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Photo Restoration Techniques

Photographer: Scott Kelby Exposure: 1/200
Focal Length: 70mm
Aperture Value: ƒ/2.8

Okay, I know you’re thinking, “Hey, this is supposed to be a book for digital photographers. Why are we restoring old damaged photos taken 50 years before digital cameras were invented?” Well, a secret loophole in my book contract enables me, once in every book, to cover a topic that doesn’t fall within the general purview of the book. For example, in The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers, I included a full chapter called “Underrated Breakfast Cereals.” So when you’re working your way through this chapter, keep thinking to yourself, “Hey, this could be another cereal chapter.” Then you’ll find not only does this chapter fit, but on some level it fits so well that it makes you want to fix yourself a huge bowl of Kellogg’s^® Smart Start^®. Besides, there’s another useful loophole: the theory that once a torn, washed-out, scratched photo of your great-grandfather is scanned, it then becomes a “digital,” torn, washed-out, scratched photo of your great-grandfather. And once you open it in Elements 5 you’ll be engulfed with a burning desire to repair that photo. If I hadn’t included this chapter on how to repair and restore these old photos, then where would you be, Mr. “Hey-this-is-supposed-to-be-a-book-for-digital-photographers” frumpy-pants? Don’t you feel just a little guilty? I thought so. Now put down your spoon and start restoring some photos.