Question about haze over the tree

[nitehawk]

The area between the two kids and on the tree is covered by a gray haze and I can't figure out how to deal with it.  I've tried cloning and healing
and moving areas of the darker tree but I loose too much detail.  I'm at a loss.  Can anyone help?  Also, I was wondering about freckles.  With so much
mold damage it's hard to tell  between the two. :-\  Would it just be a judgement call or is there a way we   can we contact the donator?
                                                                                       Mike

[laportelj]

Mike ,
You could copy the lighter section of the tree to another layer(copy a slightly larger than wanted to blend back in), then adjust the brightness and contrast, then erase or feather the edges to fit it back into the photo , this will get rid of some of the haze. Then merge the two layers,after that you can clone , heal or burn the haze away.I use this in areas that are discolored to match them up. the last thing to do to the photo is the white edge which is made easy by use of the rectangle tool , youcan place the rectangle on the photo then invert and clean it right up.As for freckles I wouldn't worry about them here .
I hope this helps.
Jane

[glennab]

Hi Mike -- I played around on my lunch hour, and this is what I got.



I burned the area around the little boy with a large soft brush (30px) at 50% opacity, did the same where the tree is missing (or too light), and then cloned the tree with a large brush into the vague area.  I burned the kids on the left to bring out detail.  Quick job, not perfect, but I think it worked.  You'd have to be sure that it isn't obvious where the tree is cloned.  I didn't take time to do that.  Gotta go eat!

Glenna

Forgot to mention that I also burned the lighter area of the tree after I cloned it.

[glennab]

Hi Mike

Another view.  My bad.  I realized that most of that haze is wall.  You can still use the burn tool to get rid of the haze.  This is probably more along the line of what's really in the photo. It appears that the tree ends pretty close to where the haze begins, then there's wall, then there a dresser of some sort with flowers on either end and it looks like a mirror in the center.  (Must have been hungrier than I realized!)



Glenna

[Ausimax]

Hi Mike,

I'm with Glenna on this one, Burn - set to shadows and 10% opacity, work over the whole tree, and it doesn't effect the decorations, and Dodge - set to hilights and 10% over the carpet to the left of the little boy and up the left side of his clothes lifts them a bit.




Max

[glennab]

My compliments, Max

You have a wonderfully delicate way with the burn tool, and I obviously get a bit overenthusiastic.  I was at lunch and in a hurry, so was way too heavy handed.  (That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!)  Anyway, you did a fine job of showing what I saw at second glance.  What an ace!

Glenna

[laportelj]

or you could do this which would give the tree a little more depth.Some burning ,some dodging and a little cloning.
Jane

[nitehawk]

Thank You all for all the suggestions, it really helps when you have another st of eyes looking a something.  Somtimes you can't see the forest for the trees, so to speek. :up:
                                                                                     Mike

[glennab]

Mike: especially when the trees are covered in mud!  Glenna