Several years ago (2.5), I set some goals to maintain focus on my work, my photography education, and increasing my scope of client services.
Receiving both my Master of Photography degree from Professional Photographers of America, and my Photographic Degree from the Professional Photographers Association of Pennsylvania, I feel happy to have met the goals I set, but also relieved. It's time to take a breather.
You learn a lot from print competitions, but you also have to devote a lot of time to it.
New Goals?
I think there will always be benchmarks to strive for, but I don't want them to encompass the total of what I do as a photographer.
So now I have started to take what I have learned in one area and begun to apply it to other areas. Things I have always had an interest in and a desire to pursue, but didn't quite have the time I could give up and devote to them.
I guess you could say one of my new goals is to "explore new things."
Restoration Work
A friend recently asked me if I could take a photo that meant quite a bit to her and her brother, and do something with it. I honestly did not have the answer, but I didn't say no. Instead I said, "Let me see what I can do."
This photo was a snapshot that had been taken over 50 years ago and had not been protected from discoloring.
Receiving both my Master of Photography degree from Professional Photographers of America, and my Photographic Degree from the Professional Photographers Association of Pennsylvania, I feel happy to have met the goals I set, but also relieved. It's time to take a breather.
You learn a lot from print competitions, but you also have to devote a lot of time to it.
New Goals?
I think there will always be benchmarks to strive for, but I don't want them to encompass the total of what I do as a photographer.
So now I have started to take what I have learned in one area and begun to apply it to other areas. Things I have always had an interest in and a desire to pursue, but didn't quite have the time I could give up and devote to them.
I guess you could say one of my new goals is to "explore new things."
Restoration Work
A friend recently asked me if I could take a photo that meant quite a bit to her and her brother, and do something with it. I honestly did not have the answer, but I didn't say no. Instead I said, "Let me see what I can do."
This photo was a snapshot that had been taken over 50 years ago and had not been protected from discoloring.
Original snapshot print.
Along the way I have taken some classes in photo restoration. I learned early that the quality of the original photo dictates how good the restoration can be.
In this case, the discoloration, grain, and blur in the photo would definitely pose some problems.
Three and one half hours later, I was able to bring the photo to this state.
In this case, the discoloration, grain, and blur in the photo would definitely pose some problems.
Three and one half hours later, I was able to bring the photo to this state.
Restored print.
My friend was extremely happy with the rendering, and I had it printed for her and her brother. The printing was far better than I expected, due to the grain in the original (and now restored) photo. It's a wonderful memory, and I am happy that I was able to bring it back to life.
The Steps
Restorations work takes plenty of patience and time.
The result is what you see, each step taking approximately 30-45 minutes, except for the painting, which took over an hour.
A Piece of History
I was asked to restore a photo of an old train station for a display erected by the Luzerne County Historical Society. It's an interesting story. I thought you might want to read it.
The Steps
Restorations work takes plenty of patience and time.
- Often presented with an old printed photograph, the first step is taking a photo of the photo. I don't have a scanner, but some scan the photo into their workspace.
- Next, the resolution of the photo needs to be built in a way that doesn't destroy the image or add to the grain. I found that this particular image could only be brought to 200 ppi (pixels per inch).
- I removed all color from the image by converting it to black and white.
- I then painted the image, in what I thought would be the appropriate colors for the day (period of photo).
- I then used Topaz Studio to bring up the sharpness of the image and further build the resolution without adding grain.
The result is what you see, each step taking approximately 30-45 minutes, except for the painting, which took over an hour.
A Piece of History
I was asked to restore a photo of an old train station for a display erected by the Luzerne County Historical Society. It's an interesting story. I thought you might want to read it.
And here is the display.
The photo in the article of the Delaware and Hudson Freight Station is the one I restored. It is also standing up (printed version) in the display above.
This time, the restoration was a bit more complicated, due to the fact the only photo of the station was taken from a historical record online, so the resolution (ppi) was at the very low end of the scale.
However, using the steps I had learned in classes, I slowly upped the resolution (only able to achieve 140 ppi in order to keep the integrity of the original photo), removed the distractions and cleaned up the photo, brightening it a bit so that the name of the station could be read.
The photo in the display case was printed at 6x4, and was mounted on board for added strength.
Restoration Work = Very Satisfying
It's a really satisfying thing to know that you were able to give back something from the past, both in the case of my friend's photo and in terms of the D&H Freight Station link to a great story like Mr. Hobo Hat.
I am thrilled to have some time now to invest in doing the things I enjoy more as a hobby, exploring new roads in photography, and helping others to keep their memories intact, while still specializing in pet, high school senior, family, and headshot photography.
This time, the restoration was a bit more complicated, due to the fact the only photo of the station was taken from a historical record online, so the resolution (ppi) was at the very low end of the scale.
However, using the steps I had learned in classes, I slowly upped the resolution (only able to achieve 140 ppi in order to keep the integrity of the original photo), removed the distractions and cleaned up the photo, brightening it a bit so that the name of the station could be read.
The photo in the display case was printed at 6x4, and was mounted on board for added strength.
Restoration Work = Very Satisfying
It's a really satisfying thing to know that you were able to give back something from the past, both in the case of my friend's photo and in terms of the D&H Freight Station link to a great story like Mr. Hobo Hat.
I am thrilled to have some time now to invest in doing the things I enjoy more as a hobby, exploring new roads in photography, and helping others to keep their memories intact, while still specializing in pet, high school senior, family, and headshot photography.
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