Removing a double exposure from FILM scan...

StoneNYC · Jun 19, 2014

So I stupidly re-used a roll that I had shot a family christmas party on, and shot a model shoot, a few of the images I really need but have no photoshop skills and only use lightroom, I know there are PS wizards, I have about 6 images that I need to remove the double exposure from.. .is this even possible?

example...

OzJohn · Jun 19, 2014

Hi Stone I assume you want to rescue the image of the model - she would be less difficult but still hard particularly if you want the whole frame eg background. In the past year I have extracted an image from a double exposure on film that I made more 20 years ago and which has been niggling me ever since and I don't wish to revisit the process anytime soon.

Left field suggestion but why don't you send the scan to Photo Restoration by Onlinephotofix.com and see what they can do with it. Their speciality is restoration of old photos digitally but many of the techniques used are similar. They do a sensational job at very fair prices. They're located in the States but operate globally. OzJohn.

StoneNYC · Jun 19, 2014

OzJohn said:
Hi Stone I assume you want to rescue the image of the model - she would be less difficult but still hard particularly if you want the whole frame eg background. In the past year I have extracted an image from a double exposure on film that I made more 20 years ago and which has been niggling me ever since and I don't wish to revisit the process anytime soon.

Left field suggestion but why don't you send the scan to Photo Restoration by Onlinephotofix.com and see what they can do with it. Their speciality is restoration of old photos digitally but many of the techniques used are similar. They do a sensational job at very fair prices. They're located in the States but operate globally. OzJohn.

Thanks I'll see but I doubt the price is worth the saving if it's a shop it's going to cost. Sadly

Richard Boutwell · Jun 19, 2014

That one actually doesn't look too hard, as long as you are ok completely removing the background and compositing it onto something else.

This one could be saved since there is a fairly sharp line and high contrast separating the blouse and other woman's head and hair, the only part that would some really careful attention is the hair that overlays the model's face. How bad are the other 5 pictures?

Also, this kind of stuff takes some real skill and time—between $75-$150 an hour is not unreasonable, and could be 2-4 hours depending on how believable it needs to be.

StoneNYC · Jun 19, 2014

Richard Boutwell said:
That one actually doesn't look too hard, as long as you are ok completely removing the background and compositing it onto something else.

This one could be saved since there is a fairly sharp line and high contrast separating the blouse and other woman's head and hair, the only part that would some really careful attention is the hair that overlays the model's face. How bad are the other 5 pictures?

Also, this kind of stuff takes some real skill and time—between $75-$150 an hour is not unreasonable, and could be 2-4 hours depending on how believable it needs to be.

Thanks Richard!

Well if it's that kind of cost (which doesn't surprise me) then I think it's probably a no go...

It's not worth it. But thank you for the info, it's good to know it could have been possible at least.

jeffgla · Jun 20, 2014

Check out OnOne's Perfect Photo software. They have several versions, a thirty day trial and excellent tutorials. For the price of lab work mentioned you could own the software. I have been using it and learning as I go. From the looks of the image you posted I think it would help. Since there is a free trial period you have nothing to lose.

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StoneNYC · Jun 20, 2014

jeffgla said:
Check out OnOne's Perfect Photo software. They have several versions, a thirty day trial and excellent tutorials. For the price of lab work mentioned you could own the software. I have been using it and learning as I go. From the looks of the image you posted I think it would help. Since there is a free trial period you have nothing to lose.

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Thanks!

OzJohn · Jun 22, 2014

jeffgla said:
Check out OnOne's Perfect Photo software. They have several versions, a thirty day trial and excellent tutorials. For the price of lab work mentioned you could own the software. I have been using it and learning as I go. From the looks of the image you posted I think it would help. Since there is a free trial period you have nothing to lose.

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With respect, Stone says that he currently has no experience with image editing. If he were going to use his double exposure as a learning experience, he could equally get a free trial of Photoshop and access any amount of useful, free tuition on the net. This way he'd at least learn something about the industry standard software instead of taking a stab in the dark at a poorly integrated collection of disparate programs with few, if any, learning resources available other than the sponsor's own videos. OzJohn

StoneNYC · Jun 22, 2014

OzJohn said:
With respect, Stone says that he currently has no experience with image editing. If he were going to use his double exposure as a learning experience, he could equally get a free trial of Photoshop and access any amount of useful, free tuition on the net. This way he'd at least learn something about the industry standard software instead of taking a stab in the dark at a poorly integrated collection of disparate programs with few, if any, learning resources available other than the sponsor's own videos. OzJohn

Thanks, honestly I probably won't do either, it's not for any other reason than I really don't do well with tutorials, I physically own CS6 which I got as a package deal with LR4 before the CC came out. I just don't use it, it makes no sense to me, I've tried tutorials and local classes, I just get lost. I'm going to school in the fall, so hopefully they can teach me something. I was hoping there was some kind of easy fix where you could take one background that wasn't damaged and just cut out the model and put her on top, I thought it was all automated now so you could most sort of trace the person and the system would make it more "perfect" and then just drag and drop her onto the other background.

But I don't know how to, just that I thought it was simple for someone skilled.

It's ok, at least I asked and got some feedback so thanks.

jeffgla · Jun 22, 2014

I think if one was to look into the OnOne software I mentioned they would find that it is not a "poorly integrated collection of disparate programs ---". I am inclosing my first attempt with it to replace what was a bald sky. The original negative was taken with a Hasselblad using a 350mm lens and 2x extender on Delta 400 developed in ID11. I took it from across Biscayne Bay from over one-half a mile away from the subject. The negative was scanned on my trusty old Epson4870 scanner with SilverFast software. It was saved as a TIFF and processed only with the OnOne software. The clouds were from their library of sky images and was in color. I changed it to b&w with the Perfect Black & White feature (part of the package). The original sky was removed with their Perfect eraser. I just followed one of their tutorials which was very easy to follow.

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jeffgla · Jun 22, 2014

Here's another one I just did to make a point. I completely changed the sky. From opening the image in OnOne, adding the sky from their library, making some slight adjustments to the brightness, saving it on the desktop, reopening in PhotoShop to change the size and to a jpeg it took 9 minutes. Believe me, I'm VERY far from being an expert. I predominately do wet, traditional darkroom printing.

Jeff

StoneNYC · Jun 22, 2014

Jeff, I think this would be more effective of a demonstration if you showed both the before and after...

jeffgla · Jun 23, 2014

Here is the before for one of the images. The other one is on my computer at home, I can post it this evening.
Jeff

StoneNYC · Jun 23, 2014

Thanks, interesting

jeffgla · Jun 23, 2014

Here's the other before. I have nothing to do with the OnOne company but if you watch a couple of their tutorials you will be impressed. I know a very excellent wedding, event and portrait photographer who routinely uses their product. I know many purists look down on "plugins and such programs" and say PhotoShop is where it is at but this one is really good.

Jeff

Removing a double exposure from FILM scan...

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