff but here goes anyway. If you are using PS this will work, I don't know about other programs. Here goes.....Go to image on the tool bar and click then click adjustments then click on levels. When the levels dialoge box opens up you will see 3 eyedroppers at the bottom. There should be a black one, a grey one and white one. Ignore the grey one the one in the middle for now. Double clilck the black eyedropper and another dialoge box opens up....are you with me??? On the right side of this box near the bottom you will see 3 little boxes, one for R one for G and one for G (red, blue, green) set each of those to 12 and hit ok.  Repeat the process and this time select the white eyedropper. Again the same kind of box opens up. Set each of the R, G, and B to 245. Hit ok and just proceed  to work as ususal. You need only to do this once. What this does is provide you with more information in the darkest areas of your photographs and also the lighter areas. I know it sounds so technical but it really helps. By the way, Katrin Eismann has the most wonderful books on photo restoration. They are just the greatest and you can practice along with the lessons because there are photos on the website that goes along with the books. Good luck and I hope I've helped you.

[klassylady25]

I work in PS 7 and I also have KE's books, though I haven't come across your clues yet.  I do know about the variations that the eyedropper tool does but not your specific ones.  I will try it on the next. 
I'm satisfied with it.

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/442/darenesem218x10aim9.jpg

[mschonher]

I found that trick on a tutorial at Worth 1000. I was having blow out problems when working on white areas and the darkest shadows were very flat in my work. This seemed to solve my problems. I don't think it's in Katrins books. They are great books aren't they?...........Mary

[klassylady25]

 :up2:  They are indeed Mary!! 

I've just applied your tip to the next one and it showed many things that aren't seen in original.