Help please for a beginner- surface scratches

[Geenee]

Hello everyone,

I am a beginner and have Photoshop Elements 6. I would like to start to restore old photographs and have managed to work on "easy" ones to start with. I remove marks using either the clone tool or the healing brush. Fiddle with levels and contrast and end up with an acceptable result.

The photograph I would like to attempt has lots of surface scratches on. I have tried using the two tools above but it is taking ages and ages. I realise that some restorations will take time but the thought did cross my mind "is there any easier way than this?"

Just in case there is I am just asking for guidance please

As this is my first post I am unsure if I can attach part of the image for you to see, but will try. If it works, the whole photo looks like the example

It may be that somewhere on this site the answer is there. As I have only just found this site and I have not had time to search and am keen to make a start.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and sorry to have rambled on.

I do have lots more questions but will try to not ask them all at once:)

I do know that this new hobby that I have just discovered is addictive and I am going to love restoring, just need to have more practise.

Jeanie

[Daviskw]

Just my opinion but if you want the best quality there is just no quick way. Yes there are filters and routines that will hide or remove damage in the overall picture but each one degrades the sharpness of the original.

If you must use the filters because of time constraints then you are better off applying them universally then using masks or clipping masks to apply them selectively.

Butch

[frank abramonte]

Jeanie, tough to distinguish the scratches. Seems as though the dress has a lace like quality to it.
My suggestion is to use the clone tool and copy an area close to the lines you wish to remove.
Clones small areas so you don't lose detail. Don't go overboard or the dress will become one flat area. Work at about 200%.
Here's a test I made in one minute.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1vXhd227S2OcGGTu6tnscVGhgQtMw0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1vXhd227S2OcGGTu6tnscVGhgQtMw0)

You can also lighten the Gamma on it which will help minimize the scratches.
This version was lightened a bit.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1ZulXAskSYFpTbvP5MNsSKdj3lTxQ81_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZulXAskSYFpTbvP5MNsSKdj3lTxQ81)

[Simenon]

Photo restoration was an area of keen interest to me at one time, but eventually I came to the conclusion that extensively damaged photos are really beyond the best capabilities of Photoshop Elements, and can prove to be very difficult to repair even using Photoshop itself.

While I can offer you no advice on your photo, I can point you to some guidance. Photoshop Restoration and Retouching by Katrin Eismann has a nice section titled Essential Restoration, Repairing and Rebuilding Techniques which offers repair examples using Photoshop tactics on photos having rather minor to moderate damage or aging deterioration.

Probably the most comprehensive tutorial on photo restoration is one by a fellow named Ctein titled Digital Restoration From Start To Finish (subtitled How To Repair Old and Damaged Photographs). This book is aimed pretty much at the experienced Photoshop user and makes extensive use of Channels, Curves layers, the History Brush, Masks and sometimes third party restoration tools which are often rather expensive. Some of the extremely damaged photos tackled in Ctein's book would be beyond the repair capabilities of all but the most dedicated of restorers, but the book does offer an interesting gamut of the possibilities that can be achieved with patience and experience and the proper tools.

Ctein's book offers some nice specifics on scratch repair including using the Find Edges filter to create a scratch selection mask which in turn is used to create an alpha channel that is applied to another copy of the photo where the Dust & Scratches filter is put to work along with Blend modes and applied fading.

Both tomes offer download access to the photos used in the tutorials so one may follow the edits assuming full Photoshop is available. But if all you have to work with is Elements, you will not be able to effect most of the photo repairs described in these books.

~ Simenon

PS - I would be remiss not to mention Photoshop Elements 5 Restoration and Retouching by Matt Kloskowski. Though written for PSE 5, anyone with versions 4 through 7 at least, should have no problems putting the edits to work. The sections on photo restoration demonstrate how to do some generally modest damage repair. Again most of the photos used in the tutorials are available via download for the user's convenience in making the sample edits.

[Geenee]

Butch, Frank and Simenon - I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to reply to my request for help. As an absoute beginner ALL advice is gratefully received.

The dress appears to be a cotton overdress with a lacey finish and can see that example you have given Frank has improved things. I was aiming to make the white very white and remove the grey dull finish. I realise this is not correct now. Thanks.

The books you mention Simenon are now on my list of things to buy or request from the library.

Thanks also to Butch. Now that I know that cloning is the way to go I am happy to try this. I just wanted to make sure there was no other way before I spent hours on it. It is a very difficult one, but do need the practise. I won't learn without trying I suppose.

Thank you very much for your help

Jeanie:D

[Newtome]

This is a technique you can try. It is also mentioned in Katrin Eismann's Restoration and Retouching book which I highly recommend. Butch recommended it to me over a year ago as a book he couldn't do without and I couldn't agree more. Depending on your resolution vary the move technique mentioned. If it doesn't work on this particular image it is worth trying on others.
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=22

Elaine

[Priyanka Azad]

Hi Geenee,

Here are some quick tutorials: http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/ss/removespots_5.htm

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-remove-scratches-and-spots-from-a-scanned-p.html

HTH

[Geenee]

Elaine and Pri - hello there- I am very grateful to you both for your help and advice. I am going to track down the book mentioned and I think this would be very helpful to me.

The tutuorials you both mention are brilliant. Not only have I looked at ones relating to my original question I have looked at others on the websites you recommend. All are brilliant at this early stage of learning.

I will go away and practise now and try to restore my photograph. I may be away some time :D. I could be taking on something far too difficult with so little experience. Will have a go though for the practise.

Thank you very much, regards Jeanie;)