Although Photoshop is a great tool for improving or modifying digital images, it is also a fantastic application for restoring or restoring photos damaged as a result of exposure to time, i.e. simply growing old, neglecting them, or exposure to natural factors, such as natural disasters. In this lesson, we will show you how to restore a badly damaged photo. So let’s get started!
Final result:
1. We select the parts of the photo
Step 1
So, we have a damaged photo with which we are going to work. For this lesson, the most spoiled picture was specially selected so that we could really put our restoration abilities to the test.
Step 2
Let’s start by highlighting each piece of a photo with the tool. Lasso
(Lasso Tool), then copy and paste each piece on a separate layer. Thus, at the end of this procedure, we should have four new layers, and we should make the original layer invisible so far by clicking on the eyelet icon next to the layer miniature in the palette. Layers (Layers).
Step 3
Then, for each layer we will have to create a mask, and using a brush (choose for yourself which one suits you best), start to mask the edges of the image itself on each layer. The author used a brush a piece of chalk (Chalk Brush) 23 pixels. In the course of the masking process, the size of the brush must be changed depending on which fragments you mask.
Step 4
Before you start masking, you need to create a new layer (substrate layer) below the one you are going to work with and fill it with a dark blue color. This will help us better see what and where we will need to disguise.
Step 5
Begin masking along the edge of the image, getting rid of all the unwanted areas around.
Step 6
Repeat this process for all other fragments, until you succeed as shown in the screenshot below. We do not need ragged edges and a white photo frame, so detailed masking, as shown here, will help you move on to our next step.
2. Putting the puzzle pieces together
Step 1
One of the easiest parts of this lesson is assembling puzzle pieces together. Be sure to spend some time to try to align the edges of each fragment with each other by rotating (Editing – Transform – Rotate (Edit – Transform – Rotate)) and move (Tool Move
(Move tool)). In the process, you may want to distort and scale a specific fragment so that it looks better, but it is better to avoid it.
Step 2
Try to fit the fragments as precisely as you can. Put the mosaic fragments together, but try to do it so that there are no overlapping fragments.
Step 3
Once you have collected all the fragments together, unite them into a group. To do this, hold down Ctrl and use the left mouse button to select the layers we need alternately. Then press Ctrl + G, the group is ready. Then duplicate the group by pressing the key combination Ctrl + J.
Here’s what you should end up with:
Step 4
And, finally, just merge the top group together, and the other just make it invisible for now, by clicking on the eyelet icon next to the group thumbnail. Now everything is ready to proceed to the next steps.
3. Fix the kinks and cracks in the photo
Step 1
The time has come to proceed directly to the restoration part of our lesson, and we will do this as a tool. Stamp
(Clone Stamp Tool). With it, we will begin to creatively get rid of various scratches and tears in the photo.
Step 2
Use the intact areas of the photo to clean up the areas where the damage is present. In the process of work, be sure to ensure that the patterns used are not repetitive.
Step 3
Treat each section as a separate element, if necessary, apply a zoom and change the size of the brush as necessary.
Step 4
Be patient and spend enough time to remove all the kinks and breaks in the best possible way. At this stage, I advise you not to go too deep into the details and clean only the most obvious damage.
Step 5
If you find something that requires more detailed processing, just leave it for further “cleaning” steps in our lesson.
Step 6
Fragment by fragment, you will see how your photo comes back to life.
Step 7
And here, one fragment, which was decided to leave for later, because it is quite important and it has quite serious damage. This fragment is the face of the child. Therefore, clean the area around the face, and leave the face for further steps, when we can find other solutions for this and spend more time on it.
Step 8
And here we found another bump on the road, bends and wrinkles on paper, since this is not a scanned image, but a digital photo of the original, we have shining light spots and reflections, which we also need to process separately. Of course, all this could have been avoided if you got the photo itself directly and scanned it in the right way. Also, this stage of processing seems to be quite easy, but in fact, this work of processing all damages requires a huge amount of time for detailed creative cloning, so be patient and work through everything carefully.
4. How to fix important areas in a photo
Step 1
Now it’s time to process more complex areas of the photos that we skipped in previous steps, for example, the back of a motorcycle. Since the original photo was torn and bent, in this part we need to restore these areas. If possible, have the customer provide other photos where you could see the entire object being restored (in this case, a motorcycle). In the case of this photo, we can only rely on our assumptions and intuition to understand what it looked like initially.
Step 2
One of the most important parts of the restoration of our photo is to correct the face of the child. This should be done very carefully, without changing the facial features. Therefore, set the minimum size for your brush, and if necessary, work even pixel-by-pixel until you clear the entire area from damage. Remember that this is only the second stage of the restoration itself, so leave the smallest details for the next steps.
5. We fix bends and shadows.
Step 1
It’s time to translate our image into black and white. Even if the customer wants it to be in sepia mode, it will still be better to take a photo in black and white, restore shades and contrast, and then, at the end, toned it back into sepia. Therefore, we apply a black and white adjustment layer to our restored layer, as shown below.
Step 2
Duplicate the layers as shown in the screenshot below, and hide the originals by clicking on the eye icon next to the layer thumbnail. To duplicate them, hold down the Ctrl key and click on each of the layers, then, when both layers are selected, press the key combination Ctrl + J.
Step 3
Now merge the duplicated layers together.
Step 4
In this step, we will apply the tool Color range (Color Range) to highlight the folds that reflect the light of the environment and give the effect of glowing paper in dark areas of the photo. (To activate this tool, select the command Selection – Color Range (Select – Color Range)).
