Hi, I am newbie at using Elements. As you can see this is my first post, I like reading the advice that everyone gives, it has helped me out a lot. I have not had the nerve to show what I am doing, but I would like help on a photo of my Grandfather taken in 1898 that I am trying to restore. I would like advice on what I am doing right or wrong to this photo it just looks flat to me. I would like it to be B&W but the white highlights are so white.

Ina

Before


After

Hi Ina, nice to see you posting. I think you have done a great job so far on restoring the image. I loke the sepia tone and think it is perfect for the image. I haven't done much restoration myself but love to do b&w. I copied your image. Ctrl U desaturated and like you said a lot of white. Levels adjustments didn't help so I increased the saturation to about 65%.

ina2.jpg (36.98 KiB) Viewed 1017 times

Hi Ina, looks like you are doing a fine job. I will take a look at it and see if I could suggest anything.

Ina, I like what you did and wouldn't change much, IMHO. The baby looks so ethereal and beautiful with the sepia tint.

Ina,

You have done a wonderful job of restoration on the image. The sepia tint is perfect for the image. One thing I would do it soften the eyes a bit. Great job of restoring.

John

Kim
Thank you so much for the kind words. I like how you did the B&W, and thank you for showing me how you did it. This is my first attempt at restoration and I could use all the advice that I can get. It took me about 4 weeks to get this far. I had only used the clone tool a couple of times before. So the first week I was cloning on my duplicated copy, when it did not look correct I would have to delete every thing and start over. I almost gave up until I read a post on this site about doing the cloning on a blank layer this tip saved me. When I cloned his face I named that blank layer face, did this to all the parts that need fixed then I would only have delete the layer that did not work.

Smiles
Thank you also for the kind words.Your restorations are just so beautiful, hope to get that good one day.

Reka
Thank you also for the kind words. I did the sepia because it softened the white highlights. The more I look at it the more I think I will keep it in the sepia tone instead of the B&W.

John
Thank you also for the kind words, your restorations are just beautiful. I would like to know if it is OK to clone out the circle or hole in the dress (I don't know what it is)? I think it is a distraction or should I leave it since it is apart of the photo. I would like to try softening the eyes but I don't how to go about doing that. Did you mean adding a Gaussian blur to them?

Again thank you guys for taking the time I really appreciate it very much
Ina