Preserving treasured images

[The amateur]

I ended up buying the Epsilon V600 Photo scanner.

Initially, I used the software that came with the machine, but later I found an alternative software that has advantages and produces images with much better quality.
I had messed up with another much older scanner, but this one, although also having some age, produces much more effective results.

When it comes to color photographs, the use of AI in image repair is noticeable, namely to correct negative defects and impurities that have accumulated over the years.
However, the noise remains and the image will have to be processed in another application.

My purpose is not to create perfect replicas of every photograph taken long ago, but rather to preserve memories that can be passed down to future generations.
Here is an example of a living broom with legs.

[Manfred M]

An excellent project, Antonio.

You mentioned that you were using scanner software that did not come with your Epson V600. What software would that be?

The other comment I make to everyone who wants to leave a photo legacy; get the images off your hard drive and off the cloud if you have any there. Once you're no longer around, no one is going to pay to leave your images online and with forgotten passwords, access to them will be limited. The same thing goes for computers and hard drives. I doubt very much that anyone will look for things there and as technology evolves, access to these electronic devices will not be possible anymore either. Computer backup tape, some optical disk technologies, floppy disks, etc. have for all intents and purposes become unreadable. Other current technologies will go the same route.

The only thing that might be preserved are physical prints. So print those images that you are scanning and put them someplace safe. Old fashioned photo albums, prints put away in old shoe boxes (or archival holders) or printed books are all ways you should consider!

Chromogenic prints (those used by online print services) are likely to last 20 - 40 years, as the dyes in those papers are no more stable than the colour prints from the photo finishers of yesterday. Dye sublimation prints may have better lifespans, but as they are made on fairly inexpensive substrates, they might not last much longer. Photo books are a better bet as they use pigments (they are essentially high end laser printers), but the papers they use are not archival. The longest life (and most expensive process) are ink jet pigment prints on archival papers, when properly stored. These can last hundreds of years.

[DanK]

Antonio,

I've been doing a modest amount of restoration of old photos for the past year or more, and recently I tried the AI repair in Photoshop. It can help, but it's not (at least yet) a substitute for manual repairs. it also often overdoes faces, making them look like plastic. So I tend to add an AI layer near the end of the process and, if necessary, reduce it's opacity.

Dan

[The amateur]

Dear Manfred,
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your thoughtful words and, in particular, for your invaluable suggestion of preserving our cherished images for future generations. The idea of printing them individually or in a book has captivated me with its practicality, affordability, and versatility.

In fact, I have already experimented with the Blurb book solution but I ended up deviating from the goal and opted to print the photos in A5 and A3+ sizes on my own. I now recognize that this was a mistaken decision, as the book proves to be a much more practical and efficient alternative.

On one trip with friends, I even had the opportunity to share my photos by creating a book, which was met with great enthusiasm by everyone.

While digital storage, when accessible, remains a valid complementary option, printing in a book stands out as the ideal solution for preserving memories in a durable and tangible way.

I confess that I do not have the patience to meticulously process all of my photos, especially those that do not have great sentimental value. In this sense, creating a book allows me to carefully select the images that I truly want to immortalize, as well as to include photos in different sizes to optimize the book's space without compromising the quality of the memory.

Without a doubt, I will opt for the book solution, as it seems to me to be the most effective for this purpose. Once again, I thank you immensely for your suggestion, which I hope will also inspire other forum participants.

Cheers !
-
Dear Dank,

I have carefully processed the image shown below using Topaz DeNoise AI, but I did not notice any significant improvements and I kept it as produced by the scanner.
As I mentioned earlier, the most important thing is to preserve memories, so a little bit of noise doesn't seem particularly important to me.

In any case, I haven't tried any restoration attempts in Photoshop yet, but thank you for the suggestion. I will follow up on this by using opacity reduction as a tool to improve the image.

Cheers!
-
I almost forgot - SilverFast 9 was used for scanning

[DanK]

Hi Antonio,

For photos that recent, I usually don't do restoration either, but sometimes the color balance is messed up, or a color cast has been added by age. The ones I have been restoring all date back at least 50 years.

Re storing things as physical prints: it depends on one's circumstances, but I don't think that is sufficient for me. What I am dealing with is dispersed families that are interested in photos from a generation or two ago. They often won't even see them if I rely on a print. In fact, I have boxes of prints, but almost no one ever has a chance to see them. So, I am going to put together an online directory of restored images and let them download the ones they want.

Dan