Expert: Candice Anderson - 9/2/2006

Question
Hi there

I am currently using version 7.0 of Adobe Photoshop.  I work as an I.T. Support Worker in a community I.T. Centre, and since completing Adobe Photoshop courses (beginners and advanced) I now restore/re-size/etc customers photographs.

Im really struggling with a photograph of a young lad that has been brought in by his parents...he has drowned and they would like me to improve the photograph so that it can be used for his headstone...tragic!

However the photo is a bad one -is all speckled and covered in noise...I cant get rid of it using despeckle or anything I know of.

Please can you help me? I would really appreciate it.

Regards

Claire


Answer
Hello :)

The first thing I would try is the blur sharpen technique.
1. (ok, photoshop has passed away on my computer so bear with me) go to the last item in the blur, under filters, it's blur something.  Play with the levels and find a balance to get rid of the splotches and not totally blur it.

2. go to sharpen, unsharp mask.  set it at 1.

If that works, great. If not, or you need to do more, use the stamp tool to get all the things out, then use the healing tool to correct what you did, makes it more natural.

Candice :)