Hi Everyone,
We seem to being going through a feast or famine as far as having photos to restore. Our last last intake from Midland, MI ran dry due to circumstance unforeseen. The good news is that I think we have a chance to do better with the next partnership in Midland, MI. This will be with a big corporation that everyone knows, but who I will keep secret until the details are worked out. This will be different than anything we have done before, but could be a solution to working around Covid-19, but yet offer the people of Midland, MI a better chance of being help.
Not nice to not spill the beans, but I really have to have more information first.
Margie
I always have plenty of pictures that I've done in the past to practice on, Margie. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks Candy--way late in getting back but still waiting.
I'm going to let the cat out of the bag because otherwise you will think there is no cat--I mean no photos or partners. Here is what is going on behind the scenes. We aren't getting a sponsor that will pay our cost, but we are getting one that will saves us money and later we can try for a one time grant with them. The company is FedEx and it is in Midland, MI in a Walmart center. FedEx does scanning and yes, I know we like doing cameras on copy stands better. However, their scanners are top of the line and they will scan photos at our desired resolution, and as they are without any whistles or bells such as color correcting or sharpening. Each photo will cost us .25 cents each with a limit of 20 photos for 50 family limit. We will also pay $11 for a flash drive to be mail to us by FedEx. Yes, it sounds expensive, but so much cheaper than us flying there and the other expenses involved.
Hopefully this will work out as this is our safest bet. Will let you know when our flier gets approved by Corporate. Thank you Victoria for your work on a great looking flier. Footnote: FedEx Corporate will not allow us to us their logo and we can only put on the flier which FedEx to go to for their copies made. Otherwise it looks like they are sponsoring us. Sorry for the delay.
What a process. You're a jewel for staying on top of things, Margie.... and the rest of the team, too!! Thank you for updating us. :hug:
Thanks Candy. It take a team and the volunteers restoring to make this all come together. Check out my revised post before this one as we have a slight hiccup on the flier.
Here's the flier that is going on again for Midland, MI. Only this time family's will be able to go to FedEx in the Walmart mall. This is a 1st although I have taken photos before that were scanned by FedEx. They have great scanners and will have all the whistles and bells turned off.
YEAH! Omar Calderon our new Webmaster has updated and fixed the problem.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9w3L992f/OPR-Fed-Ex.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9w3L992f)
When I tried to attach a jpg in another post I got this: /users/kiskamoore/Desktop/groan.jpeg
Kiska, Omar has updated and fixed the problem.
Omar the omnipotent.
To Omar: :wnw: :wnw: :wnw:
I am so glad we have Omar to take over our web maintenance. :loveit: One invariable thing about software is that the tools and platforms are always changing.
Recently, the OPR web host decided to "upgrade" the PHP version. As a subscriber, our choices were either upgraded it ourselves or did nothing until their upgrade broke our website. Neither one was an attractive option.
This is not the first time our website was broken by an "upgrade" and I am sure it won't be the last time. If you see something that is not working properly, please send an email to
[email protected] and we will try to take care of it. Both Omar and I are working full time so we may not be able to get to it immediately, but we will try to fix it soon in our spare time.
And we have Shen to thank for getting Omar on board after we lost Tess. :loveit:
Many thanks Shen and Omar :up:
Thank you Shen and Omar!
A Big Thanks to Shujen for finding Omar and all the work they are putting into the web site.
Mike
I now have 2 photos in my gallery and both of them are not easy. The one with color was a slide that was scanned in and when I tested it out by doing an Auto Curves, it made it worse. That tells me when it was scanned that the bells and whistles were on which makes things harder to correct.
On these two I am not going to restrict to just 1 volunteer working, that way on the Forum it will allow more volunteers to show their work. I will take the best or the combination of several best and let QC decide.
Hopefully more photos will drift in.
Could this be smoke damage from a built in grill?
(https://i.postimg.cc/JDbH8Hph/sondra.png) (https://postimg.cc/JDbH8Hph)
Don't know Kiska, but screen mode seems to help.
Kiska,
On the top arrow, I would fill in with siding as it may be between windows or door but no way of knowing. On the bottom part I would leave it black out out as it is. The 3 woman may have to be black/white and then colorize or whatever mean you can compensate for the slide being scanned.
I have more pictures coming and they are easy black/white. If you are working on a photo from my gallery do not go on to another until you have finish the one you are working on.
Margie
(https://i.postimg.cc/nXxcvMs4/sondra.png) (https://postimg.cc/nXxcvMs4) My try Kiska :-\
Thanks guys. Might have something tomorrow.
Go Kiska! Like what you did Kerbstone. Look forward to seeing the final.
(https://i.postimg.cc/sQ6GQTS0/Sondratry2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sQ6GQTS0)
(https://i.postimg.cc/234B1z5b/Sondratry3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/234B1z5b)
Can anyone do levels/curves ??
(https://i.postimg.cc/68vmjHXt/Sondratry4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/68vmjHXt) Try 4 :)
Kerbstone, your next to the last was the better one.
Lots of shadow/highlights, color balance, hand printing on color layers. Got creative on left black. That's supposed to be dappled tree shadow.
(https://i.postimg.cc/WDzz9nwP/sondra-2.png) (https://postimg.cc/WDzz9nwP)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qg86HJyg/Sondratry5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qg86HJyg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2bpWDV59/Sondratry6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2bpWDV59)
The girl on the right looks like she has bobby pins.
Got 'em in my WIP. Thanks.
