I recently acquired 22 glass negatives, dating from the late 1890s to the early 1900s. Sixteen of the negatives measure 4 1/4" x 6 1/2" and the other 6 measure 6 1/2" x 8 1/2". While some of the negatives are in rough shape, they contain a tremendous amount of detail because of their large size. All of these negatives were shot in the studio, photographer and location unknown. Instead of using a traditional scanner to digitize these images, I am "scanning" them using my Sony A1 camera, mounted on a tripod, and shooting the negatives while mounted on a light box. This method is MUCH quicker, and I believe produces a much better image when properly done. Once I capture the digital negative image, I reverse the image and process in Lightroom and continue the retouching in Photoshop. My goal in addition to repairing most of the damage and flaws in the negatives, is to maintain the original dynamic range of the images from the brightest whites to the darkest blacks, while preserving the detail. Along the way, I'm also experimenting a bit with colorizing some of the images - some seem to lend themselves more than others to this process. Here are the first 11 images I've worked on, with 3 of the images also converted to color.

Guestbook for Glass Negative Restoration
Linda T(non-registered)
Oh, the history in the photos. Wouldn't it be fascinating to know who these folks were?
You have done a great job of giving these unknowns a place in time. Keep up the great work.
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