1st photo help please

[Theresa H]

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/Thuddy12/OPR/CooperT_20__17_4x6sample.jpg[/img]]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/Thuddy12/OPR/CooperT_20__17_4x6sample-1.jpg[/img]]http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/Thuddy12/OPR/CooperT_20__17_4x6sample-2.jpg[/img]]

First off, I hope I uploaded this right ;p

This is my 1st photo that I'm in the middle of working on. I have a couple of questions before I keep at it. 1st off, my white balance seems to hold onto A LOT of the green/blue and throws in a fare amount of some funky pale reds. I'm thinking I'm overcoming that but my biggest concern right now is the mans hair. I can't tell what color it is though I'm fairly certain that it is not black or grey. So is it ok for me to make it brown? and saturate the rest of the photo colors also? I'm also still tweaking the skin tones so bare with me on that I'm also frustrated with the lack of detail all over the boy. Also I'm concerned to use dust removal on this because of loss of detail though I can go in an mask out their faces to see how that works. I'm not sure on the mans shirt color and what to make it, I really don't think he's wearing salmon:p? Also, once I'm finished with the specks in the grass should I just blur it out because there seems to be not much detail in it except the wonderful specks to begin with. BTW curves seems to work better on the white balance and I've been using different parts of the boys shoes as my white. I also would like some advice on how much "noise" is allowed since this is only a 4x6 print.  Thanks all ;)

[Bambi]

Great job so far, Theresa. This is a very difficult color correction. I'm working on a similar photo from the Cooper family and posted earlier to see what members thought was the best color correction target. Here's the link (Where's the color? Nov. 19). The man's hair is brown in my picture and it is likely he is the same man in your picture. His shirt is a white t-shirt.

http://www.operationphotorescue.org/forum/index.php/topic,3459.msg31214/topicseen.html#new

I'll be posting my WIP on that thread in the next few days.

Bambi

[Hannie]

Hi Theresa,

Congratulations on your first OPR restore! 
And what an amazing job you did, in the original the colors are all over the place and the little boy has virtually no detail left.
There really isn't much more you can do than what you did already.  Perhaps tone down the salmon color in the man's shirt some and burn tiny bits in the boy's face like the eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

:up:

Hannie

[Theresa H]

thanks guys, I'll diffidently take your advice on this!

[Theresa H]

thought I'd throw my finished image up.http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/Thuddy12/OPR/CooperT_20__17_4x6done1.jpg[/img]]

[Bambi]

Great job on you first restore, Theresa. Difficult color correction. Looks better than the damaged picture. Probably as good as the original photo did long ago.

Bambi

[Pat]

Wonderful job Theresa, and thank you for posting your progress on the Forum where we can all benefit from the advice given!   :up2:

Pat

[glennab]

It looks great, Theresa.

GK