PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL: How to use Histogram and Curves to Repair Faded Images.

In this tutorial, I show how to read and use a Histogram to restore faded photographs in Adobe Photoshop. One that's established we use Curves, which is Histogram based, to restore this faded photograph to its former glory.
In essence a Histogram functions much like a bar chart, and is designed to show a graphical representation of the light and dark percentages of an image. On the furthest left side are the values of absolute darkness and on the furthest right, the lightest values of the image.
There is no such thing as a 'correct' histogram, as such, as every single image will provide a different histogram. That being said, there are a few potential issues which i didn't go into for this tutorial but i'll bring up here.
Clipping is the primary issue that you may run into and that's when the contrast in certain areas of the image have been crushed to the point where values of darks and lights are unable to be scene. This can usually be shown by extremely high peaks on your histogram, particularly those hitting the top of the graph. This was actually an issue with this particular image in the tutorial but as you'll see it was clipping before the adjustments and clipping after them also. While Clipping should always be avoided, that's not always possible depending on the image.
Sometimes an image can be too bright or too dark in terms of exposure, rather than be faded, and that can also be helped by using both a Histogram and Curves.
I hope this tutorial will be of use in helping you restore your family photos. This method can be a really effective way of bringing back detail to old photographs. :)
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:46 How to use Histograms
6:45 Curves Tutorial
12:49 Closing thoughts
My other videos mentioned are below!
Restoration Tutorial:
• PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL: Ph...
Colourisation Tutorial
• PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL: Ph...
EVERY U.S President in Color
• EVERY U.S President in...
Every U.S President in Color (Behind the Scenes)
• Photo Restoration | I ...
You can find me here!
/ jbcolourisation
/ jbcolourisation
/ jbcolourisation
Images Sources
Edgar Allan Poe
www.getty.edu/art/collection/...
allan-poe-american-late-may-early-june-1849/
Object Number [84.XT.957]
Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.
Unidentified Civil War Veteran with Medals
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number [LC-DIG-ppmsca-56172]
www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.5...
#Restoration #Photoshop #Repair #'Restore #Fix

Пікірлер: 99

  • @JBColourisation
    @JBColourisation Жыл бұрын

    REDBUBBLE STORE: www.redbubble.com/people/JBColourisation/shop Please let me know what you thought of this tutorial below and if you have any suggestions for future videos! :)

  • @edwardmarriott5790

    @edwardmarriott5790

    9 ай бұрын

    I use Photoshop Elements 9 and would like to learn how to take pieces from one photo and edit into another photo.Can you help,please.

  • @remorrey
    @remorrey Жыл бұрын

    This is BY FAR the very best explanation of histograms and curves I've found in over 6 years! Well done sir!

  • @larrydrennan3271

    @larrydrennan3271

    5 ай бұрын

    Yes ,a much overlooked and useful topic

  • @Natalia-pc7fm
    @Natalia-pc7fm3 жыл бұрын

    You really are a brilliant teacher, probably the best I've found on KZread. Not only that, but you display sensitivity and empathy too, by offering personal advice whenever possible. Much appreciated and will be soon applying your teachings to my own b/w photos! Thanks!

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for yet another very kind comment! I'm always happy to hear i'm helping, even if in a small way, preserve pictures outside of those i work on myself! :)

  • @edwardmarriott5790
    @edwardmarriott57903 жыл бұрын

    I have just begun using different programs to learn restore and colour b/w photographs and watch tuition videos avidly. There are quite a few good tutors out there and I must thank you for your videos as you have a clear informative method of teaching.As an 80 yr old I am enjoying learning a new art and at least it keeps my brain active.My colourising has now become acceptable, to myself and others. Now I have to learn how to use the other tools.THis video has explained easily the histogram and curves and i am ready to try my luck on faded photos. Many thanks again.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for this wonderful comment! I think one of my favourite parts of both Photo Restoration and Colourisation is how it can be very challenging but also quite relaxing. For me that makes it mentally stimulating in a way which, as much as it can be frustrating on occasions, keeps bringing me back to work on more pictures :)

  • @amandalazarus9983

    @amandalazarus9983

    2 жыл бұрын

    absolutely Im a teacher and this gentleman certainly has a great nack for teaching!

