Having trouble cleaning up this photo? Suggestions please!

[notnufftime]

I've been cleaning up this photo of me on my 4th birthday but I'm having trouble removing the yellow stain on the table cloth and my sister's dress.

I've been using the healing brush tool successfully on other parts of the photo cleaning up scratches and spots but when it comes to removing the stain it won't budge. Any suggestions much appreciated.

Sorry for the horizontal lines across the middle of the photo. Uploading error.



Thanks in advance.

Kris.

[sam ellis]

I think you will have to use the clone tool. It won't be that easy but at least you will get rid of the yellow. hth

[Shannamay]

I'd use the clone tool too - and I think once you've got it off the table cloth, the dress might not be very noticeable??

[Cassie Jones (1gr8muggle)]

This tutorial addresses using the clone and healing brush tools:

[maryannwise]

i dont mind the stain. It gives it an antique feel. I Love the writing too. I think you should work with the photo as is. and use the drips and stain brushes and make this photo really large and dont worry about the yellow. The photo is a classic.

[digigrandma]

MaryAnn has a point, however, I encourage you to learn to use the clone tool even if you leave this photo as is.

I work with tons of very old photos and I use the clone tool all the time. I think you'd like the results and it is not that hard to learn, especially with Cassie's tutorial.

[iUma]

I've been editing hundreds of photos for my father's life review. I have pretty much mastered the clone tool in PS and LR2. This photo should be fixable (the stain) and if you want a perfect image you'll have it. MaryAnn's suggestion is a good one, though. It really depends on what you are going to use it for....will it be part of a bigger set of photos, equally fixed? I have seen with my work that overfixing can make a flat impression. Do you want a time reflection or something to fit into a contemporary page? I've ended up leaving some of my pictures more raw....except the dust and artifacts of scanning. Others I have worked down to the pixel level. Try different ways. CASSIE's Tutorial is superior and if you are working on old photos you owe it to yourself to get it. You will be glad.

[AllynD]

That is a really cute photo, whichever way you go!

[notnufftime]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I hadn't thought of keeping the photo as original as possible. It is something worth considering especially now that I'm scanning some old negatives and photos.

Will post the layout in the gallery once finished.

Thanks once again.

Kris.

[Aino]

I think the photo is superb the way it is and wouldn't "mess" it up - it is charming even though it is not "perfect" in color - and the writing I would keep also. Good luck!

[Chris]

Kris, I spent literally years learning and repairing photos, only to discover I love them with their history better! The idea that my family (a number no longer here) handled these old photos, and their love caused these cracks, fingerprints, and stains--this means so much more to me than a pristine picture.

[notnufftime]

I finished the layout of my 4th birthday.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I couldn't help myself but I cleaned up the yellow stain as much as I could but I did leave the handwriting from my mum and left the frame untouched also.

Since uploading the layout I'm starting to think the photo is still too dark. Might have to lighten it further. I always make changes to a layout after uploading to DD. Never content

Kris.

[Chris]

Your layout turned out very lovely! I'd play around very gently in Photoshop with Image>adjust>shadow/highlight. The dark areas - shadows can be adjusted without the overall picture becoming too light.

[notnufftime]

Thanks Chris for that tip. Will definitely give that a go.

Cheers
kris.