Very old photographs

Having been a keen amateur photographer for close on 60 years, I

a little about photography.
for the last three years I have been an active user also of a digital Nikon – just the 995 – for its extensive menus and flexibility in close

and clinical work, and have used PhotoShop LE which came with the camera

became reasonably fast and adept with it.

About 2 months ago, I added a scanner – Epsom 4870, which came with PhotoShop Elements2.0 in order to scan and save all the old Family albums, and my more recent slides. These are all easy and rewarding, but I have yet found tno technique for dealing with the oldest photographs which have begun to return to silver in places. I have tried for days every technique which I know and which I can find in the online help and the various books and journals I have accumulated since turning to Digital.
Can anyone please help with this problem. On high magnifification the silverising appears as fine dots, and these register enmass as a pale

but the worst picture – a wedding group – has also a blotchy appearance (?poor fixing) and (simplest to correct) has been folded across its middle along with the cardboard mount. As it is sepia, I expecteed it to be

by deselecting blue, but the detail disappears as well from other parts of the picture. I have even separated all the "participants" in layers and tried individual corrections before recombining – but am left gasping at

elusiveness of the problem.

Having been a keen amateur photographer for close on 60 years, I understand
a little about photography.
for the last three years I have been an active user also of a digital Nikon – just the 995 – for its extensive menus and flexibility in close ups
and clinical work, and have used PhotoShop LE which came with the camera and
became reasonably fast and adept with it.

About 2 months ago, I added a scanner – Epsom 4870, which came with PhotoShop Elements2.0 in order to scan and save all the old Family albums, and my more recent slides. These are all easy and rewarding, but I have yet found tno technique for dealing with the oldest photographs which have begun to return to silver in places. I have tried for days every technique which I know and which I can find in the online help and the various books and journals I have accumulated since turning to Digital.
Can anyone please help with this problem. On high magnifification the silverising appears as fine dots, and these register enmass as a pale blue,
but the worst picture – a wedding group – has also a blotchy appearance (?poor fixing) and (simplest to correct) has been folded across its middle along with the cardboard mount. As it is sepia, I expecteed it to be easy
by deselecting blue, but the detail disappears as well from other parts of the picture. I have even separated all the "participants" in layers and tried individual corrections before recombining – but am left gasping at the
elusiveness of the problem.

David

Stephan gave a good reply, but for more ideas on dealing with old photographs have a look at www.retouchpro.com where they tackle this sort

problem all the time.

"D.L." wrote in message

Having been a keen amateur photographer for close on 60 years, I understand
a little about photography.
for the last three years I have been an active user also of a digital Nikon – just the 995 – for its extensive menus and flexibility in close ups
and clinical work, and have used PhotoShop LE which came with the camera and
became reasonably fast and adept with it.

About 2 months ago, I added a scanner – Epsom 4870, which came with PhotoShop Elements2.0 in order to scan and save all the old Family

and my more recent slides. These are all easy and rewarding, but I

yet found tno technique for dealing with the oldest photographs which

begun to return to silver in places. I have tried for days every technique which I know and which I can find in the online help and the various books and journals I have accumulated since turning to Digital.
Can anyone please help with this problem. On high magnifification the silverising appears as fine dots, and these register enmass as a pale blue,
but the worst picture – a wedding group – has also a blotchy appearance (?poor fixing) and (simplest to correct) has been folded across its

along with the cardboard mount. As it is sepia, I expecteed it to be easy
by deselecting blue, but the detail disappears as well from other parts

the picture. I have even separated all the "participants" in layers

tried individual corrections before recombining – but am left gasping at the
elusiveness of the problem.

David

Try "Professional Photoshop" by Dan Margulis.

The book is expensive, and might require the full version of Photoshop. HOWEVER, you will learn amazing things! Also find "Photoshop Channel Chops".

Both are pretty deep reading, but so very worth it.

Having been a keen amateur photographer for close on 60 years, I understand a little about photography.
for the last three years I have been an active user also of a digital Nikon – just the 995 – for its extensive menus and flexibility in close ups and clinical work, and have used PhotoShop LE which came with the camera and became reasonably fast and adept with it.

About 2 months ago, I added a scanner – Epsom 4870, which came with PhotoShop Elements2.0 in order to scan and save all the old Family albums, and my more recent slides. These are all easy and rewarding, but I have yet found tno technique for dealing with the oldest photographs which have begun to return to silver in places. I have tried for days every technique which I know and which I can find in the online help and the various books and journals I have accumulated since turning to Digital.
Can anyone please help with this problem. On high magnifification the silverising appears as fine dots, and these register enmass as a pale blue, but the worst picture – a wedding group – has also a blotchy appearance (?poor fixing) and (simplest to correct) has been folded across its middle along with the cardboard mount. As it is sepia, I expecteed it to be easy by deselecting blue, but the detail disappears as well from other parts of the picture. I have even separated all the "participants" in layers and tried individual corrections before recombining – but am left gasping at the elusiveness of the problem.

David