photo restoration – GRAFIX to go

Captain Bell – photo restoration

Sep 012013

I was given a difficult task one day, to create a portrait of a man. The only clue I had of Captain Bell’s face was a photocopy of a newspaper clipping about an inch tall. I worked on it for some time, only to be discouraged beyond hope, so I put it away. I was able to do so because the request had come informally — an acquaintance had heard I might be able to do such a job.

Many years passed. During all that time, I continued to teach myself the necessary skills in Photoshop to restore photos, manipulate them into pleasing images, and gain skills to finally approach the task again.

I spent a full two days restoring this portrait. I probably put close to 20 hours of intense and meticulous work to produce the final result. When I presented my friend (for who could remain an acquaintance after so many hours in the presence of his ancestor?) a print of the finished piece, his unbounded joy was my reward. Satisfaction all around.

Hotel in the Woods

Aug 272013

This is another one of the old photos from my foray to the Homestead in Hico. It is too pale to discern details — all I could tell was the photo showed a group of people, and it looked like an outdoor shot. After getting it back to my shop, adjusting the light levels, and cleaning up some marks and spots, an interesting sight met my eyes.

Who were these people and why are they gathered here in the woods? Is that a hotel in the background? I counted 18 people. Five are women in aprons holding plates of food. There is a boy child. A fat man holds some kind of handled tool, and next to him sits a young man with watch chain and fob, necktie and pin. Behind him a man whittles a piece of wood. On the left, another man holds aloft some kind of handled tool, an ax? Another man holds a witching wand, or maybe it is a pair of shears.

There are healthy looking stacks of cordwood — probably handy, since it appears to be a pile of snow in the foreground. That may only mean this photo was taken in Colorado in June. *grin*

Fiddle Player

Aug 272013

before-after

One of our local attorneys brought in this photo. The littlest girl on the steps is his mother. That’s his grandfather standing tall in the middle. His great-grandfather is the one on the right side of the porch, missing his left arm, from a Civil War injury. Families, faces, history, plus some mystery all in one little assignment. The fiddle player makes me smile.

Sister is Found!

Months after my purchase of old photos at the Homestead in Hico, I returned, and picked up a few more faded cards. Imagine my surprise when the girl who emerged […]

Girl and Chair

Not long ago, I visited the Homestead in Hico, Texas. I was happy to come back to my shop with a handful of photographs. I particularly like to find photos […]