Sure 'nuff.
WomanOfScorn, I used Adobe Photoshop, which is really a kick-ass application.
First, I split the image into separate layers, with individual elements masked off. (ie; the ‘frame’, the backdrop, the body, and the head.)
Rather than spending ages trying to get rid of the cracks in the backdrop, I replaced it outright with a radial gradient, adding a bit of noise and ‘film grain’ to reduce the flat appearance, and adjusting the levels until it matched the original backdrop closely enough. I used the Render->Lighting effects filter in there somewhere, too.
The face was not to bad, I just used the clone tool the repair the cracks. (The clone tool lets you “paint in” pixels from elsewhere on the image.)
The cussed sweater is what needed the most work – lots more cloning to cover the major cracks, of course. The trickiest part probably doesn’t show on the small .jpgs: It’s covered with yellow speckles of colour degradation. I used the “Select colour range” feature to isolate those pixels and adjust their hue – much faster than trying to paint over them all with the clone tool. I didn’t want to spend a huge amount of time obsessing over little flaws, since Enright3 said in e-mail that he was going to print it out wallet-sized.) I fudged over most of the sweater by copying it into two layers. I made the top layer translucent and blurry, and used a layer mask to let the sharp version show through where there’s detail. (The folds and shadows.) Quick and dirty way of de-emphasizing all the gritty bits, without making appear obviously “out of focus.” If it were for a larger format print, (or if someone were paying me, :D) I’d have spent the extra hours on it to basically redraw the sweater. As it is, I think it’s good enough for a wallet-size pic intended for 100-year-old eyes. (It bothers me that I left one scratch on the arm – it was late, I was a bit buzzed, and I thought it was a fold in the material. :smack: )
Of course, I also adjusted the pic to compensate for fading, trying to match the super-saturated look of 60s Kodachrome as closely as possible. I don’t know how successful that was – I can see where gatopescado is coming from, it does appear a bit artificial, like those crudely-tinted monochrome images from the days before colour processing.
Photoshop is really great. Did I mention that?
Anyway, thanks for the compliments-- (though to be honest the work I did is quite a bit ‘fudgier’ than I’m usually comfortable with.)
And Enright3, I don’t think I mentioned how cool it is that you’re thinking of your teacher.
