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 ! |