When extra help is needed

This portrait was in seriously bad condition. In addition to the usual suspects—cracks, fading, missing emulsion—the actual photography itself was less than appealing. The dark wall paneling made for a very ugly background and there were blown highlights in the hair and on the sweater.

So, after repairing the cracks and balancing the highlights and shadows in the sweater I used the frequency separation technique to soften her skin. I then darkened the background to black, which eliminated the paneling completely. Much better!

Finally, I increased the color range and added a black vignette to complete the make-over.