Restoration Workflow

[Katie S]

Hello, man I've missed these classes..been super busy!!  First post within the new system, so please direct me elsewhere if this shouldn't be posted here.  I am doing my first official 'restoration' of an old photo.  I have read the information on damiensymonds.net about restoration and also read through the few threads that come up when i do the search feature at the top of the page.  

This client is in a different state than me, originally scanned the photo as a horrible .jpg.  After speaking with her about getting a better scan, she had another photographer take RAW photo of the photo. I didn't know or would have given the 'photograph a photograph' instructions.   I thought it would be one file, but instead the photographer took multiple photos with the focus on different pieces of the picture so I have three different RAW files.  

So just trying to figure out what my workflow should be.  I am thinking I am going to have to go through restore process on each photo, at least in the focused section, then layer and mask them into one photo.   Based on what I do remember in the modules, I shouldn't flatten, crop, or things like that till the very end.   *I will say I was thrilled to see the Channel Mixer thread about restoration....super helpful!!!*

Also, with the old photos I didn't see anywhere on the blog posts about Camera Raw, is there anything specific I can actually do in Camera Raw? Do i still process noise removal? 

[Damien Symonds]

1 hour ago, Katie S said:

the photographer took multiple photos with the focus on different pieces of the picture so I have three different RAW files.  

So just trying to figure out what my workflow should be.  I am thinking I am going to have to go through restore process on each photo, at least in the focused section, then layer and mask them into one photo.

No, definitely don't do the restoration first.  Only do the raw processing.  Then the first step in Photoshop would be to merge them into one photo.  Only then would you start the restoration work.

By the way, I'm going to move this into the "Help with editing" section of the site, since it doesn't pertain directly to any class.