Story One: Minor Photo Restoration(s)....Why Not
Story one:
Lately, I’ve been trying my hand at photo restoration and colorization. I’m grateful for YouTube tutorials and all the helpful articles online, since I’m still learning. It’s an ongoing process that I am truly enjoying. Besides, I have to thank my patient wife, who often heard me call out, “Hey! Come here and check this out,” as I edited throughout the process. There's no secret to my methods; I use Topaz Gigapixel to tighten up the image while keeping it at a size suitable for printing. I have been using Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop for my edits, I print at home with the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1100, an amazing printer I must add.
I started getting into photo restoration and touch-ups in early December 2024. After finishing a project for a family friend, which by the way she was very happy with the results of a photo she presented of her and her brother as children. my wife and I decided to make a special gift for her 88-year-old mother for Christmas. We chose photos meaningful to the family, particularly those taken in Paris during the early 1940s. Some were worn and faded, with tears along the edges, presenting a unique challenge for restoration. We spent many evenings sorting through boxes of old photographs, selecting the ones that could be beautifully restored and brought back to life. Addressing these challenges felt like the perfect way to celebrate the holiday and honor family history.
To explain a bit more about our gift, we restored photos of my wife’s mother’s parents. They were from Paris, France, where my wife was also born.
Her mother often talks about those times, recalling the German occupation during World War II and what came afterward in great detail. I’ve always been fascinated by her stories, especially when she tells them in her distinct French-accented English.
I believe I produced some solid edits of Monsieur Gaston and Madame Germaine. Profitez des photos ci-dessous.
In Memoriam
We lost Mom in September of 2025. Before her passing, I was able to edit more images for her enjoyment, and with each image came a wonderful story of her life.
In the first image below, I framed the 3 images I did for her gift from us. The image on the left is of her brother in the French military, and the larger image in the center is of her husband. I did not edit or restore that image.
The next image is of Mom sitting with a young boy she would babysit. The boy’s parents owned a bar, which is where this image was taken, somewhere in Paris, France.
The color image sitting on my printer is one my wife took and used at mom’s service. The black-and-white one is another one I restored for mom. I presented this to her just hours before her passing, and, as before, she smiled and told us a pleasant little story.
