RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Avondale16 on Wednesday 21 May 25 16:55 BST (UK)
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I recently came across this image which includes with grandfather - wondering if anyone could improve it so I can see the faces clearer
TIA
Keith
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my attempt
Rami
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my attempt
Rami
amazing restorations Rami - thanks so much for both versions
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What nice looking children,was it a school in the country as opposed to a town?
So fresh faced and bonny.
Wonder how many of them served in W.W,1?
Viktoria.
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What nice looking children,was it a school in the country as opposed to a town?
So fresh faced and bonny.
Yes, but be aware that the faces of the children in the “restoration” have been artificially generated, and are not the same faces seen in the original photo.
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Late effort from me.
Peter
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Late effort from me.
Peter
That's great Peter - much appreciated
Keith
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What nice looking children,was it a school in the country as opposed to a town?
So fresh faced and bonny.
Yes, but be aware that the faces of the children in the “restoration” have been artificially generated, and are not the same faces seen in the original photo.
They are same faces but were enhanced and details recovered, I disagree with you. please check a compare here using before/after and have look to faces.If faced were generated that means different people and this will not be restoration .
https://imgsli.com/MzgyNDA1 (https://imgsli.com/MzgyNDA1)
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Comparisons
Row 1 - original
Row 2 - Peter
Row 3 -Rami
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Comparisons
Row 1 - original
Row 2 - Peter
Row 3 -Rami
Good compare Gadget, adding 3d depth to face resulted in faces perhaps thinner, but not completely different faces.I'm always trying to be accurate and negative comments are welcome
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I leave it for others to judge but, having spent quite a few years as a student and then a tutor in Fine
Art , it is not a good idea or usual to make up 3-D effects from a flat photo.
Gadget
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I leave it for others to judge but, having spent quite a few years as a student and then a tutor in Fine
Art, it is not a good idea or usual to make up 3-D effects from a flat photo.
Gadget
Mr.Gadget
I appreciate your POV as a tutor in Fine Art, I wish I can edit and delete my post since it gone wild little bit
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I don't do many restores on the board these days but a few tips:
1. Don't rush.
2. Examine the image and decide on the broad changes (contrast, obvious marks, etc) that you think are needed.
3 Think of the period of the image.
4. Make the broad changes. As you do these, you'll get a feel for areas that need considerable work and others that are minimal.
5. In group photos, you need to tackle each person and work on those. Do not make up shapes of faces, eyes, hairlines, etc. Draw in if necessary but with subtlety
6. Keep looking at the whole image as you work.
7.Use the various filters and adjustments - including AI, but use these carefully. Don't 'overdress'
Just a few tips.
Gadget
Add
8 Use as many layers as you need.
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One of the aspects of the AI-restored image that strikes me is how similar all of the hair textures have become – straight and smooth, whereas in the original you can spot the individuals with thicker, wavier or unruly hair.
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Comparisons
Row 1 - original
Row 2 - Peter
Row 3 -Rami
Gadget has shown how natural and true to the original (as demonstrated by Peter's great work )
a sympathetic restore can be achieved with care and attention to detail.
Work produced using AI does not deal with the peripheral detail that gives an image authenticity of time and place.
I have been restoring photos on here for almost 20 years and I have always tried to stay true to the original, only adding or removing parts where it is necessary or at the request of the poster. I was once asked to remove a cigarette from a person's hand but I gave them two versions, one with and one without. I did explain that whilst not very popular today, it was a part of that person's lifestyle and personality at that time. I wouldn't like an historical photo of mine to look like it was taken yesterday.
Carol
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@Viktoria I doubt any of them served in WW1 seeing as the photo was taken in 1915 but WW2, now that's a different story.'
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Is it safe to post?
My try from yesterday, I held back.
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I don’t think there is any need to remove earlier restoration efforts, or to fear posting new ones. A good selection of restorations always makes this board more interesting. I also think we might be able to sensibly discuss the use of AI on the photos posted on this forum without anyone feeling offended.
AI has become a pervasive part of our lives, but I wonder if all Rootschatters appreciate how its use can transform an old photo in both positive and negative ways. How many Rootschatters could identify if a photo has been altered by AI?
Gadget’s comparisons (reply #8) are very useful. To my eye, there is more than just a change to the overall face shape. Also altered are features such as chin and jaw line, ears, hair line and hair style. Clothing is often very different. The end result is a person that bears little resemblance to the original photo. But the image is beautifully sharp and clean. On the top row, note the boy with dark wavy hair and round spectacles, who has been transformed into a boy with lighter straight hair and perfect vision. I stand by my earlier statement “not the same faces seen in the original photo.” (To this ex-teacher, a class of 40 boys who have exactly the same eyes, identical glowing blemish-free complexions, and the same glossy, neat and tidy hair, is something out of a science-fiction fantasy.) :)
Do we consider that a photograph from 100 years ago or more is an historic document? As with any other historic document or art work, a sympathetic restoration should preserve the integrity and character of the original. A restored image should retain the unique aesthetic qualities, such as the subtle imperfections and the characteristic style of the era. Making a photo look brand new, sadly erases the past and changes the “story” of the photo. To my mind, an old photo altered by AI, becomes a “modern reconstruction” or a “modern re-imagining”, and is no longer a restoration. There is a place for a modern reconstruction, but please, let’s be honest and call it that.
In the end, everyone will have a different preference. Avondale16, who posted the original photo, will decide whether it is more important to have grandfather look like grandfather, or have a brilliantly clear, modern-looking image. Variety is the spice of life.
Finally, I think that all the people who offer up their restorations or reconstructions to this forum are to be thanked and congratulated for their work. It must be very time consuming, especially when working on such a photo with multiple faces and an immense amount of detail. You bring joy to many people. It is an interesting part of the forum that I enjoying visiting regularly.