my late parents (original photo only to work with)

This is very personal to me as its one of the very last photos taken of my parents before they died.

This picture on the right is the original and all I had to work with. It was a real struggle to bring back the colour and when I did manage that the hard work started. For one example the sky was blotchy with different colour blues. There was very little definition to work on etc etc. it took hours to get even this far and the result is the photo on the left.


By bazza104 at 2012-05-12

Don't know the film camera used but on the back of the photo is dated 1981 and taken in mevigissy cornwall.

Restoring old photos is a challange but enjoyable when achieved.


Bazza

A nice attempt, Bazza.

I might be way off beam here, and if I am then, sorry. I assume you worked on the photo as a whole?

If it were me I think I would have separated the subjects from the background and put them on a separate layer. Then I would have worked to restore the two layers separately.

In your effort to correct the background, it seems to my eye you have lost something in the restoration, in that the subject's clothing looks less natural than in the original.

Fogey

If I knew how to do layers I might well have done things as you suggested. However layers are beyond me so this is the best I could do. If you actually saw the original photo
there was no colour in it at all.

Bazza

I understand what you are saying, Bazza.

Learning layers in Photoshop was the best thing I have ever done - opened up a whole new world.

However, I am not decrying what you have done. You have made a splendid effort considering the picture was restored as a whole.

Well done Bazza

I have very few photographs of my parents together so that's something I'll have to work on.

Strangely - I do have one somewhere taken on a holiday in Mevagissey in 1981

Mevagissey ...I know its off topic but I do miss that place , passed through there everyday on my way to work in St Austell .

i know it very well too, as a youngster many a time I spent fishing in a boat from there. All my mothers side were and still are in Cornwall.

Bazza

I think you've done a good job Bazza, it's not easy, and you've managed to improve a very special photo.

xx

Just ordered a tut on DVD for Elements 10, so hopefully I can make more use of E10 in the future.


Thanks all for your replies
Bazza

You'll find that's the best days work you'll ever do, Bazza.