Cleaning up photos of documents

[Ruth]

Are there any specific tips for removing noise from a document scanned from a NARA microfilm where the black writing is partially obscured by shadows? Apparently the original records have been destroyed, but someone has indexed information from this record which I can't read for myself so I wonder if it can be made clearer. I've tried importing into a photo program and sharpening, but it's still far from readable.  Thank you.

[McGroger]

Ruth, are you able to post an example here? Restorers could then try different remedies and report back to you what approach works best.
Peter

[Ruth]

Thanks Peter. This is the card I'm interested in. As you can see it's a really poor image. I assume the microfilm images are as bad themselves, but perhaps returning to them might give me something better to work with.

[McGroger]

Had a go, Ruth, but I think you might be right about about returning to the microfilm images to be able to recover the blackest parts, if you can adjust the lighting while viewing them.

What I've done is, first, changed the mode from greyscale to RGB colour which can sometimes help when adjusting the lighting; then adjusted the lighting, specifically lightening the shadows and reducing the contrast. The trouble is, in the blackest of the black parts there is just no depth, so nothing hidden in the murk.

I've attached my try. Others may do better or have better advice.

Peter

[Ruth]

Thank you very much indeed, Peter. That's made far more of an improvement than I imagined possible! No luck with the precise date of birth on the second page, but much of the rest of it is easier to interpret. Thanks again!