Can I fix this

[Brenda]

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1LdSxrU7Zr0SSaYWbIPPOVC1YbI21

Hi
This is a picture of my aunt and me when I was young, its the only one I have of her do you think its fixable please help.

thanks

[Wendy]

Hi Brenda,

I have just downloaded it and will take a look at it later today :)


Wendy

[Pauline]

:D Wendy, I was thinking this morning I might just try out this challenge too. Looks like a tough one, but but I do have Katrin Eismann to assist me!! :lol:

[Brenda]

Thanks guys :)

Pauline so whos katrin Eismann :?

[Pauline]

She wrote the book Photoshop restoration & retouching. :lol: :lol:
I have the book and thought I could muddle though. I do not think I am near close to this level. This one is very tough. It will be interesting to see what Wendy comes up with because I am not having such a good time!!!
I believe mine will be scrapped shortly!!! Or maybe I should save it somewhere to future playing!! Anyone who can fix up this picture is really good. :wink:

[Wendy]

Pauline & Brenda ...

There is no magic wand to fix this one ... its just time effort and an awful lot of work.

The background is fairly easy, dress is much more complicated, arms difficult but the faces .. well almost impossible.

I'm playing but I think the faces will prove just too much ...

I'll let you know ... but for now I am taking a break :cry: :cry:


WEndy

[Pauline]

The veil only makes matters worse. I was working on the arm, but there is just so much to clone and it doesn't look natural. I painted in a shadow and then added some noise to make it match but it still looks painted. I haven't even touched the faces yet. Also your dress is very tough as there is a pattern up the front. I cloned but when you zoom out it just doesn't look right.

Wendy I'm so sad. I was bidding on 15 issues of Photoshop user magazine 2004-2005. No one else interested and then all of a sudden it's a bidding war and some BAD BAD person came in at the last couple minutes and swooped them up! They went for $100 Can. and that was more than I wanted to pay, although I know they are worth a lot more. Ah well, guess it wasn't meant to be and I'm not at that level yet anyway. Might just confuse me!

NOw I think it's lunch time and then I must go on to something else. This picture is just way to much for me and there is no point in wasting the entire day on a low res picture. I admit defeat. Sorry Brenda! :cry:

[Brenda]

Your both great for trying to help me.
Pauline don't scrap it if its better than the orginal it will do.

I was looking in your gallery I love the picture of summer 05 how did you do that its really good, and the one of your daughters painting on the car, how did you join to different pics together.

All tips are helpful,
I need to get a new book the one I have PSE3 its not that good I find myself reading something over and over and still not understanding it.
thanks guys

[Pauline]

Brenda I have PSE 3 for windows one-on-one by Deke McClelland and I highly recommend it. I am working my way through it and I've learned a lot. The wonderful thing is that each chapter has a movie tutorial to go with it, so that you can see the techniques being taught and then go on to the lesson.

The kids painting the car was done by merging two photos. I got the idea from another book PSE Drop Dead Photography techniques. I took a picture of the car with my hubby pretending to wash it and then I had an old picture of my girls painting the deck with water. I cut out around them as carefully as I could and put it on top of the car picture. I also had to paint in the shadow, and used the shadows on the deck and painted over them, then erased them from the original, so I would know where to paint............Now if I were to do it again...I believe I would make a selection of the shadow area and then paint inside (at least I think that would work!! :lol: )

The summer 05 is a tutorial compliments of Wendy!! She did the technique for a challenge and then someone asked her what she did, and next thing you know we are all trying it. It was a lot of fun. I'll have to see if I can find the thread. It's not too hard to do, just time consuming.
I believe I will have a little rest and then I'll see about your picture again. I haven't touched the faces at all though and I think they will be very hard.

[Pauline]

okay Brenda go here

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3878&highlight=

This is the thread Wendy started for the tutorial and there are examples that other people did. It's a lot of fun. You should try it out.

[Pauline]

Wendy, laying down trying to nap and the brain is working.........can the channel mixer be used for this?? I hit the channel mixer and noticed that the blue channel was the worst (then didn't know how to get my colour picture back until I hit RBG button :oops: ) I don't know much about the channel mixer (okay, I know NOTHING), but wonder if it's an option? I have Grant's tools but I'm clueless about the channel mixer and how to use it.

[Brenda]

Thanks Pauline

I'm gonna give it ago tomorrow can't do it now daughter has just woke up and climbing all over me, I'm really excited to do it I have perfect pitcure to try it on

Thanks for the tip x

[Wendy]

Umm ..

I'm still playing ... been playing most of the afternoon.

Had enough for now but will be back later.

Come on Pauline ... post your image :)


Wendy

[Pauline]

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1sp9jJI2ugdJzhg76MWFR743ggekj

This is awful. The arm really looks painted and looking at it again with fresh eyes I realized that cloning close up is not good for the pattern on the sweater and dress because you can't keep an eye on things. But :oops: here it is.

