[Robert]

Just thought I would share my experience of enhancing a newspaper print portrait.
But first some information about the gentleman in the picture.

Cedric Ashleigh Nicholls was born on 12 February 1893 at the family residence, Comberton Terrace, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, and baptised on 26 March 1893 at the parish church of St. George. He was the youngest son of John Nicholls, in business as an auctioneer and land agent at Commercial Buildings, and Jane Elizabeth Nicholls, formerly Jones. In 1901 he was a scholar living with his parents at 62 Comberton Hill, Kidderminster. He was educated at the Girls High School, Preparatory Department (mixed), and Kidderminster (King Charles I) Grammar School, which he was admitted on 16 September 1902, as a day scholar, obtaining the Cambridge Preliminary Certificate of Education in 1905 and the Cambridge Junior Certificate of Education in 1908, leaving on 22 December 1908. He continued his education at Bowdon College, Cheshire, and then joined his father in his business as an auctioneer and land agent. He was a member of the Old Carolians Association (Kidderminster Grammar School old boys) and a keen motorcyclist, taking an important part in the formation of the Kidderminster Motorcycling Club, being well known in motorcycling circles as an expert rider and successful competitor in Midland motorcycling contests.

He attested at Birmingham on 11 August 1914, enlisting for General Service under the terms of the Special Army Order of 4 August 1914 (Duration of War).He joined at Recruits Depot, South Farnborough on the 14th as a 2nd Class Air Mechanic, Motor Cyclist, rated at 5/-, and was attached to the Central Flying School on the 15th. He was then posted to Aircraft Park (Farnborough) but was taken suddenly ill on 4 March 1915, necessitating his removal into the Military Isolation Hospital, Aldershot, where he died after only two hours illness from Cerebro Meningitis.

The first picture shows the newspaper print dots on the portrait. I removed the dots around the body with Photoshop using the clone tool.
The second picture shows the effect of using the despeckle tool in Photoshop. It removes the dots but blurs the picture.
The third picture show the result of using the enhancement feature on a Family Research web site which uses AI technology.
The last picture shows the result of colourization using the same Family Research web site.

It goes to show that with technology today you can breath life into the most unpromising of pictures.

[Errol Martyn]

Robert,
I dont have photoshop but it is most interesting to see how a dotty newspaper pic can be transformed with the aid of modern technology.
Cheers,
Errol

[Robert]

I must admit it does not work for lower grade newspaper print pictures (big dots) but for better quality (small dots) you can get good results. Its just a matter of experimentation. I’m no expert on this sort of thing but I always like to try and improve an image if I can.

[Robert]

I must admit it does not work for lower grade newspaper print pictures (big dots) but for better quality (small dots) you can get good results. Its just a matter of experimentation. I’m no expert on this sort of thing but I always like to try and improve an image if I can.

[Robert]

Note to self… only press the create button once! :o)

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