A few months ago my Dad pulled out a picture in a frame and asked me if I would like to have it. I guess that I inherited my Grandmother's love of photographs because my heart skipped a beat. Old photos are usually treasured items in families that are kept on proud display or hidden away to keep them from being coveted by other family members. My own grandmother had a long standing feud with her sister over a box filled with images. So, when Dad held up a frame containing a picture of him on a bicycle at about 12 years old I didn't hesitate to grab it.
For the last few months the picture has been proudly displayed on top of my roll top desk. One day I decided to get it out and scan it to digital to see if I could fix a couple of imperfections.
This is the unedited version.
The major item that I wanted to fix is the scratch on his left arm. Other than that there were only a few minor issues such as that stuff I refer to as snow. The dusting of little white flecks all over the image that at one time I thought was lint. I have since dispelled this theory because I have cleaned the scanner bed and the problem is still there. So if anyone knows the solution to my problem I would love to hear it.
Here I have fixed the scratches and other imperfections that I found and decided to play with the color a little.
In this version I adjusted the tones of the overall image to make it appear a little richer.
In this version I added a sepia tone. I am not sure which one I prefer. After I play with images I have a hard time being objective.
There is a little mystery in this photograph. It is not as easy to spot on the scanned image verses the real one but I will help you out a little.
If you look closely you can see clearly that there is a man standing in the field behind my Father. No one in my family knows who this man is. I suppose it could have been any of my Dad's cousins or extended family. Perhaps a neighbor. I wonder if this man knew he was in this photo?
To sum it up, I love old photos, especially this one. I always have.
Thanks Dad!
