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.