I never did get a lesson done today and my son just got home. They got out an hour early and DARN so did the high school. What is going on!!! :cry:

[Wendy]

Pauline ...

You are doing OK ... and working on something like this is such good experience. I have learned a few new thing so far ...

... will be back later :)


Wendy

[Pauline]

Hmmmmmmmm Just had a thought.....I think that's 2 today :roll: . I have a book on order for Painter for photographs. I am wondering if this could be turned into a painting with that program. That might be another option for me to try. The book won't arrive until next month unfortunately and I'll be a beginner, but I've seen some fabulous work. I'll keep it in mind.

[Wendy]

Pauline,

Its always worth trying out different techniques on images ... soemtimes you can get a great effect :)


Wendy

[Pauline]

And, I'm thinking that a "new" pattern could even be painted on the front of the dress. :lol:
If/when I work on it again, I will start fresh. This one is not good enough, but it was great learning. It's so much more fun doing this when you have someone sitting with you.......even if they are a million miles away on the other side of the earth! Thanks Wendy. :lol:

[Pauline]

All right Brenda, here is another attempt. This is just rough and does need more work, but I think that it might be the easiest to do. I converted it to grey scale. I tried using channels to do it but that didn't work, so I just used the remove colour. Then I used the clone tool to get rid of the areas that had been pink. It doesn't look near as bad and might be an option for you.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1KGIItFST3yHZ73meu5c0KtEGkK3j

You could even try to colourize it AFTER you convert it to grey and clone out the dark areas (that's what the pink turned out like in grey scale) This way doesn't show the flaws near as much.

Now I really MUST get on to today's lesson I was supposed to do this morning. :lol: This was fun trying though. Good luck Brenda and I expect to see a post with your results..

Still waiting for your's Wendy. That's 2 for Pauline 0 for Wendy. Are you slowing down or am I getting quicker?? :wink: Or could it be that you actually did something else today???!!! I should be outside enjoying the sun!

[Patricia Heere]

HI.

I tried the color replacement brush. It removed most of the pink and odd colors and then you have to clone and use the healing brush to fix the splotches that will remain. I didn't save my effort but will perhaps do it again later today. I got this technique from Sue Chastain at aboutgraphics.com. You have to set the brush to continuous resampling, contiguous limits and she recommends a tolerance of 50% but I would assume that could be changed, and anti-aliased. Work around the eyes is detailed but the picture can definitely be salvaged with some work.

Also, I had an older picture that was heavily pixelated in the colors and I applied a watercoler filter that sort of blended those pixels together. Won't work on every image but no harm in trying.

Pat

[Tom M]

Anyone interested in 15 issues of Photoshop user magazine 2004-2005? :shock: :D :lol: :wink:

Brenda, can you get a higher resolution scan of that photo?

[Pauline]

Are you kidding Tom?? I was just bidding on 15 issues on e-bay and lost! What do you want for them?

[Wendy]

OK ..

... Well I could go on for ages yet ... but at some stage you just have to stop :)


http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1CkuqIIOWVl6OXoGJqubOgYRfAIA


Wendy

[Pauline]

8) 8) Wendy you're my hero!!!!!!!!!! What a terrific job. I got lots more work to do before I get to this stage. So glad to see that it can be done. You give us something to work towards.

Now I MUST leave this computer. My shoulders are killing me!! A sign I have sat here too long!!

[Tom M]

Good show, Wendy :shock:

Are you kidding Tom??
Yes. 8)

[Pauline]

:evil: Tom you are mean!! :evil: I'm going to have to pick on you now instead of Brian.

[Wendy]

Pauline,

I'm still not happy with the top of the veil ... and a few other bits but by now I have had enough of working on it :lol: :lol:


Wendy

[Tom M]

Pauline...
http://homepage.mac.com/tommurray2/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-08-15%2010.32.20%20-0700/roflol.gif

[Pauline]

Tom, I'm too tired and lazy to go find a big shoe or big fist to kick and shake at you!! I have a long memory though. :twisted:
Send me a picture of yourself and I'll pickle you in a jar! :evil:

[Patricia Heere]

Wendy,
That is really nice. What tools did you use? I did manage to do some work but wasn't as careful as you and I didn't crop down but I did manage to get the discoloration off the faces.

Would be nice to know for future restoration projects.

As I said, mine isn't as carefully crafted as yours but I will post it anyway and I didn't finish or crop. I applied a watercolor filter..

Pat

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1hcJ5AUBxWLQ3Tb6HPUGjHooG8wg1

[Tom M]

Pauline, here (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1JyXKdQJwLuM8QLdsJeRrrkWA12dG) is a photo of me.

