Restoration & Colorization

Photo Restoration 

Restoration is simply about the photo itself.  You try to bring it back to its original or pristine condition, whether colored or monochrome.  It means making the image discernible with better contrast and definition for its major image elements.  That requires building up some details that have been obscured by age and involves correcting for speckles, paper creases, dust, water or fire damage, torn or lost parts, and discoloration.

Restoration can be done by guesswork or research, or both  Missing parts can be restored if the information can be extrapolated from adjacent surviving parts.  Backgrounds such as walls, mountains and hillsides, as well as flowers or skies do not pose much problem.  You know them from experience.  Some research may be needed. Even obscured facial details can be restored if there are associated reference photos with the needed information.


Colorization

Colorization, on the other hand,  is more than just restoration.  Putting colors does restore the photo and in fact demolishes it and creates an entirely new visual. Colorization creates a possible reality behind the photo.  "Possible" because much of colors you use are based on guesswork to create a satisfying visual outcome.  

Colorization actually requires and starts with restoring a vintage photo.  You can colorize right away, but you risk colorizing the speckles, dust, and discolored parts that are not originally part of the photo. But in addition, you also need some or a lot of research, depending on the complexity of the photo to be colorized. Otherwise, you could interpret a blemish or discoloration as a print artifact.  I once colorized a face and removed the black aberration on a jaw only to realize it was a mole. I also colorized a severely faded color photo for a friend's mother, correcting what I thought was discoloration on her left forearm.  When I sent the results, the mother liked what I did but pointed out that her forearm suffered 2nd degree burns in an accident and was therefore lighter than the rest of her arms.  This shows you need to know your subject when restoring or colorizing,