Wendell,
There is an excellent book that covers restoration of old photos … it is Restoration and Retouching by Katrin Eismann.
I bought it a while back and it really is good … the techniques she uses to restore fading is a bit too long to do here but maybe you could borrow the book from a local library.
Wendy
Wendy,
I have seen this book recommended multiple times, but I was always afraid that I would have difficulty determining what techniques are PS only and not Elements. Therefore, I have not purchased the book.
Please advise how I could avoid such confusion. Thanks.
BarbO
You can find a technique in the How To palette, restoring photos, fix a faded photo. It’s pretty basic but may do the job.
Katrin Eismann’s book is a Photoshop book, not a PSE book. Most (not all) of the techniques she describes can be done in PSE if you have Richard Lynch’s add-on toolset, which you can get by buying his book. Even then, however, you’re going to need to translate many of the PS techniques into PSE/Lynchese.
To do any serious restoration wotk, you need at least curves, via either Richard’s add-on or Paul Shipley’s. You also need channels (if your photos are color); Richard’s toolset gives you channels, I’m not sure whether Paul’s does or not.
One thing to try with your faded photos, if you haven’t already. Duplicate the background layer and set the blending mode of the duplicated layer to Multiply. You can adjust the opacity down, if this is too much, or reduplicate the Multiply layer, if it’s not enough.
You could try using a levels adjustment layer. Just put a levels adjustment layer over your photo. Click okay without changing anything. Now change the blend mode of the levels adjustment layer to Multiply. Does this help? If it’s not enough, add another levels adjustment layer and put it into Multiply. If too much, then lower the levels adjustment layer’s opacity. Many more methods are discussed in Eismann’s book. This is just one of the simpler ones she discusses. It really is an excellent book. I think going to a library as Wendy suggests is a great idea.
Terri
Thanks to all! And, Wendy, I just returned from Borders where I took a long look at the Eismann book you recommended. I think it’s what I’m looking for. Thank you for the suggestion. Since Borders has a discount deal for "old folks" — but only on Tuesdays — I will be purchasing it then. I’m anxious to try the many things Katrin explains so well. I particularly like the fact that she often gives a REASON for doing something.
Wendell
Wendell,
I’m sure that you will be pleased with the book …. it is good when an author gives reasons … then you know why you are doing something and can then carry the knowledge forward into other pieces of work. I really like her book … for some of the techniques you will need workarounds but if you get stuck just ask and someone will help.
If you have some webspace then you may want to post a link to the photo … that way we can see the problem and maybe assist you to deal with it.
Wendy
I just returned from Borders where I took a long look at the Eismann book
You mean they still have bricks and mortar bookstores?
How quaint!
Yes, Stu, "brick and mortar," and I can’t seem to break a lifetime habit of spending lots of time in them. This in spite of being a retired librarian who years ago was responsible for converting our card catalog to a computerized one. Oh! How painful that was at the time. Now, I can’t imagine a world without computers where I spend much of my day . . . with just a little time out, however, to visit a real bookstore or a real library.
Borders, despite being an international chain, seeems to be a remarkably civilised bookstore. In the Adelaide store the cafe is good and the staff are very polite about customers browsing books over a cup of coffee (given the number of boooks that I’ve started this way and had to purchase to finish, I can understand their policy!)
Back to topic. Katrin Eisemann’s book is excellent and well explained – as w westfall says she gives reasons for doing things rather than just recipes. It remains one of my favorite photoshop books (I have the first edition – the second edition sems to have a bit more stuff on the healing and patch tool which is harder to replicate in Elements, although now I have CS I keep on looking longingly at the new one – can anyone who has read both comment on the differences? Richard Lynch’s book and free tools for Elements makes 90 per cent of the Retouching and Restoration techniques from the first edition accessible for Elements (and if you have the time, working out the work-arounds is quite an entertainment in itself!)
I see Katrin Eisemann has a new book listed on Amazon for release later on in the year on masking and compositing, which is about the only thing that her retouching book is a bit skimpy on. I’m looking forward to seeing that one
Susan,
Katrin has a PDF chapter on CS to download on her website if you haven’t already discovered it.
I can’t seem to break a lifetime habit of spending lots of time in them.
I had exactly such a lifetime habit – but after moving to rural America, where the nearest one is 40+ miles away, I’m afraid my shelf browsing is now limited to the electonic variety.
Wendell,
I remember when we converted the library in the high school to a computerized card and check out/check in system. There was much anquish over that. Oh, and also the conversion of the title "librarian" to "Media Specialist." <g>
Dick
