Help with scanned photo

http://i584.photobucke​t.com …SFACEAT800RESSC​ANcopy.jpg?

I scanned my sisters 1958 photo on my V500 at 800 res, and I'm not satisfied with my results on it in CS4.
This is fresh off the scanner, not touched by me, except downsizing. If an expert could improve it, I'd be very thankful.
If it doesn't open here, I'll try again.

Thanks

Hi Trailguy!

You'd probably get more of a response to this if it was moved to the Raw, Post Processing and Printing section:

https://photography-on-the.net …ay.php?s=&daysp​rune=&f=18

To have the thread moved, click the little exclamation point icon at the bottom of your little User window at the left and leave a request for the mod.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the tip. Idid see the Raw section, but did not see or realize it also was for other PP.
I don't at the moment see the exclamation point, but I'll delete here, and move it.
Note , it's only about 550 pixels, so should I put a larger size in Photoshop, for use here?

Thanks again

trailguy wrote in post #10466472
Thanks for the tip. Idid see the Raw section, but did not see or realize it also was for other PP.
I don't at the moment see the exclamation point, but I'll delete here, and move it.
Note , it's only about 550 pixels, so should I put a larger size in Photoshop, for use here?

Thanks again

If you actually want the image to be edited you'll want to provide the largest possible size, which will be way too big to post on POTN. You can use https://www.yousendit.​com/ to provide a link to the original scanned image file if someone offers to help you.

What size is the original photo of which you posted?

Scanned at 800 resolution, and saved at 16bit, tiff, it was 2.2 meg, 2.65 x 2.65 size.
Photobucket would not recognize it until I made it 8 bit, jpg, so it lost too much data for editing (123Kb).
I have 'yousendit' but I'm not sure how to link it to this forum.
I'd love to send the full data image if possible.
Any advice on how to use 'yousendit?
Thanks

trailguy wrote in post #10470786
Scanned at 800 resolution, and saved at 16bit, tiff, it was 2.2 meg, 2.65 x 2.65 size.
Photobucket would not recognize it until I made it 8 bit, jpg, so it lost too much data for editing (123Kb).
I have 'yousendit' but I'm not sure how to link it to this forum.
I'd love to send the full data image if possible.
Any advice on how to use 'yousendit?
Thanks

Is that the highest resolution your scanner will support? I'd suggest scanning at the highest "native" resolution your scanner supports.

trailguy wrote in post #10470786
Scanned at 800 resolution, and saved at 16bit, tiff, it was 2.2 meg, 2.65 x 2.65 size.

So the physical photo size you were scanning was 2.65 inches by 2.65 inches of the original photograph? (and no need for a 16 bit TIFF from your posted example, 8bit is fine and few photo programs allow you to do much to a 16bit TIFF).

Some notes about scanning prints (of photos) and documents.

- Do not expect to get a scan of better resolution (appearance) than the original. So scanning a photo at 800 dpi will not provide for a great looking photo that is just 2.5 times bigger than the original.

- if you want to use the scan at the same size as the original, scan at 300 dpi.

- If you want to print the image twice as large as the original, scan at 600 dpi (but you won't gain any visual resolution increase over the original - it will just provide for a better larger print)

- if you want to scan a letter for reprinting, scan at 200 or 300 dpi.

It is my guess that the original photo you are working with is not of the greatest quality for sharpness or resolution. So don't expect to be able to do great things while scanning it.

If you scan your photo at 800 dpi, that will allow for a better print about 2.5 times bigger than the original, but it will only look as good as the original when viewed from 2.5 times farther away.

Do you get all what I'm trying to say? Scanning at a higher resolution than 300 dpi won't bring out details and resolution that the original photo did not have. Good luck!

http://i584.photobucke​t.com …ver/KAREN1958FU​LLBODY.jpg

http://i584.photobucke​t.com …ver/KAREN1958HE​ADCROP.jpg


I have linked it here.
If it has any potentiail for improvement, I'd love an expert to improve the shot I cropped of her head, and tell me how they did it.

I was thinking that a high res scan would give me more ppi,
thus more latitude for post processing.
I did try a scan at 200 res, but viewed at full screen size, it did start pixelating.
I do a lot of local sports photo work, but am not a 'pro' and I'm always open to learn. Thanks for any help and advice.

Frank

Hi, Frank -

The primary problem with this picture is it's out of focus. The car is in much better focus than the girl. No amount of high-detail scanning will correct that.

Still, it can be improved. Here's my quick try:

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

I'm not sure much can be done with the headshot crop, but here's a try.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

number six wrote in post #10472165
Hi, Frank -

The primary problem with this picture is it's out of focus. The car is in much better focus than the girl. No amount of high-detail scanning will correct that.

Still, it can be improved. Here's my quick try:

Hosted photo: posted by number six in
./showthread.php?p=104​72165&i=i124417625
forum: General Photography Talk

I adjusted white balance, brightness and contrast. Then I selected the girl and promoted the selection to a layer, which I worked on with the clone brush and fairly aggressive high-pass sharpening. (I could have sharpened more, but it can get pretty nasty looking.) Then a bit of noise reduction to the background.

If this is useful I can post the full-size version for downloading...

-js

Good job! Was it the high-pass sharpening that removed some of that overall dullness of the image? I'll have to play with that function.
A full-size would be appreciated.

stsva wrote in post #10472419
I'm not sure much can be done with the headshot crop, but here's a try.

Thank you! Not much to work with, but you made it sharper and brighter. How?

Thanks

trailguy wrote in post #10472587
Good job! Was it the high-pass sharpening that removed some of that overall dullness of the image? I'll have to play with that function.
A full-size would be appreciated.

The HP sharpening plus the higher contrast overall made the girl less fuzzy. I didn't apply sharpening to the background.

Here's the full-size image:

http://strappe.smugmug​.com …Y9Do#922084494_​ksCQY-O-LB


Hmmm. I see I missed cloning out a spot on her boot...

EDIT: and her skirt, and her cuff, and.....


-js

trailguy wrote in post #10472619
Thank you! Not much to work with, but you made it sharper and brighter. How?

Thanks

Levels, curves (for brightness and contrast), both high-pass sharpening and smart sharpening in CS3. I think I also added a duplicate layer in "Multiply" blending mode at one point to darken it a little after doing the levels and curves.