Salvaging terrible photos :(

[PaulaSG]

I went to a wedding last weekend and brought my point and shoot instead of my dslr. The photos are AWFUL. Really, really terrible. I bumped up my ISO as high as it would go and the photos that actually came out are really, really grainy but the worst part is that they are bizarre colors (orange and pink). I've got a few shots that I'd really like to be able to save but I'm not sure what I can do with them. All my usual tricks with levels etc do not work!



and



Any ideas of what I can try?

[Denise Gormish]

What happens if you turn them black and white or sepia?

[Britgirl]

do you use LR? I wonder if that could help? I am becoming better at de-funking photos so unless an expert stops by feel free to email 'em to me Paula :0 I figure I cant make them worse eh??
other wise... blend them on kraft. works for all bad photos i've ever had to scrap!!

[PaulaSG]

Thanks for the offer Mel -- I think I'll take you up on it!

I tried b&w and they looked like bad photos printed on newsprint!!

[deanie]

Paula, do you have Noiseware or some other noise reducing software? Works great for the noise-but the colors...I'm sure Mel can help!

[Joey_M]

Noiseware has saved me so many times and so has Lightroom! I wonder if you could clean them up and then turn them to black/white? I am so sorry about the photos not turning out!

[lima]

Let us know how you get the orange/pink out! I've got some late 1950's slides that look like your photos, only with red, and I'd be most grateful to know how to restore them.

[DonnaNJ]

I'm assuming you're using Photoshop.. Did you try Enhance.. Adjust Color... Color Variations and then play with the less red/less yellow etc? Sometimes if you can get the worst of the color out then go back to Enhance and do Color Correction it works.. Good luck DonnaNJ

[cstaff]

If you do use photoshop... try making any adjustment, color corrections on an adjustment layer rather than the photo itself... those can be edited or deleted without affecting the photo itself. hope something works for you...

[PaulaSG]

thanks everyone. It seems that even when I got the color out the grain was so bad that it still looks awful. Thanks to Melanie I have new versions that I'll try to work into a layout. Sadly the quality is just not good with my point and shoot.

[DonnaNJ]

Sorry to hear that... b&w conversions might work so they look like older photos.. Unfortunately I find that once I got used to my DSLR the P&S just didn't do it anymore... Good luck DonnaNJ

[katrinak]

Email them to me too, I'll give it a go and Mel and I can compare results

[esther_a]

I want to see what the gurus come up with!! Not that they would have ever had to use these skills with her own photos!!

[Britgirl]

oh no!! dont show me katrina's!!! hers will be amazing!!!
and seriously Esther - I do have to rescue many photos, most of my rescues are blurry ones I took but also lots of old photos from family that are hideous quality...
just take a look at all my 'blended with kraft' layouts!!!!

[justmp]

I'm really anxious to see what you ladies can do with these photos. I played with them in LR from the biggest version I could grab off here, and couldn't do much with them as far as the grain was concerned.

[PaulaSG]

thanks Jodi for trying The linked versions on photobucket are as big as they get. Lesson learned - a point-and-shoot just will not do!!

[iUma]

Mel, I would love to know what yo do with blurred photos? Any specifics with LR or PS? Thanks for your input.

[geekgirl415]

anxiously awaiting results/answers too!

[Britgirl]

oh blurred photos are firstly ARTY okay? dont let anyone tell you otherwise
And these are just what I find works. not super professional tips....
If youre scrapping them -blend them with kraft. honestly. its a joke between Katrina and I, but that is EXACTLY what we do - okay I do, she doesnt blur much!!- you can see examples in my gallery. Try altering the blending too, multiply or high light may give better results. And I'm sure any kraft will do but I have to use krafty summer plain paper LOL.
If you are firstly trying to save the photos/improve the photos try duplicating your layer and smart sharpening the top one {no more than 2 on the top line and three on the bottom I find} then reduce the opacity of the top photo til it looks better but not freaky Black and white /sepia always improves things too, or simply reduce the saturation a little.
Noiseware. Its really worth the money. as long as you use it sparingly.
Hope that helps!