This was my first restoration challenge and I've decided that maybe I'd better stick to manipulations. I'm not exactly proud of my results but decided to go ahead and submit it in hopes that someone can point out corrections to the errors of my ways.

I think I should have taken someone's advise and worked on the baby and dress first since they were the focal point of picture. By the time I got to them, I'd gotten tired and aggravated with myself.

1. Cropped borders from picture.

2. Reduced image to 800 pixel width. Made new file of same size and background in white. Copied image to it.

3. Split Channels... used red (Note: finally figured out what splitting channels was...LOL... I am learning)

4. Played with the Histogram. I don't remember the setting but followed instructions on HELP since I'd never used it before.

5. Using Magic Wand I selected chair, inverted selection and erased background to make it white.

6. Again using Magic Wand, selected good eye, copied and saved to new image. Mirrored it and rotated then copy and pasted over bad eye. Merged visible layers.

7. Tried Scratch removal, with inadequate results so I resorted to cloning and cloned in areas that needed it.

Things get a little fuzzy here and I'm not sure what all I did or in what order, but basically it was these things.

• Selected the dark area of the chair and darkened.
• Selected other areas of chair individually and adjusted contrast and brightness to try to get an overall even appearance.
• Selected area underneath chair and flood filled with a texture.
• Selected face and darkened for more contrast with dress
• Selected locket and chain and lightened for more contrast with dress
• Gave up on trying to even out tones in face and used. Retouch>Smudge
• Also gave up on dress and smudged around on it. This was after trying 3 dozen or so different things that didn't work.
• Shadowed a bit beneath baby's neck
• Did drop shadow behind chair