Christian Photographers Community

Okay guys, I need you to be brutal.  What needs to be fixed here?  And you won't hurt my feelings or cause me grief or extra work.  I do that myself.  I thought i was saving all the steps as I went, but i wasn't, so it's pretty much from scratch now.    Stoopid stoopid stoopid karma.  Anyway . . ..

The "original".  It is cropped out of a larger picture.




Then, this:



Be brutal.  Very brutal.

OK, Karmat, you asked for it.  I'll be very, very brutal!

WOW!

Karma, you've done very well.

Do you have the original in your hand?

Did you scan it?

If so, can you see his lapel and some detail on his suit?  It would be so nice if that could be restored.

Thanks Jeanne, I appreciate that.

You're right, Pat.  I do have the original, and scanned it in.  It is pretty dark there too.  I may be able to get a bit back by using dodge/burn, but so far I've not been real successful.

I think I'm going to airbrush some of his left shoulder away.  

I don't think his right shoulder extends as far as you have it ... I lined up both photos and "drew" a line from the first to the second and it didn't "line up"   But then what do I know  

I mean his right shoulder.

(Thanks Jane!  )  

Karma, sometimes a different setting on the scanner works wonders.

Then lighten it too much and then you might get the outline of his shoulder better to work with.  At least it might give you an idea of where shadow begins and his shoulder ends.

It's not to bad, karma.  

I feel like the right ear is missing and the shoulder of course was mentioned.  If you are any good at drawing you could guess at were his left shoulder ends and were the shadow starts.    I am sure Janet would be good at that!  

Another suggestion, instead of coloring the background a different color, try using gaussian blur and cloning out the picture on the wall.

Great tips, Sonja...

Or if you want to use a background colour maybe a lighter one so that he stands out more???

I got a little bored this evening and desided to see what I could do. I am always up for a little challenge.    If you want I can share what I did or if not that is fine.  I hope you don't mind.  

I think that Karma would like that, Sonja.

Why don't you just post it?

Ok Pat! You talked me into it.

Karma, if you want me to take it down just say so and I will.  

You guys are great!!!  I have so many pictures of this type that I would like enlarged.  Tiny originals...may 2" x 4" but would like them enlarged to 5" x 7".  Then, too, sometimes the background is terrible!!!

Karma, I think you 'right' shoulder is the shadow and not the shoulder and maybe a little of an ear returned.  But who am I to say???  

You did a great job, Sonja.  

I guess I'm wondering about the little horizontal lines about where his left ear would be?  (On our right?)

I was going to just clone out the picture, but the lady specifically requested getting rid of the background.  I have done it again and lightened it overall, some.  The left ear is almost non-existant on the original, I think it is the angle of his head, and I missed it until now.  Wonder if that is how Van Gogh felt?  I might be able to do something with the shoulder, but I don't do ears!!!  

It looks like his ear is there. It just blends in real well with the knots in the wood where his head is.  Very hard to work around.

Good luck, Karma!

Yea, I found it after this thread.  Now, it is very obvious to me that it is gone.  So, I've been working some.

I've got one I really like the color on.  but his shoulder looks a little off, and he has no ear.

I've got one where his shoulder is good, and his ear is there, but I don't like the color.

I've got one where the shoulder is really good, his ear is there, the color is okay, but it is very, very very grainy.

UGH.  

Tomorrow, I will conquer this!!

Thanks to each of you for your suggestions.  I promise, I have tried each of them, in the quest to earn my keep.

I think I am finished.  What do you think?

A big Wow from me!!!  Looks great, karma.

That's absolutely wonderful, Karma!  What a great job you've done!

9.30 p.m.

I just popped in out of interest to see what it's all about.
Karmat you are so clever.This looks good as new now.  I have some old photos which I would love you to do up for
P'raps one day I could try to do some for myself....Perhaps!

Jenny..

Super, Karma.  (And didn't you say you don't do ears )

Karma, you've done a good job.  This certainly wasn't an easy one, was it?