Good Company

pic-dr · February 02, 2012, 02:11:30 PM

Hi everyone!

This pic wasn't terribly hard to work on--until I got to the lady's hair. Then it got a little rocky.

I've spent a good bit of time trying to make it as close to the original as I could, but I'd love some input to make it better than it is. I didn't paint on the pic, but I did use the clone tool to "brush' the hair... :-\ As I'm sure you will notice, the hair on the wip is noticeably lighter than the original, but I'm kinda stuck here. I'm also not sure if the lady has a watch on her left wrist, just below her sleeve. I wasn't sure so I left it as is--if you all think it's damage, I'll fix that.

schen · February 02, 2012, 05:10:35 PM

Please delete the personal information of the image file and replace it.

Mhayes · February 02, 2012, 05:11:23 PM

Larry, you have done a good job on the damage, but at the top with the woman's hair could have used a portion of her good hair captured with the marquee tool and then put on it's own layer and then use a layer mask--conceal all and then paint back in what you want. When I say paint back in, I do not mean to paint, but to use the brush with the foreground white to uncover what you have concealed on the mask. There was not reason to clone out the good parts of her hair which now look too smooth and it does look painted. That one little spot showing in her hair is her ear showing through and is not damage.

I don't think you want such a curve in her forehead at the side of her head as it makes her look as if she been shaved. You want a small radius and can accomplish that by doing the suggestions above.

Yes, I agree that is either a watch or a bracelet and not damage---leave as is.

Margie

schen · February 02, 2012, 05:17:53 PM

Larry,

I don't know whether your software allows for color channel separation. If you look at the blue channel, you may see well underneath the yellow damages.

Shujen

Hannie · February 02, 2012, 07:38:23 PM

Great tip Shujen!
Larry, the Blue Channel is what you want to use to repair the lady's hair.
If you use the search here on the OPR forum you will find several good topics that will tell you how to use the Blue Channel.

Hannie

pic-dr · February 02, 2012, 08:52:29 PM

Quote from: schen on February 02, 2012, 05:10:35 PM
Please delete the personal information of the image file and replace it.

I thought I had done that, but I just checked and fixed the problem. There should now be no personal information on these pics. I think what happened was I first saved a copy of the original as I usually do, then worked on the wrong copy. Sorry about that.

pic-dr · February 02, 2012, 08:54:36 PM

Quote from: Mhayes on February 02, 2012, 05:11:23 PM
Larry, you have done a good job on the damage, but at the top with the woman's hair could have used a portion of her good hair captured with the marquee tool and then put on it's own layer and then use a layer mask--conceal all and then paint back in what you want. When I say paint back in, I do not mean to paint, but to use the brush with the foreground white to uncover what you have concealed on the mask. There was not reason to clone out the good parts of her hair which now look too smooth and it does look painted. That one little spot showing in her hair is her ear showing through and is not damage.

I don't think you want such a curve in her forehead at the side of her head as it makes her look as if she been shaved. You want a small radius and can accomplish that by doing the suggestions above.

Yes, I agree that is either a watch or a bracelet and not damage---leave as is.

Margie

Thanks Margie, first I will try to figure out how to use masks and then I will start over from scratch.

pic-dr · February 02, 2012, 08:59:22 PM

Quote from: schen on February 02, 2012, 05:17:53 PM
Larry,

I don't know whether your software allows for color channel separation. If you look at the blue channel, you may see well underneath the yellow damages.

Shujen

Shujen, I don't know about color channel separation, or what exactly you are trying to show me in that example. Typically, first I have been using the auto color fix in Elements, which seems to do a good job of correcting the colors, then working to correct the flaws, but I have no idea how or why to create an example you posted of the b&w image.

If you would please expand on that concept, it would be a help.

pic-dr · February 02, 2012, 09:02:42 PM

Quote from: Hannie on February 02, 2012, 07:38:23 PM
Great tip Shujen!
Larry, the Blue Channel is what you want to use to repair the lady's hair.
If you use the search here on the OPR forum you will find several good topics that will tell you how to use the Blue Channel.

Hannie

Hi Hannie,

Do you know if Elements has the ability to isolate the 'blue channel'? I will check out the topics you mention before re-doing this pic. But would it be easier to start from scratch or work from the pic I already did?

schen · February 02, 2012, 09:14:47 PM

Don't know what you meant by start from scratch. If it is what I think, it will not be easier. You should be able to put the original on a layer above or below the layer you are working on then revert her hair to the original and keep the rest of the restored photo using layer mask.

Shujen

pic-dr · February 02, 2012, 09:52:36 PM

Quote from: schen on February 02, 2012, 09:14:47 PM
Don't know what you meant by start from scratch. If it is what I think, it will not be easier. You should be able to put the original on a layer above or below the layer you are working on then revert her hair to the original and keep the rest of the restored photo using layer mask.

Shujen

Thanks for the tip, but I don't know how to do that thing with the mask. I'll spend a few days studying masks, and then I'll give it a try. I just got Elements, and have a lot to learn about it's potential, and I have never used masks with any of my other programs, Gimp and Photo Plus. But I realize the potential of using masks, so I'll have to learn how to use them.

Larry

schen · February 02, 2012, 11:22:22 PM

Larry,

A big mystery of yellow damages is that underneath the yellow, the blue channel is usually preserved. If you look carefully at her hair, you will see that most of the details of the hair are preserved in the blue channel I posted. Unfortunately, PhotoShop Elements does not support color channels.

Layer and mask are the critical part of doing restoration. They allow you not have to work on the original. The modifications you made could be adjusted later or reverted to the original. In your case, you may add the original to a layer and mask out the hair you restored then only have to restart with the hair.

Layer and mask are so important that I would suggest that you get some instructional books from the store or library and watch some instructional video you may find online. Get familiar with their use before you proceed with this restoration. It will save you tons of effort.

Shujen

kiska · February 03, 2012, 06:38:27 AM

Maybe this will help give you an idea of a more natural hairline. Used the clone stamp at low opacity and built it up.

Hannie · February 03, 2012, 06:42:55 AM

Larry, I agree with all that Shujen said.
One tip for when you get to experiment with the Blue Channel: use Photo Plus X4 instead of Photoshope Elements.
If you want to stay in Photoshop Elements this is the way to make a Blue Channel image but it is a bit of a hassle.

Hannie

schen · February 03, 2012, 08:38:33 AM

Hannie, Thanks for the link. I should rephrase me statement to "PhotoShop Element does not support color channel palette for direct color channel separation but the same result may be achieved by multi-step procedure".