Photo Restoration

[Guest Jen]

I have inherited many old pictures from my great, great, great grandparents. Several are yellowed and scratched, some slightly torn. What are some of the best methods used for restoring these old photographs using CS2 or PSE5? I've attached one so you can have some ideas of what I am working with.

Thanks a bunch!

Jen

[April Showers]

I've fixed photos worse that the one you've pictured in CS2. I don't know if Elements is missing any photo touch up tools, since I never really used it. I'm sure you'll get answers from the girls who do both.

[PBarnes]

I only have used PSE 5 for my retouching and I'm very happy with the results. I use the Clone Stamp Tool a lot and the Healing/Spot Healing brush tool also. With something like the one you have shown, I think fixing the face won't be that big of a deal, but I think I might lose the mat and either create a new one and age it a bit or find a ready made one. Good luck. I love restoring old photos - and boy, do I have a lot of them too!

 

There is a relatively new book out, available at Amazon.com called "The Photoshop Elements 5 Restoration and Retouching Book " by Matt Kloskowski that I am itching to buy. If I can hold off spending my money at Scrap Girls for a bit, I can get it. I looked at it at Barnes and Noble and it looks like it is pretty thorough.

[kerryveale]

I did a lot of really old photos for my folks 50th. One of the problems in old photos, especially in black and white (sepia is not quite as much) is that the dark colors get really dark, and the light colors get really light. So I would do a quick mask and paint over all of the dark parts, and then darken the light parts, and then vice versa. Otherwise, if you try to do adjustments in the entire photo at once, you lose the definition and contrast in the light parts. So, in the photo above, I would duplicate the photo layer. Then I would create a quick mask, and erase everything except her face. Then fix her face, and leave it. I would duplicate the bottom layer again, and then mask out everything except for her dark dress. Then I would lighten her dark dress a bit, and just play with the different layers. Then I would duplicate the layers (keep all those mask layers for future changes if you don't like the final image). Then play with the opacities of the layers, etc., or just merge each layer with each mask, and then merge all of the layers for a final image. Then fix all the scratches, etc.

 

Have fun! Just remember to do a "save as" so you can get your original image back again if you don't like your editing.

[PhotoshopScrapper]

some quick tips and another book suggestion...

 

1st scan the photo in as high a resolution as you can (you can lower the resolution for printing later if need be). When restoring I scan at at least 600ppi or higher. The reason is because it gives you more pixels to play with and will help you figure out what some of the blemishes are which could make retouching easier.

 

If you want to enlarge it ... do that when you scan too.

 

I use a lot of the healing brush and clone stamp.

 

For restoring and touch ups Katrin Eismann published a very good book called Photoshop Restoration & Retouching. I've found it very helpful for restorations. You should try to look at the book in a bookstore though cause I'm not sure if she uses tools that are not available in PSE.

 

HTH

 

Denise

[Digital Addict]

Photo touch up and restoration is the thing I spend the majority of my 'scrapping' time doing! I just can't make myself put a photo in a layout without 'fixing' the various problems I find in them...whether they are antique photos or photos just taken today. In addition to the things the rest of the SGs have shared with you here are some of the most common steps I take when I work with a photo:

• Duplicate your photo onto a new layer - ALWAYS!!! Then, hide the original layer (probably called BACKGROUND). This way, should you decide you don't like some of the changes you've made (and heaven forbid, your history doesn't go back far enough), you can always go back to the original...even months or years later (if you keep your PSD file).
  
• Use the Adjustment Layer tools FIRST! In PSE5 this is the little icon on the layers palette just to the left of the Garbage Can. You can use all of the following Adjustment Tools here:
  Levels
  Brightness/Contrast
  Hue/Saturation
  Photo Filter
  (and more, though most of the rest are not for touchup work...they are more for style changes...like adding texture etc)
  The reason I recommend using this tool (set of tools) is because once you've created an adjustment layer you will be able to go back into the settings and make minor changes. If you just use the normal menu at the top of PSE5s window (File, Edit, Image, Enhance...etc...) the changes are commited and there is NO modifying them...only UNDO. With adjustment layers, you can easily go back to the settings...they'll be just where you left them...and make any changes you'd like.
  In addition, you can 'mask' out portions of the 'change' layer so the photo below isn't changed in those areas. It works something like the old-fashioned stencils you may have used in elementary school...the ones with a letter cut-out and you put it on top of your paper and colored or painted in the cut-out area... that's they way an adjustment layer works! You can click on the right 'screen icon' found in the layers palette on the layer for the adjustment you are working on (that will make sense if you've created an adjustment ... )
  There is a TON of power sitting on your desktop in this one little 'icon'!!!
  
• I almost always start with Levels. The first tools I use in Levels are the eyedroppers. In the case of your vintage photos, I would try to identify something that should obviously be black and then I'd use the black eyedropper to select that item. This will set the black reference point. Then I'd work with the white dropper and identify a white item (assuming there is one). Once I've done this I start working with the levels sliders...if needed. Generally I look for 'clipping' ...that's where your black slider is to the left of the left side of the histogram and where the white slider is to the right of the right side of the historgram. I move the sliders so they are under the appropriate end of the histogram. Moving the sliders may or may not be necessary.
  In the levels adjustment window, you may also want to change the drop down menu and work with the various colors, especially if there is a color cast to the photo that you want to remove.
  
• My next step is generally the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
  
• Brightness/Contrast may be an important tool for your old photos...to get back some contrast that may have been lost over the years.
  
• Photo filter...this will be a matter of personal preference...you be the judge.
  

I hope some of these tips help. If you have any questions on the specifics, just send me a note and I'll see if I can give you some help.