New Game

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

I can't do anything sensible with this picture Olivier, sorry.
My picture of Jeanne d' Arc above is not meant to be an entry in the contest (not that it stands any chance anyway).

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

Pontus · Expire: 2016-08-25

CBokeh · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:21 pm Post subject:

h00py · Joined: 17 Jul 2014 Posts: 16

#1

#2

Aanything · Expire: 2014-05-30

Here's mine:

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

It's time to designate the winner.
Looking at the votes, there is a sole one with 2 stars.
In second place comes Edgar with a nice B&W painting effect I liked very much.

So, Bernhardas is this week's winner. Very Happy

Congrats ! Please post a new contest.

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

OK guys 'n gals, this week's challenge. Wink

My grandfather died in 1935 when my father was 3 years old. I never knew what he looked like until this photo was given to me recently as I was researching my family tree. He is the gentleman at the top left wearing the cap and three of my uncles are in the front row.

I have been attempting to make a decent photo from this scan but I'm afraid some of the restoration work needed is beyond my skills at the moment. I am hoping someone can do it justice. Wink

CBokeh · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:18 am Post subject:

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

This is difficult and a higher resolution scan would be much appreciated.

This is the best I could come up with after a lot of tinkering.
If you reduce the viewing size two times (hit ctrl - two times when viewing the full picture) it looks half decent. (That is why more pixel are important)

Tedat · Joined: 08 Nov 2011 Posts: 800 Location: Berlin/Germany

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Sorry for being late.

Edgar, you can choose : designate the winner or post your challenge again with a better scan. Smile

Here is my proposal.
#1

Same but framed

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

Thank you very much, I am really pleased. Very Happy

I can't even remember all steps I took to restore that image. I know it was a lot including a frequency separation to iron out the scan artifacts in the high and low pass separately and using a couple of topaz filters on the separated frequencies.

It might be worthwhile to note that I did not use the high pass filter for the high pass layer, but created it from a blurred version of the low frequency file by apply image and subtracting the blurred layer from a normal one with a 128 offset. That creates a high pass that "fits" like a glove to the blurred areas and is much more precise than using a high pass filter. (Because when applying a high pass you are completely guessing the strength setting and chances that your selected strength fits EXACTLY your blurred layer are slim)
If high and low pass are not exact complements you might actually introduce new additional artifacts.

The new challenge

I took this picture as part of a shoot for a competition. At that point of time we had the intended shot already done and were just fooling around on my mini set. I tried to get Amir throw the orange and get a shot with it being more or less directly at the setting sun.
I have a whole number of shots, most of which have the orange in the wrong place. With this one it is kind of OK but one of the flashes illuminating the lower part had difficulties recycling fast enough and did not fire.

The Challenge:

The horizon is not straight
The whole light needs to be fixed in the foreground background and on the person.
A different crop might be better
The orange is somehow not cool enough. Sharper? even more movement?
The light rays from the setting sun might be more intense?
Or you might want to go into a totally different cool direction?

Have fun

Raw file here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6tRhXp00RJgbXNkRUdFX0tSOEU/edit?usp=sharing

P.S. Amir was Runner Up for Mr. Dubai 2013 Very Happy

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

Well the basic idea is to slice the picture information into parts that can be easier and more precise manipulated.
Example is a noisy color picture: you might not notice the noise badly except in the sky. So go to the blue channel and denoise only that.
You will not loose any sharpness in the rest of the picture.

Frequency separation slices the picture in two and you deal with edges separate from the rest.

For example creating a high frequency layer from your scan delivers me a picture that has only edges and a lot of black spots with all the scan noise and artifacts. A Topaz "Simplify" filter can remove the black spot, and ideally I have only edges left. Sounds a bit simpler than it is as you will have to fiddle with the settings until it works. Very Happy

Hope that sheds some light on my strategy?

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Tedat · Joined: 08 Nov 2011 Posts: 800 Location: Berlin/Germany

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Fantastic sunbeams Jan, I can't compete with that. Here's my go:

The Magic Carpet Smile

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

Time for me to close the competition.

The field was only four runners.
Peter deserves honorable mention for creativity. The orange was lost however.
From the other three entries digichromeed emphasizes the foreground while the other two tend to have stronger sunsets.
Olivier has the most vibrant sunset colors. Tedat's entry is more balanced in terms of contrast, but I wish the carpet would be a tick lighter.
Really difficult . There are elements in each that I like best.

Based on sunrays alone the winner has to be Olivier.

Congratulations

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Well done Olivier!

Tedat · Joined: 08 Nov 2011 Posts: 800 Location: Berlin/Germany

Olivier · Expire: 2015-08-06

Wow.
Tanks a lot. 😃

I thought tat I blew the lamp light And could have made It better.

I'm out for few days, so please Jan could you post a new contesté in m'y place ?

Thx in avance.
😉