I have found that 'equalize' gets rid of the bells and whistles Margie mentioned in her post about scanning and restoring and' white balance' later gives a good starting point on the image. :)
Thanks Kerbstone. For those scanners that have Blue Ice, disabling it saves us a ton of grief. Unfortunately the owner of the photo got the scan of the slide from a family member.
:)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Fk9DRw1S/sondra1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Fk9DRw1S)
Definitely an improvement and now to work on the blown out parts. :up:
(https://i.postimg.cc/SXd7hf2d/Sondra-02-4x6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SXd7hf2d)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dkKj2Rmc/Sondra-02-4x6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dkKj2Rmc) played with color :-\
(https://i.postimg.cc/K3Tz1g49/Sondra-02-4x6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K3Tz1g49) A few more tweaks ;)
Skin tones
(https://i.postimg.cc/rzQDScVn/skin-tones.png) (https://postimg.cc/rzQDScVn)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y4MTdMd4/Sondra-02-4x6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Y4MTdMd4) ty Kisks
Let me tell you what I see by the area on the left. The little white tag, is one on a mailbox. To the left of that is a space with siding and then to the left of that a door. Why? Because it reminds me of where momma and I lived at one time.
(https://i.postimg.cc/t7GcNbWH/Sondra-02-4x6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t7GcNbWH) 'White balance'. Sending this one home.
You are right Candice. I see the exact same as you. :)
Candy, I think you are right. Thanks Kerbstone. This photo really has more than can be worked and using layers will help. The siding of the house can be filled in around the window and mailbox.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QKskyVgK/Sondra-02-4x6-doorway.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QKskyVgK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/PND8Lmst/Sondra-02-4x6-doorway2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PND8Lmst)
Kerbstone, this doesn't work. The siding doesn't line up and the color doesn't match. Not sure what the box on top is. Let's leave it like it was before this effort and call it good. It's a case of the left side a lost cause.
I think upload your best shot and don't crop, because I think QC will have that option. Having the women in the photo is the most important part.
Hopefully more photos will be coming and not slide that were scanned. :wow:
Margie
How goes the battle, Margie?
Candy, if you mean more photos coming? I'm about ready to hoist the white flag. I will have to start getting more creative. Maybe drag out my own photos and stomp on them in the mud.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-mobile-scanning-apps/ Perhaps try advertising that they can use their phones as a scanner. Less trouble at a time of crisis.
Yes, Margie, that's what I meant and right on cue you came back with a comment that made me LOL. Perhaps we should share some of our hardest restores just to let others practice on.
Quote from: Kerbstone on October 07, 2020, 11:44:58 AM
Perhaps try advertising that they can use their phones as a scanner. Less trouble at a time of crisis.
I agree. It's best to use a phone to scan photos because this is the most accessible alternative for many people. The quality may not be as good but it's something.
Quote from: Candice on October 07, 2020, 12:32:52 PM
Perhaps we should share some of our hardest restores just to let others practice on.
I think this a wonderful idea!
We have put the message out on OPR's Facebook and also on area's Facebook sites. I have also used photos that were scanned by phone, but they have to be done right. "The quality may not be as good but it's something." That can be a real problem and as I've stated I have taken them if they are done right: in focus, can be cropped to the right dimension, no camera shakes, camera held straight, etc. The biggest problem right now is that areas in Louisiana that have been hit the hardest are in the recovery stage and looks like they are about to be hit again. So for them it will be some time.
Why not post one of your own personal photos or ask friend if they have some they would like restored? The bad part about posting photos on the Forum where it is open to everyone is that those photos can be downloaded and used outside of OPR. I may see if I can find some photos that were listed as non-restores.
We are also in contact with rescue groups on the ground and they will get the word out about us.
Kerbstone, did you have a chance to check out the link you gave? I thought this was a link it was on how to use your phone as a scanner but you have to download software. One thing with any scanning we have done, all whistles and bells have to be turned off, because if you don't the scanner does color corrections we can't undo to get back to the original.
I read the reviews on the scanners for smart phones and here are some interesting comments. Mainly these are for a PDF scan--we need sRGB-- and what I'm reading they would be a pain for people coming off a disaster to use them. For other uses fine, but not for what we need.
Adobe iPhone PDF scanner User got the best reviews, but it is for an iPhone. I needed to see what a complaint would reveal: "It takes almost 10 minutes to make pdf . Then another 10 minutes showing saving as pdf. It automatically change the color of pages. Then i have to wait until it gets original color." Realize there are plenty of positive comments, but this is not what we want and not a PDF.
Scan Pro Apt(listed as expensive): User complaint: The app is almost becoming almost unusable. It takes forever to detect a page and then bunch of instructions follow like move closer, don't move and then no document detected and then the whole process again. Old review: The new version is so pathetic. My default camera app takes better scan..."
We already have a way to have the photos scanned and uploaded to us: FedEx. They scan and the copies are uploaded to a flash drive and then mailed to us. We have got the word out in Twin Falls, MI and so far no takers.
With all the other recent disasters, we need to give them time to cleanup.
Kerbstone, I owe you an apology as to the benefit of using a smart phone to scan a photos. While your link was for document scanning only, it caught the attention of Shujen and Hannie and they had high praises for Google's PhotoScan: https://www.google.com/photos/scan/ This is good for both the iPhone and Android and is for scanning photos.
While having a copy stand is the ideal way, this may be a great way for people to get a copy of their damaged photos to us.
A child's plastic chair makes a good phone stand in a pinch. Anyone else have any creative ideas for a phone stand?
There is no need for a plastic chair or any kind of copy stand when suggesting using the cell phone with this app, that is the beauty of it. See the video. Some day when things go back to normal--if ever--we will use our professional copy stand.
:up: