Improvements for Louisa Evans, Sofala, Aust??

[Leend]

Hello ... I recently had an opportunity to take a photo of a professional photo of Louisa, my great-great grandmother.

Am posting two versions of the same photo, one with original plain wooden frame (but which is slanting plus I didn't get all the frame in ... sigh!). The other photo I'm posting is where I zoomed close to her face. Neither are very good photos and the glass caused reflections. 

But I'm hoping someone might have a go at enhancing the photo. Would prefer the original wooden frame to disappear and perhaps someone might like to use another border on the enhanced photo and/or add in a little colouring ... or simply make it sepia.

I also took photos of an original of her husband, Robert Evans as well which I will post next. The two photos were not originally taken at the same time as he was quite a bit older than Louisa.

I appreciate whatever help can be provided and many thanks ... Leend 

[Trishanne]

One from me
Pat

[japeflakes]

Simple b&w:

[Handypandy]

I think that these portraits are not photographs, but pastel drawings. Good ones too. Against my better judgement, I have smoothed this one out a little but as they are works of art in their own right, personally I would prefer to see them left alone.........or just photographed as a record.

[Leend]

Thanks a lot for your three versions Pat (Trishanne), and done so quickly too.

And also your's, Handypandy ... and your thought that both Louisa's and Robert's images might be pastel sketches (and not photographs) has blown me away. As I said when I posted Robert's photos, his picture has always seemed to be a bit of an 'odd' photo to me and this might be the explanation.

Would love to explore this idea further with Rootchat folk if its appropriate to talk about it here. So I wonder does anyone else have any opinions/comments/thoughts about them not being photos but instead pastel sketches??


Many thanks .. Leend

[McGroger]

Two sepia toned, one with original texture, one smoothed. I really have no idea regarding the nature of the portrait, but strictly a layman's impression: I thought the face looked like a photo but the clothing not so much. I wondered if it was a photo that had been touched up. Cheers, Peter.

[Leend]

Thanks for your two versions Peter (McGregor) ... and now you've posed another interesting thought ... that the original picture might be a combination of photo and someone's artistic touch ups.

I am aware that old photos sometimes had coloured tints added in the past but if anyone can shine any light about how this particular picture of Louisa (and Robert's too if possible) was originally created, it would be lovely to understand more about it.

.. Leend

[pablo59]

24////-(()()())

[Treetotal]

My opinion is that these are enlargements that have been touched up and as Andy has pointed out, some pastel over sketching has been applied to fill in the detail that has been lost in the enlargement of the photo.
Carol