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Photo restoration help.


L

Lynny

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I have a job to restore a set of Maori Guide photos, I've fixed most of the rips, tears, and stains, but am having a heck of a time when I print the finished photo out, the hair that I've circled is dull and flat, has no texture at all. I've tried all sorts of merges, and varing transparency, and just can't get it right. Any hints?

Lynny
 
Here's a bigger version if you would like to play.

Pity I can't use one of the shampoo's advertised on TV to give her hair life huh.

Lynny
 
The best to experiment is to make a curves adjustment layer. This way, you can experiment how they work. Make a S shaped one (like a smoothed stair step)

Or you put a copy in multiply mode, and add a mask (the circle in a square icon in the layers palette) and paint out the areas that you don't want to see affected, as long a lowering the opacity if the effect is too strong...
 
I agree with Pierre, curves is the best way to go.
Do understand that you can't create anything out of nothing.
What some people do in such a situation is to paint hair...I've seen it done a couple of times, but I admit, it takes some practice.
 
I opened the photograph and duplicated it on another layer. Blend mode to Soft Light. Then I added a layer mask and painted a bit with black and a soft 65 brush in the mass of the hair round her neck. (was a bit too dark).

Then I took the burn tool and softly burned (I have a pen) the hair on her head to add some contrast.

This is a quickie: with a bit of work, it can be much better.

ciao!

If yoou want to use levels, best do so in your scanner software because you will make gaps in the histograph when doing so in Photoshop
 
Lynny, my quick method entails a layer mask (so as not to disturb the colour of the background/skin tone) and a curves adjustment layer.
 
I guess, I don't need to post, as you've got good examples, no?
 
Sorry all, I really thought I had replied to this thread,

Thank-you all for your input, I tried all the tectiques, and learnt a lot :perfect:

Lynny
 
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