  • @Ponk_80
    @Ponk_80 Жыл бұрын

    For the first time I understand the histogram window so much better, thanks for the in depth explanation.

  • @mcdulph
    @mcdulph3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! This was incredibly helpful. I've read a lot about histograms/curves and even watched other video tutorials. It never quite "clicked" for me until I watched this video. It will help me restore a terribly faded, tiny little paper photo of my late grandfather on Saipan during WWII. :)

  • @MrDrew341
    @MrDrew341 Жыл бұрын

    You are are a legend! I am an old fart who has no experience with photo editing and have been searching for information on simple photo restoration for a family history project that I have committed to. After applying the knowledge acquired in this tutorial, I have already successfully repaired several historic family photos to (in my view) as new condition. Thank you!!!!!

  • @TGK_22
    @TGK_223 жыл бұрын

    As someone that's never understood what a histogram was, this is extremely informative. Great video!

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much! I found Histograms really difficult to grasp and i didn't really understand them until I took up Digital photography and got Histogram previews with my images. so i'm glad you found this video helpful! :)

  • @ore7tt
    @ore7tt7 ай бұрын

    انت افضل معلم في عالم يوتيوب , استمر انا ادعمك

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    7 ай бұрын

    That is very kind of you to say. Thank you so much! :D

  • @GeorgePlaysGTA
    @GeorgePlaysGTA3 жыл бұрын

    Very informative! You have a way of simplifying things to a level that us regular joes can understand. Keep them coming!

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! I do indeed have more tutorials planned for the future, along with some other videos i'm really excited to share :).

  • @danmamo5849
    @danmamo58492 жыл бұрын

    This is the type of tutorial I have been searching for. Big thank you.

  • @darrylkallen
    @darrylkallen2 жыл бұрын

    Best explanation of curves I've seen yet. Thank you!

  • @bkvamsi
    @bkvamsi2 жыл бұрын

    Great resource. For the first time I understood histogram and curves clearly. Thank you

  • @yinoveryang4246
    @yinoveryang42463 жыл бұрын

    Best tutorial on curves and histogram, I've seen. Was waiting for someone to eventually do this. In my experience 60% of "professional retouchers" don't know how Curves works and rarely use it, not understanding it, preferring Levels and would you believe Brightness/Contrast still!, to make tonal changes. One of the problems, reasons for this was that the interface changed, when they introduced the adjustments 'panel' many years ago. unfortunately It slowed the operation down, because it was now limited by the GPU. And also possibly made the whole operation of Curves harder to grasp for beginners. The way around this, is to always use Curves in a floating dialog, and not using the adjustments panel. This also allows much more fluid and subtle movement of the points.

  • @thefineletterco.7199
    @thefineletterco.7199 Жыл бұрын

    This was a fantastic explanation of a tool I’ve always ‘winged’ in the past, because it was just too difficult to understand! Thank you for making it so simple. Subscribed! 🙏🏻

  • @dawnr6194
    @dawnr6194 Жыл бұрын

    Best explanation and tutorial of histograms I've ever found! Thank you.

  • @Micamuriel
    @Micamuriel3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you James. Just learning and understanding about the Histogram featured have made a huge difference in the work I'm trying to do. Easy to understand and at a pace that anyone can follow.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, I really appreciate hearing how the video was helpful for people :)

  • @demondisturbed1173
    @demondisturbed11733 жыл бұрын

    Hello James! I just wanted to say that I really love your videos and I really enjoy watching them ... I know you can't make videos that often because of all the work they take and because of the time ... keep doing things the way you do! I love your job

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much,this is such a nice comment! I'm trying to work to get up videos a little more frequently as I really love making them. I also I have a few bigger videos planned for later in the year which i'm really excited about sharing :)

  • @rezakamel1918
    @rezakamel19183 жыл бұрын

    the best I've found on KZread that explain the reasons

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! I always find it hard to follow tutorials if I don't know why I'm doing something.

