jfantasma

I worked tirelessly for a week to restore this photo. It means a lot to me. It's my mom and dad. as you can see it was badly damaged and I tried to restore it but this is my first real attempt. I used Paintshop Pro X5 to do most of it then finished it off in lightroom. any and all suggestions are welcome. I think I might have over done it.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Looks to me like you are rising to the task VERY QUICKLY!!
Looking quite professional! Especially in that first one!

jfantasma

thanks wahawk. The last two photos are actually the ones that devirginized me lol the first two photos are the ones I just finished. I was only one handed at the time (our newborn daughter in the other) so i was being lazy LOL... Or my arm just hurt from holding a little one all day...

Rick36203 Loc: Northeast Alabama

I really like what you've accomplished with the first one, especially around the hat and umbrella. Very good detail recovery work. What is it that you aren't happy with in that image?

jfantasma

around the bottom part of my moms dress, I tried to get some detail back into it but I didn't think it looked right. I figured some fresh eyes might so some good. Thank you very much! I figured there are a lot of pros out here that might be able to give me some guidance. If it looks ok to you guys than it must be ok!thanks for stopping it. Greatly appreciated.

Jim

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

I think you're doing remarkably well, given what you're starting with. Remember, you are your harshest critic! :thumbup: :thumbup:

jfantasma

Thanks Danilo! Much appreciated and I agree with you 100%. I have full blown arguments with myself sometimes bit don't tell no one that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

There is a saying and it goes like this.... It's my debate with myself, try it on your wives and husbands it works wonders lol.

"Its like when I'm right I'm right, when I'm wrong I could been right, so I'm still right cause I coulda been wrong, you know, and I'm sorry cause I could be wrong right now, I could be wrong, but if I'm right"

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

I think both are super, particularly the first one. When I look at it normal size, and full screen, super. When I go full size, still looks great but both eyes might be a tad, small, wee tad too sparkly. Not sure if that's not just me because you mentioned the eyes. I opened it and closed a bunch of times, just like I do on my own, and can't make up my mind. I would take the eye layer, if you have one, and reduce the opacity a tidbit. Then I'd click it on and off a hundred times, not be able to decide, and go to lunch:-) By go to lunch I mean I would ask my wife, she would say "I like the original" and ask me to quit playing with pictures...

flytyer57 Loc: Mountain Home, Arkansas

I really like what you did for the first photo with the aging. It really looks like an old photo.

Can I ask how you did this?

edited: never mind...

jfantasma

I actually didn't touch the eyes at all but I think I will smooth them out a bit now that you mentioned it. Thanks for your eyes....

jfantasma

Well I had to do so much to the photo it's kinda hard to say. I used Corel Paint Shop ProX5, It was already an old timey picture taken at a booth at the state fair.

First thing I did was adjusted the color, paintshop has a cool feature....

Under the adjust tab, color a feature called restore color fade. I restored it by 100% which pretty much left me with a B&W photo

Next I used the hell out of the clone brush and fixed all of the background and even used it to remove the original vignette.

Once I had all of the background fixed I started using the clone brush on my mom and dad. (apparently something had got spilled on it) there were dark blotches of something on the photo so I had to guesstimate what it really looked like and doing some research on the internet for parasols LOL the top of my moms hat where the feathers are was the second hardest thing to clone.

After several days of cloning was complete I used did some dodging and burning ( I used a very light opacity and just kept going over it until I thought it looked good)

After all of that was said and done I used the NIK Color Efex 3.0 plugin in Paintshop and used the Pro Contrast feature and adjusted it until it looked decent. then went back and did a little more dodging and burning.

I finally saved the photo!!!!

I then imported the photo into lightroom and sharpened it up a bit and adjusted the exposure down a little, added a little saturation.

I applied sepia toning in lightroom and re-added a vignette using a lightroom plugin from OnOne it's a medium vignette and called it a day!!

Thank you for the comment Hope I helped a little. Not sure what program you use but the features are usually very similar in different programs.

JacLee Loc: Chico CA

JFantastic job :thumbup:

jfantasma

Thanks Jaclee

jfantasma

Thanks Jaclee

Frankie Loc: Florida

Jfan, Wow...I think you have done an amazing job! :thumbup: