He sent me a digitally scanned copy of the photo in high resolution and I got started. Zooming in, it was clear that there was a lot going on in this photo – some fading, as would be expected, and lots of cracks in the surface, both broad and very fine. I also found there was a good amount of damage that is probably caused by moisture or mold, and the lower corner was missing entirely. In a situation like this, thankfully, it is possible to restore the area by relying on what is around it so that is what I did.

Since my customer’s satisfaction is always guaranteed, we went back and forth a few times with little adjustments – for example, my research indicated the WWII naval uniform of that period was navy blue, but that it was almost so dark as to be black, so it took some fiddling around to get the shade we wanted. My technique, which I think sets me apart from many competitors in the digital photo restoration field, involves a lot of close-up, pixel by pixel restoring with a graphics tablet and pen, when dealing with crucial areas like the eyes and features, means that I am pretty much cross eyed when I’m done So I always send off my first round expecting the customer will spot a few things I got to used to seeing, like a funny tint on the teeth.

When it was approved, I sent off the final, high resolution digital file to my customer to get it printed locally and delivered to the folks on Christmas. In the end, everyone, including dad, loved the results and I’m very pleased because its not often that a photo with a lot of damage CAN be restored perfectly and I think this one came out pretty darned close!

After I got past the initial puzzle of how the drummer was staying upright without a tow rope, in a day and age where Photoshop was non existent, I started by cleaning up some minor degradation and spotting. Then I adjusted the contrast in places that were dark but still needed color, like the flag’s stripes. The client provided some input into the colors to use, and I chose others that seemed appropriate. After a number of revisions, the new version looked like it had been tinted the way it was done by hand in the old days of photography – using Photoshop. This is the final result:

The original photo had been printed on newsprint so this is what it looked like up close.

In the end, I was successful – using a great many techniques to smooth and clarify the texture in the photo, and filters to give it a painterly quality, the tiny original was able to be blown up to 16″x20″. I arranged to have it printed on archival quality photo paper, and delivered it to the school to be framed and displayed – restoring Anna Leach to her rightful place in the Hall of Presidents.