TCS - Photoshop Restoration & Retouching
Photoshop Restoration & Retouching
by Brent Mockbee
From the July 2004 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter
Introduction
If you have been looking for a basic introduction to Adobe PhotoShop, don't buy
this book. This book assumes that the reader is very familiar with Adobe
PhotoShop and does not waste the time of the experienced user with the basics of
PhotoShop and the various included tools.
This paperback book, with 266 pages, including nearly a ten-page index, is the
Second Edition of this reference work authored by Katrin Eismann. The book is
illustrated with excellent color plates throughout the publication.
However, the text has essentially been completely rewritten for this edition.
The author concentrates on Adobe PhotoShop 7, although users of earlier versions
of PhotoShop will find much useful material included in this volume. Those of
you with Adobe PhotoShop Elements will find a great deal of the material in this
book directly applicable. The author points out both limitations and potential
for users of PhotoShop Elements. As outlined by the author, these are:
Limitations
- Only 8-bit RGB and grayscale color modes are supported.
- Curves, Color Balance, and Channel Mixer are missing from the adjustment
options.
- No History snapshot features.
- No Healing Brush.
- No access to channels or quick mask.
Possibilities
- Supports Adjustment Lays, Adjustment Layer layer masks, and lay Blend Modes.
- Supports the "Use all Layers" feature, which allows you to clone onto an empty
layer.
- Most filters are included-sharpening, blurring, and high pass.
- Selections can be saved.
- Supports layer masking-indirectly.
- You do have a History palette and can simulate the snapshot feature by saving
your work at different stages as "copy merged" layers.
Target Audience
The author states that the book is for you "… if you love images or work with
photographs as a dedicated amateur or full-time professional." You will find
this book useful if you have, for example, an interest in salvaging historic
family photographs as part of your efforts as a genealogist. However, it is
equally useful to those wishing to correct contemporary photographic images.
This may include exposure and color correction, removing distracting details,
such as telephone poles "growing" from subject's head, or minor dental work,
restoring a missing tooth.
Essentials For The User
The author spends the initial chapter discussing and amplifying several
essential elements, which include 1) Working Efficiently with shortcuts, 2)
Using file navigation, 3) Discovering the importance of layers, and 4)
Developing file organization and workflow methods. While I do not consider
myself to be a PhotoShop expert, but having come from a traditional photographic
background, I found the information in this first chapter to be invaluable.
Don't skip this chapter.
The remaining chapters are:
- Working efficiently with shortcuts
- Improving Tone and Contrast
- Exposure Correction
- Working with Color
- Dust, Mold, and Texture Removal
- Damage Control and Repair
- Rebuilding, Rearranging, and Re-creating Portraits
- Refining and Polishing the Image
- Portrait Retouching
- Glamour and Fashion Retouching
- How I'll Use This Book
This book will become an essential reference volume for me as I work on
restoring family photographic treasures from past generations. Although I worked
with everything from 35mm to 4" x 5" view cameras, processing and enlarging
black and white, positive and negative color films and prints, I limited my
"retouching" to minor "spotting" of the finished negatives and prints.
However, that being said, I have been able to accomplish significant retouching
and restoration tasks on damaged family photographs. The organization of the
book and the excellent index allow me to select a specific item for correction
or restoration and concentrate my learning efforts on that topic.
For example, on the index topic of "eyes," we are offered several choices,
including: accentuating, cleaning up, contrast with Dodge and Burn tools,
painterly approach, glasses, removing reflections, redeye, removing, retouching,
and tear ducts.
Under the topic of "blemishes," we are offered: correcting with History Brush
and Blending Modes, healing good over bad, and patching good over bad. Whenever
possible, the author provides several alternative methods to accomplish a given
task.
What I Like About This Book
I like this book for the approach that the author takes toward the subject of
restoration and retouching. She does not provide you with a set of boring
directions on exactly what settings you should use on her example images, but
discusses alternate approaches to a particular problem. In addition, she
attempts to provide you with why you approach a problem in a particular way, so
that you learn more than the mechanics of restoration and retouching.
The lavish, mostly color, images included in the book, are nicely reproduced and
are a valuable addition to your learning process. The included images, the vast
majority of which are in color, easily justify the modest price of this volume.
What I Missed In This Book
A Web site is provided for downloading the images needed to complete the
exercises from the book, using the same images as those used by the author. The
images are well organized according to the various chapters in the text.
However, this is a long process for those of us who do not as yet have a
highspeed Internet connection. I wish that the author and publisher had included
these images on a CD with the book rather that requiring that all of the images
be downloaded and decompressed prior to using the images. The author
specifically asked that these images not be reproduced, so you will not see
examples in this review.
Recommendation
I strongly recommend this book for the intermediate to advanced PhotoShop user
who will be performing any type of restoration or retouching of photographs,
whether they of timedamaged, poorly exposed, exhibit blemishes or other defects
that need correction.
About The Book Author
Katrin Eismann is an internationally known teacher and lecturer on imaging,
restoration and retouching of photographs. Katrin earned an undergraduate degree
in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a
Master of Fine Arts degree in design from the School of Visual Arts in New York
City.
About The Book
Photoshop Restoration & Retouching
Author: Katrin Eismann
Publisher: New Riders,
201 West 103rd Street,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46290
Telephone: 1 (800) 571-5840
Fax: 1 (317)581-4663
Paperback, First Printing, July 2003, 366 pages
MSRP: $49.95 US
ISBN: 0-7357-1350-2
There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this review as long
as it is kept in context, with proper credit given to the author. This review
is brought to you by the Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal
Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group
is a member.
For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here
Tulsa Computer Society 7/01/2004
Don Singleton, President