Reversing color edits on an image

[Xelyum]

GIMP Version: 2.10.36
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: 10
GIMP Experience: New User

---

Hello, here's my situation : I'm a beginner and learning photo editing. Took a few photos and tried color editing my favorite one, messed up and overwrote the original.

I'm trying to reverse the edits using some of the other photos I took as a reference. I've been messing around with Color levels and curves, but haven't been getting things the way I want them.

For instance : on my originals, one of the reference points is a white wall with RGB values of 228,228,228 and on my edited image the values are 164,166,184 and the closest I've gotten was 172,174,170 but everything else in the photo got messed up.

Are there any tutorials/step by step guides for what I'm trying to do ? Or am I wasting my time ?

[Tas_mania]

Pity you messed-up the only copy of the photo you have

[sallyanne]

Can you upload your photo here or part of then someone here may beable to show you what to do.

If you only have one of a photo you should never overwrite it. Best practice is to first duplicate the photo then overwrite the copy if you must. At least then the original is safe.

[sallyanne]

apparently on windows you can roll-back the operating system to a point before you messed-up the only copy of the photo you have

Huh, can you?
I know you can restore but I didn't think it had any affect on the files.

From Google
Does Windows Restore delete everything?
It does not affect user data or files. This means that a system restore point can be safely used by a user. A system restore will not delete personal files such as documents, pictures, music or videos.

[Tas_mania]

sallyanne, I shouldn't have posted that because you are right. OP didn't work on a copy of the photo so will probably never get it back. Unless it's still on the camera

[sallyanne]

Thanks for replying Tas. Thought it was something new. I have used restore before I had Windows 10 and it doesn't affect your most recent projects you have worked on for instance...It only restores the OS

[Tas_mania]

Hi Xelyum, the question is really about data loss because only you know what the original image looked like and now it doesn't exist. I think it's good to be clear about these things
Rather than just saving your work as an XCF you chose to export it to exactly the same location as the original and give it the same file name. When prompted if you wanted to do this you said yes.

One recovery method involves stop using that device, install data recovery software and try to recover the over-written image. Another option is just forget about it and wait for 'microplastic armageddon' which will render all of your current problems meaningless.

[sallyanne]

There is one way you may beable to to recover it. Do you have a backup of your computer's data, before the date you did the edits? Go here and see if it helps
https://www.stellarinfo.com/blog/how-to ... d%2C%20etc.