Photo Restoration and Enhancement Blog

In this blog, you will see further examples of photo restoration, photo repair or photo enhancement done by PhotoValet. Keep coming back here. We will add new work to it periodically.

3/11/2014 

Here is a treasured family photo which was originally in black and white. It had suffered  damage over the years, but that was remedied without too much difficulty. 

But what was really important was to apply the colours of the traditional Sikh uniform.These were never in the original photo. The customer was able to provide detailed guidance on the specific colours to be used.

 
 

  8/10/2013

Even if a photo has a lot of damage
a repair is still possible. The most
important thing to examine is how
much damage there is to the facial
features. The faces in this photo were
fairly intact.

20/7/2013

Restoring a faded photo usually restores not
just the colours but the original details. Photos
that are becoming almost unusable once more
become very usable indeed.
  

    9/7/2013

 Old photos are often sepia in tone,
 even though originally they may have
 been black and white.

 Some people prefer to have a black
 and white restoration; some like a
 sepia one, although often a sepia tone
 a bit closer to black and white is
 preferred.

 We can produce whichever version
 you prefer.


 
11/10/2012



Photos can fade so much that
they can be barely usable. If we
get to them in time, rescue is possible
 

  And indeed the restoration can be taken further.
 Colourising can make it a better photo than it was
 originally.



8/8/2012

This was an interesting project. It was a stereo daguerreotype made by Antoine Claudet of Regent St sometime in the period 1851-1867. It would have been viewed through a stereo viewer which would have provided a 3D effect. (And you thought 3D was a new idea !) 





 
 
We just needed to produce one restored photo. Although the two images are not exactly the same. we were able to take pick and choose the best parts from both images and make a combined restoration.




   
22/8/2012

Water damage to a photo can even  do more damage than a stock car
 race. But the photo was certainly cheaper to repair than the car would
have been !



  
 14/8/2012


  When colour photos fade, the colours  do not fade
  evenly. The result is that the photo not only gets less bright,
  but the colour balance changes. The skin tones and colour
  of objects all change in different ways.

  Getting all the colours back to their original state is not always
  easy. And sometimes it takes some iterations - the customer may
  comment on the proof  e.g. "the dress was more blue than that".
  We are happy to receive comments like that and adjust the proof
  accordingly.



   27/7/2012

Restoring colour to faded photos is

not an exact science. There is
judgement involved. Sometimes it
is hard to know
what the original colours
were. For this photo, the customer was able
to supply a reference photo which told us
the correct colour for the ties and sweaters.




   6/7/2012

 It is not only photos of people which benefit

 from digital photo restoration. This photo was
 owned by a collector of photos of paddle
 steamers of a certain vintage.
 After restoration, not only was he able to
 see the detail of the steamer more clearly,
 but he was able to see the land features
 and  make a good guess about the
 probable location.


The photo was a 2.5 x 3.75inch glass slide.



 
  30/6/2012

  You will often find that photos stored in a frame
  and exposed to daylight have faded unevenly.
 This is a problem that can be dealt with by digital
 restoration, as this example shows.

 It also shows the yellowing that takes place
 over time and that needs to be removed to
 bring back the natural colours.




 
 23/6/2012

 It is not only photos that can be restored
with our techniques. Text published in
newspapers and magazines often needs
to be restored.

This is an item published in "Cycling"
magazine in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee. PhotoValet was able to make
the text more readable.

Amongst other things, it tells of one John Markham
who won a competition, held as part of the
celebrations, by riding a number of  bicycles all
at the same time. (See the photo below and the
complete poem below that.)


John Markham was the grandfather of one of
PhotoValet's customers - justifiably proud of her
ancestor's exploit.


 
 23/62012

 


This is John Markham, mentioned in the Cycling poem above.

 In a competition to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee,
 he demonstrated his skill by riding on a bicycle while carrying
 five other bicycles at the same time. This is the restored version
 of the photograph.

 And below is the poem recording the event..












  TO CELEBRATE THE JUBILEE

 The day draws nigh, the busy streets               
 Are lined with towering tiers of seats,              
 And each one strives in various ways,            
 In these eventful summer days, 
    To celebrate the Jubilee.                   

Our peerless Princess ever kind,                     
 The helpless poor has borne in mind,              
 Soon through her bountiful design,
 A host of fattened guests will dine,
    To celebrate the Jubilee

 The Scots are tearing limb from limb,
 The Bishop who composed the Hymn;
 Like bulls enraged by crimson rag
 They tatter poor old "England's flag"
    To celebrate the Jubilee.
  The worthy major of Coventry -
  Home of the cycle industry -
  Will offer to our gracious Queen
   An exquisitely-wrought machine,
           To celebrate the Jubilee.

  Near "Cycling's" stately pile, the streets
  Were late the scene of skilful feats,
  When Markham rode, mid lively scenes,
  And won the prize with five machines,
      To celebrate the Jubilee.

 On Derby Day to Epsom Downs,
 In wondrous hats and stylish gowns
 The lady cyclists came in force
 And rode upon the famous course,
    To celebrate the Jubilee.

 The constables of Portsmouth, too,
 Preparing for the great Review,
 On cycles mounted, through the streets
 Will pedal up and down their beats,
    To celebrate the Jubilee.

 Young Sloper found two stylish mounts
 Which no one lost, by all accounts;
 He failed to satisfy the "beak" -
  In breezy Pentonville next week
    He'll celebrate the Jubilee.

 To "Cycling's" readers great and small -
 Good luck attend you, one and all;
 May all who read this simple rhyme,
 Have what is termed a high old time
    To celebrate the Jubilee.

        Wm. C Birt Whitwell


  

 12/6/2012

In stock car restoration, you expect a bit of damage But you don't expect water damage to the photos of your car. 

We were able to return the photo to an  as-new condition. We weren't able to do the same for the car itself !

But note how we were able to "draw" in background to replace the lost areas.




 2/6/2012

 This is a modern photo with different parts of the photo damaged
 to differing degrees. This made it quite difficult to produce a result
 that was evenly coloured. But I think you will agree that the restoration
 worked well
.


  

 25/5/2012

 This photo was very badly torn and
 creased. The customer really did not
 think it could be repaired. He was very
 happy that we were able to do it.


 Unfortunately, we were not able to get
 his motorbike working for him ! There
 are limitations to our skills !


  



Get your photo restoration done by PhotoValet.