[Wendy]

Hi Pat,

I did most of it using the clone tool ... but also had some sucess painting onto a new layer with the blend mode set to hue.

Other parts I used cut and paste .. it was a difficult one as the damage was in all the channels. Probably due to the colour of the stain.

I like the painted effect you did ...

Wendy

[Patricia Heere]

Thanks Wendy.

I'll try that hue blend mode painting thing. So far I haven't found a photo that couldn't be fixed albeit not to a perfect state. I'll be glad when I get Katrina's book next month. I'm sure there are a lot of techniques in there.


I used that filter effect on a picture someone wanted of themselves that took up about 1 sq inch in a 4x6 picture. By the time I blew it up it was so pixelated that using the watercolor filter was about the only thing that made it look like anything at all.

Tom - I would have recognized you anywhere, are we married?

Pat

[Pauline]

:lol: Uh Tom..........you need a shave. :twisted:

[Tom M]

Actually, the look is quite popular with the ladies.

[Pauline]

Is that in your manly opinion or did some female tell you that? I guess I'll stay away from Arizona men! Although my cousin lives there and I met her husband. I guess he doesn't follow trends. :lol:

[Wendy]

Brenda,

This is a complicate to image to do and certainly is not easy.

If you want a copy of the one I have already done then send me a pm with your email address and I will send it to you :)


Wendy

[Brenda]

O my god I started crying when I saw the pictures everyones done they are really good, I had a go myself when i got the picture but it turned out nothing like these.

Wendy I cannot believe how good it looks you have done an amazing job, I can't wait to get to be as good as you,

Thank you all for trying with this picture your all GREAT

[Brenda]

hi Tom

what do you mean I can get higher resolution scan :?

If pauline dosen't whant the 15 issues I would love them what do you want for them :)

O and the picture of you is very attractive :shock:

[Pauline]

Brenda it seems that as well as having addictive personalities many in this group like to rise to the challenge. This is the first time that I worked on someone else's picture. I've seen others in this group do it before and thought, "wow, how nice that they take time away from what they are doing to work on stuff for someone else. I'm sure everyone has plenty of their own stuff to do."

I'll tell you something I learned from this experience though. When you have others all working on the same project together and sharing what they did you learn more. You also realize that what looks impossible, isn't. You just need to know where and how to start. Also there is no one way to do something. It might take 3-4 different methods to receive the end result. You might get ideas from others you didn't think about, so now I see that there is big value in doing something like this. Not only does it help the person who has the photo problem, but you really help yourself the most. (no matter what your level, because I'm only a beginner.)

Sorry this is long, but yesterday I received a gift in the mail. It was an E-collar for my dog made of fabric rather than the hard plastic one we have. It's to keep him from licking or chewing himself when his alergies are bad. This gift came as a result of fixing up some photos for someone on my Golden Retriever list. I've never met her, but like everyone here, feel like I know her. I did it for FUN and experience and ended up with a lovely unexpected gift. The gift of kindness goes a long way! :D

[Wendy]

Brenda ..

I have sent you a pm :)


Wendy

[Wendy]

Pauline,

Oh wasn't that nice to get a collar for your dog :) .. it was so kind.

Fixing images is a great way to learn and the more complex they are the more you tend to learn. In the past I have painted in colour on blank layers set to colour blend mode .. but this time I had an experiment using hue blend mode and on this particular image it seemed to work much better .. well for parts of it.


Wendy

[Pauline]

Wendy this is exactly why this was a good thing for me to do!! I never consider the blend modes and doing stuff that way. (unless I'm working on a tutorial and it specifically says to change the blend mode.) It just never pops into my head. The next chapter in my one on one book is on layers, gradients, colorize styles, etc., so maybe that will help reinforce this. I have learned so much from you and others on here.

[Brenda]

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=16rtHRuwtboCI5U9Q6Glgr1LQUVGo8

Hi Pauline, wendy

Pauline I'd saved it wrong. :oops:

This is my first time doing this I tried to follow your instuctions wendy put I think I've done it all wrong, :( got any tips for me to make it look better

Thanks guys

[Wendy]

Hi Brenda,

You are doing OK ... but you need a drop shadow on the individual little photos, that makes them look much more real. Just make sure that one of the little image layers is active then go to the Layers Styles and choose drop shadow. Try a few and see which ones look best.

Then when you have done that ..

Create a new layer below all your other layers and call it "colour"
Enlarge your canvas (Image>Resize>Canvas Size) ... add quite a bit.
Now make sure that the colour layer is active
Select a nice colour for the background and do Edit>Fill

... and there you go :)

Wendy

[Brenda]

How do you create layer below ever time I go on to layer>new it always comes above, And also whan I activited a little image and went to drop shadow it said something about flatten image, then hide it i selected ok but everything went away, :( :? :? :? Am I just DIZZY

dont answer that :lol:

[Pauline]

Okay, Brenda lets see if I can help you. There is a short cut to create an layer below, but don't know it off the top of my head. What I usually do is go to the layer I want the blank layer above and make it active then choose new layer. Or you could just make a new layer and drag it to where you want it. Either way will work.

