Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?

[Currently Thwarted]

Hi,
I have an old photograph of 'Alice & Mr Seager' that is not in good condition
and would appreciate someone enhancing the photograph below. No date for the photo but Alice was born 1903.

[McGroger]

Hi, Currently Thwarted. (Great name!)

Could you help us to help you, please. (And forgive me if I’m preaching to the converted.)

If you've scanned the photo yourself (rather than only having a digital copy of it) could you please scan it again at a higher resolution and re-send it.

You're allowed to send an image occupying up to 500 kilobytes and yours is only 34kB. This means that when we zoom in to fix it, instead of being able to sort detail from damage all we see is pixels.

All scanners are different but they usually give options for “Resolution”. For example, mine goes from 75 to 2,400. If yours is an average sized actual photo, if you choose “300 dpi” or “600 dpi” it should be big enough but not too big. And when you re-send it, just make a small change to your image name of "Alice & Mrs Seager") or it won’t go through because it will think you’re sending the same one again.

Cheers,
Peter

[Currently Thwarted]

Hello Peter,

I am sorry to say that I do not have the original photo - only the copy sent which was emailed to me.

I am guessing that there isn't anything that can be done with it as it becomes too pixelated?
But, many Thanks for messaging me. Jim

[Currently Thwarted]

Hello again Peter,

Maybe I sent the previous message too quickly.
I may be able to have it posted to me so will then come on again.
If it cannot be parted from where it currently sits and
the photo is run through a scanner again at a far higher resolution
and then emailed again to me for me to re-post on Roots Chat, would
that be sufficient for the right quality do you think?

Regards, Jim

[McGroger]

That would be great, Jim. In the meantime we'll still have a go at it for you but it won't be near as good a result as you'll get with a better scan. Sorry I didn't answer sooner. Been sleeping.
Peter

[Currently Thwarted]

Hello again Peter,

I have another copy apparently re-scanned in higher resolution.
I also have another one as well which is also thought to include 'Mr Seager'
I am going to post them both now and would appreciate it if anything can be done to improve either or both of them.
Would you let me know if they are OK or not please.
Many Thanks in advance for your knowledge. Jim

[McGroger]

Unfortunately, Jim, it looks to be the other way around. If you look at the numbers under the posted photos, the "kB" gives the size of the file posted (in kilobytes). Your first post was 34kB (with an ideal of say 250+ with maximum allowed 500), the second copy of the same picture comes to only 18kB. So, if anything there is less detail in the second one (but in practice there's not much difference).

The other picture - he does look like the same man, albeit a bit older, I think - is slightly less again at 16kB. There doesn't seem to be any major damage with this picture and if we mucked around with the minor damage at such a low resolution we might not make it any better for you.

My intention is to fix the major damage in the first photo but I think I'd need a better scan to do anything with the other one.

But I'm only speaking for me - others may have different ideas.

I'll get back to you after having a go at the first photo.

Cheers,
Peter

[McGroger]

Hello again, Jim.

Had a go. Not great but hopefully a bit better. I’ve posted three versions. One without altering the  colour, a black and white, and a sepia one.

The trouble with low res. images is when you can’t quite see the detail you resort to making things up - and I ain’t the world’s greatest artist!

Also, the original of your photo might be a little out of focus. Does it look to you as though the right side of Jack’s head has been duplicated? (In the original - I've changed it a bit in the restores.)

Edit: Sorry, Thomas's head.

Anyway, hopefully you'll get more people having a shot at it so you get a bit of a choice.

And hopefully you’ll send in more photos. It like an addiction. We need regular restores.

Cheers,
Peter

[Wiggy]

My immediate reaction to the two photos is that they are not the same man - one is so straight the other appears more hunched.  they look to have been taken as a similar time . . .though that is just guesswork.  Not a lot to go on!   

Wiggy