Beery Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Just thought I'd offer my services. One of my hobbies is photo restoration, so if anyone has a damaged photo and can send me a high quality scan of the image (or as high quality as the site will allow to upload), I can restore it to look like new. Even if the photo is torn in half or missing great big chunks I can usually recreate the image from what's already there. Here's an example of an image from my wife's family that was very badly damaged and missing two great chunks. As you can see, I restored the photo so that it's almost impossible to tell that it was damaged. So if you have a photo that needs restoring, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trefcon Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Beery, i have about 2,300 pics that need a quick touch up, i'll send them on !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Beery, i have about 2,300 pics that need a quick touch up, i'll send them on !! Hehe. If you could send maybe one a week, I can probably have them all done by 2053, . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Fantastic offer, hope people post before and afters, with whatever details they have of the person/people. On behalf of SheffieldHistory and its members - A Big Thank You ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Just thought I'd offer my services. One of my hobbies is photo restoration, so if anyone has a damaged photo and can send me a high quality scan of the image (or as high quality as the site will allow to upload), I can restore it to look like new. Even if the photo is torn in half or missing great big chunks I can usually recreate the image from what's already there. Here's an example of an image from my wife's family that was very badly damaged and missing two great chunks. As you can see, I restored the photo so that it's almost impossible to tell that it was damaged. So if you have a photo that needs restoring, let me know. Hi Beery, This is a identity photo of my gt granddad taken from his Permit Book allowing him to travel to the North of Scotland Special Military area to work on ships at Scapa Flow in early 1918. Is it possible to do anything with it please to get rid of the impressed stamp ? Thanks, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 [Got it. I'll see what I can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Sorry - image removed - it needed some more work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 I removed the earlier image because it really needed a bit more tweaking. The finished product is in the next post. The left side of the jacket was REALLY tough, because the stamp obscures so much of the detail that you can't figure out what kind of jacket he's wearing. The rest of the image was fairly easy. It's usually just a matter of knowing what should be there and continuing the lines that are there through the parts that have been damaged. The other area that gave me some problem was under the chin, but I think it came out fairly well. Anyway, I hope you like it. This one probably took only about an hour. It's a beautiful photograph by the way - almost like a painting. It's no wonder you chose to restore it. I hope I've done it some justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 I did a bit more work on it to even out some areas where there was still shadowing from the stamp. Unfortunately once you get past a certain point, the more work you do, the less real it starts to look in the areas you adjust. I think this is the right point to stop. Anyway, here's the latest version shown next to the original photo so that people can easily compare. I left a little of the fading at the bottom of the image. This could be removed, but at a greater risk of the photo looking artificial. Anyway, I think the fading makes the photo look even more like a painting, so I left it. Oh, and something I always tell people - keep the original! When a restoration is done it's easy to get caught up in how nice it looks compared to a damaged original, and often the original gets lost or thrown away. But whenever a restoration is done, detail is always lost. The original image always contains the most detail, so display the restored copy, but keep your originals safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I did a bit more work on it to even out some areas where there was shadowing from the stamp. Unfortunately once you get past a certain point, the more work you do, the less real it starts to look in the areas you adjust. Anyway, here's the latest version shown next to the original photo so that people can easily compare. Oh, and something I always tell people - keep the original! When a restoration is done it's easy to get caught up in how nice it looks compared to a damaged original, and often the original gets lost or thrown away. But whenever a restoration is done, detail is always lost. The original image always contains the most detail, so display the restored copy, but keep your originals safe. Let me be the 1st to say that is fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I did a bit more work on it to even out some areas where there was still shadowing from the stamp. Unfortunately once you get past a certain point, the more work you do, the less real it starts to look in the areas you adjust. I think this is the right point to stop. Anyway, here's the latest version shown next to the original photo so that people can easily compare. I left a little of the fading at the bottom of the image. This could be removed, but at a greater risk of the photo looking artificial. Anyway, I think the fading makes the photo look even more like a painting, so I left it. Oh, and something I always tell people - keep the original! When a restoration is done it's easy to get caught up in how nice it looks compared to a damaged original, and often the original gets lost or thrown away. But whenever a restoration is done, detail is always lost. The original image always contains the most detail, so display the restored copy, but keep your originals safe. Thanks so much Beery - you have made a wonderful job of it ! Yes, its quite a special photo particularly as we have only 2 photos him - this one when he was aged 31 and one when my mum and dad got married when he was 54 and thats not too great. The Defence of the Realm Permit Book is quite unusual - never come across one before and my uncle only unearthed it recently - it looks just like an army pay book. His photo on that is only 1 3/4 by 1 1/2 inches but it scanned well. Grandad was a plater/driller in the Sheffield steelworks (which must have been a reserved occupation as he had 7 years in the army from 1902 - 1909). He was sent up to Scapa Flow to repair battleships etc. on 13 Feb 1918. Sadly he died when I was only 6 months old so I never knew him. Thanks again - All my family are delighted to have such a great photo to remember him by. