Never Throw Away a Photograph
If you think one of your treasured images is beyond repair or restoration, think again and ask someone. Even though detail in a photograph may appear lost, many times, the scanner can detect detail that the human eye misses. Scanning alone will not fix the photograph, additional editing is usually required.
In the right hands, today's software can perform near-miracles in retrieving images and repairing damage.
Fixing the Damage
The restoration described here is 'digital restoration' for most damage. That is, the image is either scanned or copied with a camera. Then, using the full version of PhotoShop, many advanced features are applied: some steps are automated, most are manual editing such as painting over scratches. The full version of PhotoShop has features that Photoshop Elements and other consumer-grade editing programs to not have,
Types of Damage
There are basically two types damage: 1) Natural deterioration of the photograph and 2) physical scars from poor handling or even intentional marring. Here are some examples. |
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Natural Deterioration
- Yellowing & fading of paper based photographs
- Darkening of tintypes
- Image flaking off of tintypes.
- Tarnished daguerreotypes, image obscured
- Silver foxing of early 20th century photographs
- Color shifts in mid-20th century photos, especially slides
Most instances of natural deterioration can be resolved, some to near-original. Results vary on a case by case basis.
Physical Scars
- Scratch, cracked, and folded photographs
- Pencil, pen, crayon marks
- Water spots
- Torn photos or missing pieces
All the physical damage can be addressed, the degree of restoration and time to restore depends on each case.
Examples
These restoration examples by PhotoTree show the possibilities that your photographs can become beautiful once again. |
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