FEATURED PROJECT:
 "Uncle Jess"
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One of the most rewarding aspects of my craft is when I get to breathe new life into an old treasured family photo. Restoring a photo is really restoring a memory, and how many people get to do that for a living?

A few months back, a client of mine called me at about 8:30 on a Friday evening. She is a commercial client, but from the marked excitement in her voice and the late hour, I could tell that this was a personal call.
       "Nate!" she exclaimed, "Thank goodness you're still at the studio! Is this too late for me to call?"
       "Late?" I said, "Heck no, I'm working on a deadline and will probably be here all night. The real problem here is that I'm out of coffee. What's on your mind?"
       "Well, I was packing for a trip, and I opened up a suitcase that I haven't used in years, and inside was an old family photo that I thought I'd lost! I know it's late and all, but I'm leaving tomorrow on a business trip and I won't be back for two weeks…is it OK if I bring it over tonight?"
       "Sure" I said, "come on over…I'll be needing a break by then anyway."
       She replied ,"Oh, thank you! Thank you! I'm on my way!"

I must admit, I was pretty curious at this point. She arrived about 30 minutes later with a jumbo QuikTrip coffee in one hand, a large brown envelope in the other, and a big smile on her face. "Columbian Supremo" she said as she handed me the coffee (a gesture that is always appreciated by us java jockeys). "Thanks! So, what's in the envelope?" I asked. She just grinned and said "Uncle Jess."

It seems that Uncle Jess was one of those beloved colorful characters that had reached legendary status in the family- a genuine frontier lumberjack with a puckish sense of humor and a heart of pure gold…everyone's favorite uncle! The photo showed the beloved Jess sitting on a crate in front of his cabin, trusty shotgun at his ready, inspecting a jug of his homemade blackberry wine. Americana at its best! This was one of those rare family photos that captured more than just an image; it seemed to have frozen the very essence of Uncle Jess in darkened shades of black and gray- definitely a memory worth saving!

We chatted for over an hour about the old photo and her ideas about the restoration. We finally determined that we would produce two versions, one in black and white, and one in color. "A picture of a character as colorful as Uncle Jess should be in color." she reasoned. It was close to 10:30 when she finally left, full of excitement about the project. I was excited too, and couldn't wait to get started.

In truth, the photo was not in terribly bad shape. The photo itself was about 5x7 inches, and it appeared to be a copy of a copy. It was pretty dark and muddled, and it was slightly out of focus. There were also a few minor scratches and rips.

The first step was to get a high quality scan. I always scan photos at a high resolution so I can produce a very detailed and high-quality image. This high resolution "mother file" is the one I digitally manipulate and use to create smaller "daughter files"- the actual files used to reproduce the image.

The restoration process started with simple adjustments to the brightness and contrast of the image.Through the course of being produced and reproduced, the image had deteriorated to a gray mush of light and shadow. During this process, great care had to be taken to not "wash out" certain lighter areas of the image, which leads to loss of detail. Usually, as in the case of this restoration, varying degrees of brightness and contrast adjustments must be made in different sectors of the photo. This process takes more time than the "blanket" contrast corrections that most photo restorers do, but it produces much better results. The human eye is very sensitive, and it can detect when things aren't just right. Old Jess was already starting to look better!

The next step was to apply a custom made "unsharp mask." This is a photographic term that, contrary to what it sounds like, brings the image into sharper focus. Actually, it is an optical trick that makes the image appear as if it is in better focus, and when used properly, the results can be quite stunning.

Next I touched up the scratches and rips. They were pretty minor on this photo. Careful judgment must be exercised during this process, as it is possible to remove TOO much. It is, after all, and old photo, and smaller dust marks and scratches actually add to the character of the image. I've actually been asked to ADD minor scratches to make photos look appropriately old. Again, the human eye is very keen.

Finally, it was time to add some color. Adding color to a black and white image is tricky. Appropriate use of colorizing technique can REALLY make old photos come to life, but inappropriate technique can REALLY make them look tacky! (I know we've all seen examples of bad colorizing jobs!) There are actually several historic colorizing styles, and it's important to match the image with the proper technique. No two colorizing projects can be approached the same way. This image of our beloved Uncle Jess called for earthy color tones that weren't too bright. The idea here is to add depth and realism to the image without distracting from it. Flesh tones can be especially tricky (but not trickier than me, of course).

The results speak for themselves. My client was thrilled, and I was thrilled to be able to help her. She actually liked the results so much that they used the photo on a bunch of tee shirts they made for their family reunion. (Follow THIS LINK to see what the shirts look like.)

Old photos connect us with our past, and help us understand who we are today, but without proper care, these precious snapshots of our family history are prone to deterioration. Most everyone has a shoebox full of cracked, faded, stained and torn photos hidden away in a dark closet, just waiting to be resurrected. If we spend the time and money it takes to restore and preserve these pictures, they are sure to become some of our family's most treasured heirlooms. Do you have any old photos that need restoration?

Do you have any comments about this project or questions about photo restoration? Please contact Nathan Hood at: feedback@nathanhood.net

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