When you made each one of your squares are they each on their own layer?? If they are you should be able to activate them just by clicking on their layer in the layers palette. To move them around chose the move tool. Always make sure you are on the right layer. Also did you put a stroke around each square? It's hard to tell because your back ground is white. So put a back ground colour in first to help you see what you are doing.

[Wendy]

If you want to create a layer just below the one you are working on then the shortcut is ...

In the layer palette click on the new layer icon whilst holding down the Command key ... I guess will be Control key for you Windows users :)


Wendy

[Pauline]

Brenda, sorry I missed the part about flattening your image. You do not want to do this as it takes ALL layers as suggested and flattens them down to one.

I am wondering when you chose your squares, did you use the selection tools or the shape tools?? The one you should have used would be the rectangular marquee tool near the top of the tool box. I have a feeling you didn't use that to make your selections. (short cut M)
If you can, print out Wendy's instructions and have them beside you while you work. It will help you a lot to see things step by step.

If you need more help. I'm here.

[Wendy]

Brenda,

Do try Pauline's suggestion of printing out the instructions ... it is so much easier than trying to switch the screen back and forth between the tut and Elements :)


Wendy

[Brenda]

Hi guys

I redid the picture and printed it out and I was really chuffed with it, I went to close the screen and lost everything I did can't even show what i'd done, :( I tried to scan it back on computer put the colour was all funny, Iv'e had enough for today my eyes have gone square. :roll:

I do have one question, :?
After I have cut around the boy and put him on his own layer, then cut the little images and move them, the boy is still there so I have painting over him, (now for question) is there an easier way of doing this cause you can see where the difference in colour, I would show you but can't get my picture back,

anyway thanks you guys for all your help

xxxxxxxx

[Pauline]

All right Brenda, one way to help with that is to make the boy a bit bigger than the original, so that he hides the background. I kind of thought his ear had an extra piece and there was some blurring around the edges of him. When you get better at using the clone tools, etc., you could use that option. I had to do some cloning on mine, and also I had to resize the cut out of the kids on the tube because it was much smaller and only appeared on the small middle cutout square. E-mail me the original and I'll see if I can play with it later. (send full size, it's okay. I have cable internet)

[Wendy]

You can enlarge the boy but another way is to add a drop shadow to him ... that way the shadow brings him forward from the rest of the image so you see him clearly defined. Plus is leads your eye away from any extra bits that show through.

On my original version to make the deep drop shadow .. I duplicate the statue layer, filled the outline with black .. put it below the statue, gave it a little gaussian blur and lowered its opacity:


http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1Xkjt4LgbohD2zkwhsUNtjrPMAAYj

Hope this helps :)

Wendy

[Pauline]

Wendy, here is my version I did for Brenda today.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1sKFpFuDWZvrJgqDrcPHWTiXYpAhFG0

Did you know that when you do a shadow on a selection that you can drag the shadow out to where you want it? I discovered that from Deke's book. You don't have to just rely on the settings but can actually go on the picture and pull the shadow to where you want it. I did it with this one. I actually dragged it far to the left to see what it would look like and because the boy is a selection it was a complete shadow of him. (rather than control click, fill with black, etc to make your own shadow -- I'm assuming that's what you did)

[Wendy]

Pauline ...

... Nice image you have done.

Yes I did know that you can drag the shadow ... but its not as versatile as putting it on its own layer. On its own layer you can blur it, reduce the opacity, fade it with a gradient and even distort it.

I tend to use the drop shadow only for close up shadows ... although on this image it works well :)

Wendy

[Pauline]

:evil: I should have known Wendy!!! Of course you'd know that and there must be a reason why you don't use it. I'm just learning way to much from you. I hope you don't start charging! :wink: Geeze is that smoke coming out of my head.............ssssssssssssss frying brains. Learning overload..............
Brenda I hope you are taking notes!

[Wendy]

Pauline,

When I first started off using Elements I used to get a headache through trying to learn everything ... I asked so many questions and many people helped me ... then one day it sort of fell into place.

There is still always new things to learn :)

Wendy

[Pauline]

Well Wendy that explains why you don't mind having your brains picked and for that we are all greatful as you are a big help. I know I'm starting to get there since I see lots of questions I know the answer to, and that sure feels wonderful! Waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the back of my head, I did remember reading about being able to do more things when you make your own shadow. I guess what I really should do is re-read all those books I've already read. With the knowledge I have now I will remember more..........but geeze.....I don't have time for that..........I want to do projects!!

[Punkinsmom]

Wendy, nice job!