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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: barbaraj on Saturday 06 March 10 23:23 GMT (UK)

Title: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Saturday 06 March 10 23:23 GMT (UK)
My grandfather took this photo of his sisters in "daily garb" before they "cleaned up good" and he took them in all their finery.  Is it possible to get more contract and clean up the photo a bit?  Thank you for any interest and help. The photo was taken in Sumner, Iowa in July 1899.
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Saturday 06 March 10 23:45 GMT (UK)
Sorry, I meant more "contrast" not contract!  Thanks!
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: jim1 on Sunday 07 March 10 11:16 GMT (UK)
something like this?

jim
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: RecycledHippy on Sunday 07 March 10 11:45 GMT (UK)
You would possibly get a better restore if you could rescan this
It is only 72 dpi 
 A 300 - 600 dpi scan would help

Hippy :) :) :) :)
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 07 March 10 13:21 GMT (UK)
I agree with Hippy...lovely photo...real atmospheric...it is difficult to lighten it and keep the natural balance of light and shade as it is backlit...I gave it a go too....They remind me of the Vonn Trapp family ;D
Carol
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: Ebch on Sunday 07 March 10 13:53 GMT (UK)
What a great pic barbaraj!  Please do a rescan and I bet it would become so 'alive' with some colour  :)  Congrats Jim, Hippy and Carol and what you have managed so far  :)
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Sunday 07 March 10 14:35 GMT (UK)
Thank you all so much for your efforts. 

When I scanned the photo several years ago, I thought I was doing good to get that much contrast. The original is worse.  I will have to see if I can get hold of it now and do it again at a higher resolution. I didn't know what I was doing then, in terms of resolution.  I'm slowly learning.  Your taking the time with this is much appreciated. 

It was fun to see the three shots my grandfather took -- this one, another of 4 of the girls and their father at the same grape arbor, and then the final one when he told them to 'clean up' and he did a much clearer, sharper job of it.  They were all dressed up.  Apparently these first ones were sort of 'rehearsals' for the final shot.
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: billkent on Sunday 07 March 10 20:49 GMT (UK)
A great picture barbaraj......one girl holding the knife, one girl with her head chopped off and the girl with her foot bandaged... ;D

Bill.  :)
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Sunday 07 March 10 23:21 GMT (UK)
LOL, Bill.  I hadn't noticed Emma holding the knife!  It does look a little like murder and mayhem in Iowa, doesn't it? 

Everyone has done such brilliant work on restorations, I am truly amazed and grateful.  The colorized one particularly called my attention to details I had not noticed before (like the knife!). 

I'll try to dig up all three of the originals my grandfather too (the two 'rehearsals' and the final effort) and rescan them.  When I did them first a number of years ago, I had no idea how high a resolution to aim for. So my apologies for sending in a less than ideal one.

Again, many many thanks to all.
Barbara
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: ymfoster on Monday 08 March 10 13:20 GMT (UK)
My effort,  :)

Yvonne
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Thursday 11 March 10 04:52 GMT (UK)
Thank you, Yvonne.  You've done a lovely job of cleaning it up and making the girls come to life.

I want to say thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to work on this photo. My grandfather would be very pleased that you have done so and, I'm sure, would shake his head in disbelief at the wonderful restorations you have acomplished. 

I am so glad I hung onto his photos when everyone told me only to save the last one because the others were "practice" and wouldn't ever be able to be seen well.

Barbara
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: miagre1 on Thursday 11 March 10 23:27 GMT (UK)
Hi Barbara,  :)

Best regards George
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Friday 12 March 10 01:10 GMT (UK)
Hi George,
Thank you from me and my grandfather for your restoration of his sisters on the fence. 

All these various renditions have brought the photo to life much more clearly and helped me to see different aspects I hadn't noticed before.  I really appreciate all the time everyone has taken -- not to mention the expertise!

Kind regards and much gratitude,
Barbara
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: BevL on Friday 12 March 10 01:20 GMT (UK)
Hi,
I am only an 'onlooker' but I would love to see the other rehearsals and final cleanup  :) :) :)
Kind regards
Bev
Title: Re: Cleaning up the girls on the fence
Post by: barbaraj on Friday 12 March 10 01:22 GMT (UK)
Bev,
The other 'rehearsal' and the 'final' are in another folder here. Go to the main page of the photo restoration board (where you came to this one), then search for "fence" or "girls" and you should find it.

I put them both up a couple of days ago, and some very wonderful work has been done on them.

Thanks for asking!

Barbara