Seeking for an easy way retouching old color photos

[Stephen Liu]

(11-01-2024, 03:46 AM)PixLab Wrote: For a simple quick easy to do:
First I would neutralize that pinkish color cast to get back what is white and gray as white and gray.

1) Colors > Levels..., take the pipette and select that white on the awning (1)
2) Then on the histogram move those two cursors (2) to "straighten" the blacks and light them a bit
3) Then on the "output level", move the white cursor inward (3) to get back the lights on the top and facade of the different buildings at the back, or your lights will be a bit blown out.

Now what is should be gray like the first wall on the left is gray, and white a more real white.


Then duplicate your image, and go to Filters > Enhance > High Pass... with settings in the screenshot below and put then that layer in "Overlay" mode

Now it's more sharp (once this layer is in "Overlay" mode, you can duplicate that layer (the High Pass) as many times as you want to get sharper and sharper and sharper)


Now Select back the bottom layer in the layer stack and go to Colors > Hue-Saturation..., saturate as you wish
Use the Master first, then use selected color like red, blue, yellow to fine tune to your liking


Result Before/After with 3 High Pass layers, which is too much for my taste, but it's just to show how it can sharpen


The other pictures can follow the same process (with not so different settings)

Hi PixLab,

Thanks for your advice.

In re your point 1)
Please explain "take the pipette and select that white on the awning (1) ..."

The screenshot of the popup window of Curves -> Levels is attached

Regards

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(11-01-2024, 06:17 AM)sallyanne Wrote:

Have you tried colour > levels > auto input layers, a little contrast then sharpen. Doesn't really need much. Cant do much with the sky. 

Part of the roof with this pic is blown out or you could try and select the sky with the magic wand and colour to alpha then add a sky gradient
Normally a little contrast will get rid of a small haze and also brighten colours up

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With this one I went a little different

Gimp's Auto input levels,

GMIC's Local contrast Enhancement (default),

GMIC's Equalize local Histograms (default) similar to levels

and GMIC's Mighty details (default) does your sharpening, I like this one to bring out bricks and other finer details

Hi sallvanne,

Thanks for your advice.

Just tried colour > levels > auto input layers
It doesn't improve the sharpness of the image.  Nothing can be done on the sky.

Regards

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(11-01-2024, 01:12 PM)denzjos Wrote: Well, I've tried several things, but an easy way to get the job done is hard to find. I just have some time to get a reasonable result with various gimp blending and other tools on a photo.

Hi denzjos,

Thanks for your advice.

It is difficult to improve the sharpness of poor digitized photos on GIMP.

Regards