affinity photo First time at trying to restore a old photo

[tycoon1954]

Hi this is the first time at trying to restore a old photo using Affinity Photo any advice would be a great help.

[dannyg9]

So far, so good, although he looks as though he's no longer "grounded." I can only comment in as much as what you may or may not have done. One thing I never do when retouching is to select areas and work on them with any filters or lighting effects. The area worked on seems to become "isolated" from the rest of the photo and that causes more work to blend it back in. The outline of the woman in the background has become more pronounced. Good or Bad? That's subjective. Depends what you're trying to achieve. Personally, I use the Patch, Burn, Dodge, and Clone tools along with occasional application of the Blur tool. Methodology is different from person to person. If you can't achieve the results using what one person employs or what a video shows you, but you DO get results by your own methods and experiments then you've still achieved the goal. I've also learned that it's a life-long process of learning and experimentation, both as your skills improve and as programs are updated with newer features.

I've included a sample before and after.

 

[VectorWhiz]

Not bad at all for a first attempt, but perhaps you can use the advice given by dannyg9, although I must say the original does require a heap of editing to reconstruct realism.

[dannyg9]

3 minutes ago, VectorWhiz said:

Not bad at all for a first attempt, but perhaps you can use the advice given by dannyg9, although I must say the original does require a heap of editing to reconstruct realism.

I've done a number of photos that require time (if, in my opinion, you want it done right) and patience. I walk away and come back to certain pieces, often because I work on sections at a time and I tend to get "cross-eyed" so-to-speak. As the image becomes clearer as you progress, it will let you know where to go and what to work on. As Vector Whiz said, reconstructing realism takes time.

[VectorWhiz]

That is what I do often - walk away and come back later (sometimes years after) - to re-edit a piece. I find myself wondering: Did I do that? or How on earth could I have missed that? As a result I mess up even worse, but most of the time the artwork improves.

[tycoon1954]

Hi all thank you for the suggestions I still have a lot to learn I have had this software for a long time but did not find time to get into it but now I have retired I have time on my hands what I did there was the first thing I had a look at on youtube IE: inpainting tool and Levels.