Help with faces

[decman55]

Greetings!  I am working on the restoration of a football team in which several faces are pretty much obliterated (hopefully, none of them belong to a family member of the photo's owner).  Below is an example:



Does anyone have some general techniques that let you peek at some residual structure under the damaged areas?  I have looked at different channels, etc., even in CMYK, etc., but haven't really been able to come up with anything.

Do I just build a new face from 'components'?

Thanks!

-Dave Crawford

[Hannie]

Hi Dave,

Don't you just love those white dots!
I used the median noise filter at 5%, it may give you an idea what the face looked like.  I would not try and construct a new face but just use the bits that are there, leave it nice and blurry?

Hannie

[decman55]

Hannie,

Wow!  It's amazing how much more like a face that looks just with your 5% median!  I have been plodding away making a face out of nothing, and this is what I have so far:



When I finish it, do I need to blur this face?  It probably is nobody anyone knows :)

- David

[Johnboy]

David,

It looks like a face to me. I think you did a great job with it. I know the distributors are so proud of their muck machines. It shocked me that Hannie offered such a great solution and being a distributor. Must have caught her at a week moment. Any way I think you have a way around the white dots. Keep on muck breaking.   :D

Johnboy

[Hannie]

Johnboy, I have NEVER used a mucker up machine, stampeding circus animals do the job quite well thank you!  :cool:
Dave, that looks great!  Yes I would blur/fuzz it just a little but that is up to you.

Hannie