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Thanks, Stuart and John. The image was a lot of fun to work on. Pity I couldn't get enough of the image to really get the jacket (or coat) perfect. It is a great photo though - the photographer really did a lovely job - quite rare for what was presumably a sort of passport type job. If you decide to frame it, you might try a dark grey oval mat with it, which would focus the eye on the face and would cover over some of the areas on the jacket that couldn't be properly resolved. You'd need to keep the image small - a maximum of maybe 3 1/2"x5" to keep the grain to a minimum. I've taken a couple of minutes to show you what that might look like (the lighter grey represents the frame, which be larger - maybe 4"x6" to fit the mat in. The frame could be a nice gold, or a more contemporary colour (hehe, I used to be a custom framer, so I'm a bit of a picture framing geek). Now that the photo is digitized you could print it onto photo paper and get a custom framer to cut the mat and fit it in the frame. Anyway, just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Brilliant, I don't know how you go about doing that; maybe you don't know why I've spent 20 months on the history of Sheffield Pubs - you stick with your area of expertise and I'll flap about all over the place like normal. You get the newly invented SheffieldHistory KOTC award - you may wish to nominate another SH Member to administer the Kiss, I'm not exactly a picture of beauty ! Hope you get lots more pictures to work on, I'm impressed with your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnm Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks, Stuart and John. The image was a lot of fun to work on. Pity I couldn't get enough of the image to really get the jacket (or coat) perfect. It is a great photo though - the photographer really did a lovely job - quite rare for what was presumably a sort of passport type job. If you decide to frame it, you might try a dark grey oval mat with it, which would focus the eye on the face and would cover over some of the areas on the jacket that couldn't be properly resolved. You'd need to keep the image small - a maximum of maybe 3 1/2"x5" to keep the grain to a minimum. I've taken a couple of minutes to show you what that might look like (the lighter grey represents the frame, which be larger - maybe 4"x6" to fit the mat in. The frame could be a nice gold, or a more contemporary colour (hehe, I used to be a custom framer, so I'm a bit of a picture framing geek). Now that the photo is digitized you could print it onto photo paper and get a custom framer to cut the mat and fit it in the frame. Anyway, just a thought. Many thanks again Beery - great advice and your specimen image really makes the picture stand out. Best wishes, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Sorry, but I'm still tweaking that image for JohnM (hehe I'm a bit of a perfectionist). I managed to gain a bit more detail from the jacket. I realised there was a lapel there so I put it back. I put the new version in my original post with the other images so you can choose the one you like best. I also got a request via email from Ayfer. Here's what I managed to do for him. This is Joseph Raine Tetley (original and restored version shown): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Three copies of a scan here Beery : http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...art=#entry38326 Please see if you can do anything with one of them. Thank you. RichardB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'll see what I can do. It may not be today, but I'll work on it ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'll see what I can do. It may not be today, but I'll work on it ASAP. It's been waiting over 100 years, a while longer won't hurt ... Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Here's what I've managed to do. I used the largest version in order to preserve the most detail possible. The original photo was taken with the camera not level, so I levelled the image. This widens out the image a bit. This kills two birds with one stone, as it gives the figures a bit of breathing room, but it required me to add background to the image - if you don't like it we can go back to the uneven version. I like this version because it shows how the older man is leaning on the younger man as they walk. I got rid of the breaks in the glass plate - piece of cake. I also repositioned one of the pieces of glass which seemed a little out of place. The one thing I can't get rid of without losing a lot of image quality is the newspaper print effect. When you look at the image under magnification you can see that it was printed for a newspaper or other periodical (or perhaps that's how glass prints were done - I don't know, as I've never seen one). This is REALLY difficult to fix without losing image definition - the only real way to do it is by reducing the image size to about 1/4 of the original size, but this loses a lot of definition. Anyway, hope you like the result. Here are both the restored version and the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 You have an eye for things I couldn't hope to notice, the younger man could not have walked at that angle, I would not have picked that up - thats commonsense - but outside my range of skills, if you need tuition on Pre-Victorian Pubs, I'm the man ! Tremendous work - Many Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn 1 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Can you do anything with this one? - it looks as if there is someone with their arms folded stood in the doorway behind the woman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 Hi Lyn, Can you scan it with higher definition? With such a small image I can't see any part of a face on the person behind the woman - without at least half a face or some contrast to go on there's nothing I can do to bring out any facial detail. I can, however, remove all those nasty crease lines, and if there is any face there a large high definition scan should show it and I might be able to coax it out from the shadows. Get me a nice BIG (i.e. 600dpi or better) scan of the original photo and I'll get right on it. If the image you sent is the highest definition you can get, I'll be able to remove the creases, but I'm afraid that will be all I'll be able to do. Actually, I downloaded the image and I've been looking at it for a few minutes. I zoomed in on the area behind the woman there, and I can't see anyone there at all. I think what looks like folded arms is some sort of cloth or vegetables or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn 1 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Hi Lyn, Can you scan it with higher definition? With such a small image I can't see any part of a face on the person behind the woman - without at least half a face or some contrast to go on there's nothing I can do to bring out any facial detail. I can, however, remove all those nasty crease lines, and if there is any face there a large high definition scan should show it and I might be able to coax it out from the shadows. Get me a nice BIG (i.e. 600dpi or better) scan of the original photo and I'll get right on it. If the image you sent is the highest definition you can get, I'll be able to remove the creases, but I'm afraid that will be all I'll be able to do. Actually, I downloaded the image and I've been looking at it for a few minutes. I zoomed in on the area behind the woman there, and I can't see anyone there at all. I think what looks like folded arms is some sort of cloth or vegetables or something Is this better - the original is in sepia. Thanks Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 CDV Photograph: VICTORIAN LADY + BABY on LAP, Sheffield http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CDV-Photograph-VICTO...%3A1|240%3A1318 Late 1860s - early 1870s. SIZE: approx. 2.5 x 4 inches STUDIO: J. Thomas, Chapel Walk, Fargate, Sheffield 2 days, 23 hours, £1.99, 0 bids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beery Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Is this better - the original is in sepia. Thanks Lyn Oh that's definitely better. Now it's clear there is indeed a person standing behind the lady. I'll see what I can do to bring the details out. I'll also see if it's possible to improve the facial details of the others in the photo - there may be some improvement possible. I'll work on it over the next couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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