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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Currently Thwarted on Monday 29 January 18 09:43 GMT (UK)

Title: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Currently Thwarted on Monday 29 January 18 09:43 GMT (UK)
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.
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: McGroger on Monday 29 January 18 12:19 GMT (UK)
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
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Currently Thwarted on Monday 29 January 18 15:19 GMT (UK)
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
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Currently Thwarted on Monday 29 January 18 15:27 GMT (UK)
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

Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: McGroger on Monday 29 January 18 19:19 GMT (UK)
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
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Currently Thwarted on Monday 29 January 18 19:45 GMT (UK)
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
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: McGroger on Monday 29 January 18 21:32 GMT (UK)
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. ;D

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

Cheers,
Peter
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: McGroger on Monday 29 January 18 23:20 GMT (UK)
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. ;D

Cheers,
Peter
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Wiggy on Tuesday 30 January 18 01:04 GMT (UK)
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 
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Currently Thwarted on Tuesday 30 January 18 08:47 GMT (UK)
Hello Peter & Wiggy,

Many, Many Thanks for your trouble in making this photo a little clearer.
I take your point regarding the kb size. Unfortunately, that was well beyond my control.
The original photo appears to have been lost and that was what was available to me to post.
Yes, I think it is out of focus the further to the right it is viewed but we have to live with that.

As for whether or not it is the same man, there are 2 different camera angles and in the first photo, Mr Seager appears to be wearing a very large coat so it may or not be the same man.
The second photo possibly shows the man in his 'Sunday best' with a button hole and he may have stood upright for the photo. They both have high cheek bones and the eye set is very similar.

Thank you again, your help is appreciated. regards, jim

Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 30 January 18 09:10 GMT (UK)
Hi all

I think they are the same person, Wiggy. Those cheek bones and shape of face/proportions are very similar. Slope of shoulders are the same too.They are taken from different angles, which accounts for differences.

Gadget
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Treetotal on Tuesday 30 January 18 09:37 GMT (UK)
I thought they were the same man too.
Carol
Title: Re: Can anyone enhance an old photo of Alice & Mr Seager for me please?
Post by: Wiggy on Tuesday 30 January 18 09:44 GMT (UK)
 Ok!     I will bow to your collective superior judgement!    :D :D