Yellow/orange image missing nose

[MB]

I don not think I am doing a good job with the reconstruction of the face.  I have fixed the right eye several time and it does not look good.   Details of the upper and bottom eyelids are gone.  I need suggestions on the right eye.   
The nose, ....needs more work, but i don't thing is to bad.  I thought he would have a straight nose since he has very symmetrical face.
 

[Mhayes]

MB, my first advice is to slow down.  ;) We ask that all newbies start off with just one photo and pick from one gallery at a time. You are working simultaneously on two photos and from 2 different galleries. Neither of the 2 are easy photos and it will be easier on you to devote your time to one photo.

1. Color correction is going to take some work and even finding neutral gray, you will still have your work cut out for you. Going B/W would be fine and a 2nd version of sepia. Color would be good and volunteers like Candice that has a good knowledge of the color of the uniform could point you in the right direction.

2. The man's nose will need to have a soft brush to shade in the missing information. I would suggest to get a hold of a drawing book of the human anatomy. This looks pretty straight forward: shade straight down for the bridge of the nose and shading on either side to determine how wide or narrow the nose.

3. I looked at the personal info on your photo and no worry as we removed in on the original. Not all photos have had the info removed. This is something new that we have started as it got to be a loosing battle having the personal information removed before photos were posted.

You are doing great, but you risk getting burned out by trying to do too much all at once. Keep posting and we will help.

Margie

[MB]

Thanks, Margie. 
I work much better with a couple of photos at one time.  When I get burned up with one photo I start to work on the second photo.  Believe me I work better this way, it help me avoid frustation. I just need a bit more time that a week to finish the photos.  The soldier photo is very difficult and I am slowing down with the restoration.  I will check your suggestion on the human anatomy. 
The most difficult problem for me with the soldier photo is yellow/orange color.  Suggestion would be greatly appreciate.  For now I will continue with the reconstruction of the face ;) .

[Mhayes]

MB, I understand the frustration factor, but choosing from 2 different galleries raiser ours. The other thing to consider is that by taking 2 photos where the owners only brought in 1 photo each slows down how soon they will get their photo back. Yes, you may have more time, but the soldier is going take a lot of time. For now I would suggest to go black/white.

Margie

[Candice]

This is a toughy.  To get it to this point I had to use all three modes: RGB, CMYK, and lab.
Mixing as I went on each individual color. 

B/W would be the best place to start because that way you could clean up the damage first.  I wound the green channel gave the best picture to work with. 

If you colorize it, the uniform in OD green (olive drab) the shirt is tan, tie black and the lapel and hat brass gold. 

I was able to gleen the OD green from the original. 

Margie's advice on the correction of face is spot on. 

Hope that this has helped.  You're coming along very well.

Candice

[glennab]

Hi MB

Here's a sample I created for you, and I'd recommend that you start by "color correcting" as best you can before you do anything else.  Color correction at the very start makes the rest of the process go more smoothly.  What I did to get this grayscale was find the most complete channel, which was green and go to Calculations, where I mixed the green channel with gray (unusual to use gray, but in this case the other channels degraded the image).  I played with the blending modes until I found one that gave the best detail, and I saved out the result as an alpha channel.  I copied the alpha channel and pasted it into a new layer. Then I adjusted the levels to get a bit more contrast.

Here's what I got:


Tutorials I've been watching suggest that using Calculations is the best way to get a good start on a spectacular B&W photo from a color image.  It's also a great means by which to get the best B&W you can from a degraded B&W one by using the channels (don't convert it to grayscale).

Margie mentioned getting a book on anatomy, and early on one of our volunteers who's also an incredible artist recommended an old and very basic book called "Drawing the Head & Figure" by Jack Hamm.  I can't tell you how much that's helped me.  The other reference I use is the photo source web sites to just look at ears, hands - whatever it is that's making me crazy.  If you can find a person in a similar position, for instance, it's a good way to make your shading correct.  You can download FPO versions with a watermark, and you have your electronic reference. Don't substitute body parts or anything from the photos, but study them.

And Margie's spot on about not pushing yourself so hard.  We want the restorations completed in good time, but you're working with one that has a lot of information missing.  Making yourself crazy with an unrealistic "deadline" will not only be tough on you, but it could cause a potentially less stellar result than if you pace yourself.  We kid about our distribution damsels being demonic, but they're truly wonderful when it comes to the time it takes to complete a project.  I work full-time, I'm incessant potential fodder for the looney-bin, and I love to take the very worst of the images.  Some of mine take months, and because they're "impossibles," they don't always get returned completed. The "firing squad" has only tried to catch me once, but I disappeared into the Everglades! (Kidding!)

Anyway, enjoy what you do.  It's a very special job for which you've signed up, and I send you many hugs for wanting to be part of OPR.  I hope this helps.

Cheers,

GK

[schen]

There is very little color information left on the original image.  The green channel preserves most of the facial and the uniform.  But the red channel holds the details of the hat and the irises.  If you discard the red channel, you lose the details on the sides of the hat and you can not separate the iris from the pupil.  

I would recommend doing the restoration as Black & White then convert it to sepia to bring it closer to the original.

[glennab]

MB, Candy posted just before I did, so now you have two completely different methods to try.  I hope it's not too confusing.  The right way to work these restorations is the way that's most comfortable for you and gives the best results (I'm sure you already know there are hundreds of ways to do 1 thing in Photoshop). Candy is our military expert, so she's definitely the go-to person for insignia, colors, etc.  I call her our Military Maven!  She's done our armed forces proud with her restorations.

So hugs to both of you!

GK

Ok, Shujen, you got in there before I did as well.  Gotta send you hugs.  You certainly spotted more in the red than I did.  Younger eagle eyes!

[Hannie]

MB, you are so brave to work on this doozy, when I zoom in there is so much detail missing in the lighter area!
I was wondering if perhaps this was a B/W or sepia photo to start with but I don't think it was.  I did a curves layer and took samples off the cheek (neutral), cap (black) and white of the eye.  There is still color visible in his lips but not much else.



Isn't it amazing how good the detail in the eyes is?

I checked the "monochrome" box in the channel mixer adjustment layer and corrected the levels some.
I agree with everyone that you should work in in B/W (don't use Grayscale if you can, it makes everything look too flat)
Would it be an idea to include a colorized version with Candy's "colors" or am I stepping way out of line now?



Hannie

[Mhayes]

I think all of the suggestions are great and yes, go to a B/W and then colorize with Candice's coloring of the uniform. You will then upload both versions.  Even if the color correcting would take you in a different direction, it would be important to stay the color that branch of the service was wearing. Keep posting your progress and it will come together.

Margie

[Candice]

How did the young man come out?

[MB]

I am still working on the photo.  I will be done soon.  You did an unbelievable job getting the uniform to look green.  I will use your colors when I convert from B & W. 
MB

[startup_eng1]

GK,

You have my curiosity up about calculations. You mentioned using a gray channel in this reply. I understand the green channel but where did you get the gray channel?

Regards,

Jon

[glennab]

Hi Jon

I'm going to work up a tutorial this weekend on calculations.  The explanation I've thrown into the threads is confusing as all get out, but I'll create some screen shots using one of our images and try to give you a more succinct description.  I'll post in a day or two with something that'll hopefully be of more use than my usual ramblings.

Cheers!

GK

[coopmj]

Thank you GK!  I'm another newbie who'd love to learn more about calculations!

Mary