Step 5
As soon as the selection is done, apply feathering to it with a radius of about 5 pixels. (To do this, go to Selection – Modification – Feather (Select – Modify – Feather), or simply press the key combination Shift + F6)
Step 6
Then, activate the tool Dimmer
(Burn Tool) and make sure that its settings match those shown in the screenshot below:
- Range (Range): Mid tones (Midtones)
- Exposition (Exposure): 24%
Step 7
Begin to process the selected areas in the photo using the Dimmer until they differ from the other shadow areas. For this procedure, take the softest large brush.
Step 8
We also have an area above the gas tank, which is bent, and the reflecting light scatters the shadow at hand. Therefore, we take again the tool Dimmer (Burn Tool), you may have to work a little tool Stamp (Clone Stamp Tool), and try to restore the shadow in this area.
6. We frame and “treat”
Step 1
Let’s begin this step with framing (tool Frame 
(Crop tool)) of our image, as shown below. Try to keep as much of the original content of our photo as possible.
Step 2
Now is the time to use the tool in our work. Spot Healing Brush 
(Spot Healing Brush) to remove some blemishes. I am sure that you were tempted to use this tool earlier, but in fact it would not help you at the earlier stages of the restoration of our photo, but would only spoil many things. There is no hot key for the restoration; this process requires scrupulous attention to detail and patience. However, at this stage we can use this tool.
Step 3
Now, we need to recognize which of the spots are damaged in the photo, and which of them are real parts of the image, so be careful when processing.
Step 4
We can also meet fragments, for example, like this one, where neither the tool can help us Stamp (Clone tool) nor Spot Healing Brush (Spot Healing Brush), and as a result, we have no choice but to manually draw these details.
Step 5
Therefore, select the tool Brush
(Brush Tool) and set the size of the print brush 1 pixel.
Step 6
Take a sample of the glare from the wheel rim and gently start the restoration of the fragment with a cable, as shown below.
Step 7
Next, take a sample of the color of the shadow from the image and complete the restoration of the fragment with a cable.
Step 8
We managed to successfully draw a fragment that had been almost completely absent in the image before.
Step 9
Let’s continue our work with other fragments. Wherever possible, use the available details on the image to restore the damaged fragments, and leave drawing or drawing from scratch completely for the most neglected cases, where it is obvious that this fragment cannot be restored. In this case, the damaged wheel can be repaired using intact wheel fragments.
Step 10
Let’s look at the wheels and remove the damage found there. Use the same method to go through the whole image, and wherever you find damages of this type, correct them.
7. Eliminate noise in the photo
Step 1
Now we use the tool, or rather, the filter Reduce noise, to get rid of the smallest particles and spots throughout the image. To do this, use the command Filter – Noise – Reduce Noise (Filter – Noise – Reduce Noise).
Step 2
Let’s duplicate our working layer and apply the settings shown below. Be careful when using this tool, try not to overdo it, as you can remove important details from our photo, instead of getting rid of unwanted noise and stains. Experimenting and studying this tool is a pretty good idea, and that is why we are working on a duplicate layer so as not to damage our work.
- Settings (Settings) Default (Default)
- Intensity (Strength) 7
- Save details (Preserve details) 74%
- Reduce the color noise (Reduce Color Noise) 100%
- Detail sharpness (Sharpen details) 26%
- Check the checkbox Remove JPEG Artifact (Remove JPEG Artifact)
8. Correct the face of the child
Step 1
The final touch on our photo will be the correction of a lip that has been badly damaged. We will use another intact fragment of the mouth to restore and correct the upper right lip in detail.
Step 2
Using tool Lasso (Lasso Tool), select the fragment of the right part of the lip, copy it (Ctrl + C) and paste (Ctrl + V) on a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N). (Alternatively, after selecting the fragment, use the command Layers – New – Copy to New Layer (Layer – New – Layer Via Copy)).
Step 3
Flip the fragment horizontally and rotate to the position shown below. Translator’s Note:Editing – Transform – Flip Horizontally (Edit – Transform – Flip Horizontal)
Step 4
Then distort it as shown in the screenshot.
Step 5
Use the tool Dimmer (Burn Tool) to add the necessary shading. Thus, we will restore the child’s mouth in the photo.
Step 6
And then just complete this step by combining both layers together, and this will bring us closer to completing our restoration.
9. Making final detailed processing.
Step 1
We still have small specks and dust that need to be cleaned, so we can return to the tool again. Spot Healing Brush (Spot Healing Brush) and set a small brush print size for it, similar to the one shown in the screenshot below.
Step 2
Let’s start with the face of the child, simply by removing the particles that are clearly highlighted, as shown here.
Step 3
Further, our way lies through the motorcycle. He, too, must be carefully examined for missing damage.
Step 4
The last stage requires a lot of time for inspecting, approaching, where necessary, and identifying the remaining parts to be repaired or removed.
Step 5
We may have some less obvious defects or damage that could be caused by exposure to liquid or glue, and which we also need to take care of.
Step 6
In this case, we found something that requires us to return to the tools Stamp (Clone Stamp Tool) and Brush (Brush Tool), so do. The photo shows that the child had more hair trimmed than would be necessary, so I suggest that you return them back using the tools listed above.
Conclusion
Finally, we did it! Fully refurbished photo that a satisfied customer can take home and frame. In this lesson, we showed you how to restore a badly damaged photo. In the course of the process, you learned how to work with tools such as Stamp, Spot Healing Brush, and even tried to paint with the Paintbrush tool some details that cannot be restored from the original photo. We hope that you learned something useful from this lesson, and the methods that you have learned here will be useful to you for the restoration of your own photographs.
