A Pilot Project to Determine How to Restore Seriously Damaged Portraits
Mar 25, 2024 12:40:07 #
Mar 25, 2024 12:41:55 #
Mar 25, 2024 14:54:55 #
MJPerini, Thanks for the excellent reference book. Also, like your suggestions on using a mirror to properly center on a photo. In your advice you have supplied many pointers to interested UHH members.
Mar 25, 2024 15:59:55 #
spaceytracey
Loc: East Glacier Park, MT
terryMc wrote:
Consider using a scanner for these, or re-orienting the camera to eliminate the distortion. Also, consider cleaning up the backgrounds instead of replacing them.
That's what I would do. These photos are not retouched.
Mar 25, 2024 22:01:34 #
Wow! Nice work! Next time try using a flat bed scanner, much better than photographing a photograph. Years ago we found an old sepia toned portrait of my mom when she was very young around 19 or 20 (circa 1940s). The only blemish was a huge crease diagonally across her face. I scanned it in at 600 dpi with a flat bed scanner and made a TIF output in addition to JPG. I was able to edit the JPG version with Paint Shop Pro which was before I learned GIMP (may not have been around yet late 1990s). With a bit of patience I was able to erase the crease by blending it with the surrounding pixels (either background which was a studio backdrop, or flesh tones of the face). When I was done with it after several hours, it looked fantastic and I made framed 8x10 prints for the family as holiday presents. If I find the files I will post them here - it's somewhere deep in my archives from the 90s.
Mar 25, 2024 22:18:56 #
chrisg-optical wrote:
Wow! Nice work! Next time try using a flatbed scanner,
OP stated above that the pictures are too big to scan.
Mar 26, 2024 00:14:13 #
Barn Owl wrote:
MJPerini, Thanks for the excellent reference book. Also, like your suggestions on using a mirror to properly center on a photo. In your advice you have supplied many pointers to interested UHH members.
I have the first and third editions of Ctein's book, and it is excellent, with some very advanced methods for restoring both color and black and white pictures. There is extensive discussion of scanning.
However, you should be aware that the third edition, the most current one, was published in 2010, and Photoshop has changed a lot in 14 years. Also, he uses other programs, like some plugins, that may be hard to find and won't work anymore if you do. The Photoshop techniques he uses assume you are well-versed in the software.
I have been a fan of Ctein for decades, and what I liked about having this book was that you can email him and he will actually respond and carry on a dialogue with you. He is the preeminent expert in the lost art of dye-transfer printing.
Mar 26, 2024 14:23:06 #
terryMc, I am constantly having to drink more coffee trying to keep up with the updates in PhotoShop. I try and not to use any advice given by any YouTube video that is over two years old. I also have learned to be careful to check that the video is not designed strictly for LightRoom or Apple. It is all I can do to remain current with PhotoShop PC.
Mar 26, 2024 15:37:25 #
Barn Owl wrote:
terryMc, I am constantly having to drink more coffee trying to keep up with the updates in PhotoShop. I try and not to use any advice given by any YouTube video that is over two years old. I also have learned to be careful to check that the video is not designed strictly for LightRoom or Apple. It is all I can do to remain current with PhotoShop PC.
Yes, if I go to YouTube looking for something specific, I have to remember to check when it was posted to avoid wasting a lot of time looking at something that is no longer relevant. That said if you know the program well, some older techniques can be combined with more modern ones to get an even better result, so it may pay to try it anyway. If something says "Use the clone stamp..." and you know that the Spot Healing brush or the Remove tool might be better, you just apply that tool instead. You never stop learning Photoshop...
Mar 26, 2024 15:40:06 #
terryMc wrote:
OP stated above that the pictures are too big to scan.
You can always scan parts and then stitch them together, unless it's a canvas painting in a wood frame then that would be my one exception. They also have handheld scanners you can place right against the print to scan sections at a time. If you don't have one, many print shops do, and they also have large scanners for older blueprints and other hard copies that need to be digitized.
In my case, the photo of my mom was large too (8x10) and badly creased and dog eared. I flattened it with the weight of the scanner cover. Fortunately, it was not brittle as some older photos can get over the many decades.
Mar 26, 2024 15:54:45 #
chrisg-optical wrote:
You can always scan parts and then stitch them tog... (show quote)
I tried a couple of hand-held scanners many years ago and was unhappy with the results. They may be better now... Most desktop scanners will handle 8x10, but bigger and you have a problem. I once scanned some pencil drawings my brother made on large drawing paper and combined them in Photoshop. Not hard to do if you know how, but many people lack the expertise to match the pieces precisely.
This is a composite of 7 separate scans:
Mar 26, 2024 19:24:39 #
Mar 26, 2024 19:25:59 #
Mar 26, 2024 19:28:42 #
chrisg-optical, Great suggestions on the scanning. Again, many members of UHH foster some great recommendations.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.