  • @kleofasskozacki9668
    @kleofasskozacki96683 жыл бұрын

    This is simply brilliant!!! Just love it! Thank you for this video! I'm happy I've found your channel ☺

  • @vilmaengedjbe
    @vilmaengedjbe3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this tutorial! Your teaching style is great, please never change it.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    2 жыл бұрын

    That's really encouraging, thank you! I hope to add more tutorials soon..ish!

  • @shaunjones4379
    @shaunjones43793 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely brilliant, thank you so much, excellent tutorial

  • @MichaelProstka
    @MichaelProstka3 жыл бұрын

    Brilliant! My mother just gave me a very old faded photo of my great-grandmother, just wait until I restore it and print her a new one! Thank you.

  • @cliffordsalmon4744
    @cliffordsalmon47442 жыл бұрын

    Thanks a lot. This is a clear explanation of the Curve Adjustment.

  • @ice_wallow_come1813
    @ice_wallow_come18133 жыл бұрын

    Great video! I had no idea what histograms meant before this video. Thanks for the tips!

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much! It took me such a long time to personally grasp histograms so I'm glad you found it helpful. :)

  • @anitamariegomez783
    @anitamariegomez783 Жыл бұрын

    Great explanation on histograms. Thank you.

  • @euwillow288
    @euwillow2882 жыл бұрын

    That was an amazing tutorial! Thank you!

  • @elsapakopoulou6759
    @elsapakopoulou67593 жыл бұрын

    great tutorial on curves. Thank you

  • @taregsami
    @taregsami2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks a lot for your time first, then for valuable and effective style of teaching second.

  • @TheDailyCrumb
    @TheDailyCrumb3 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Your colourisations are always so well done, it's nice to see some of the technical side of things.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much!

  • @jpillay72
    @jpillay723 жыл бұрын

    Enjoyed watching. So simply explained.Thanks

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm really glad it was helpful, thanks for your comment :)

  • @samelliot9186
    @samelliot91863 жыл бұрын

    This has helped clear up histograms for me thanks 😊

  • @mohammedshahidrahman8276
    @mohammedshahidrahman82763 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video and explanation!! Enjoyed watching..thanks

  • @beverleygovender841
    @beverleygovender8413 жыл бұрын

    Great and simple explanation! Thank you!

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much! I always appreciate hearing that people found my tutorials in some way useful :)

  • 3 ай бұрын

    Outstanding video. Topic wonderfully described and demonstrated

  • @joyce7892
    @joyce7892 Жыл бұрын

    Amazing! I can hardly wait to give it a try. :) You make it sound so simple.

  • @larrydrennan3271
    @larrydrennan32715 ай бұрын

    A valuable and insightful contribution.

  • @amandalazarus9983
    @amandalazarus99832 жыл бұрын

    THIS VIDEO WAS MIND BLOWING! OMG thank you so much for this video! I specialize in Photo restorations here in Jamaica (in the Caribbean) and I was just given a job that I was drawing a blank on to fix! Not only did I learn the amazing details of how to use curves I also learned that I can use it to recreate a darkroom effect from the error examples you showed AND adding the alt button to command Z was super helpful! This video really helped me a lot and has truly made my day! Ive subscribed AND I hope we can chat some day!

  • @mannaphoto
    @mannaphoto Жыл бұрын

    Very good. Thank you!

  • @atticbrowser9698
    @atticbrowser96983 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for an excellent video. Extremely clear and helpful.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for your kind words! :)

  • @spggabs
    @spggabs3 жыл бұрын

    Amazing tutorial! I've always had trouble using curves but you explained it in a simple way that made it really easy to understand, yet there is a lot of rich information. Thank you!

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! I think I would have not been able to do that had i not struggled so much myself to pick up how a Histogram worked. It was only when i saw it explained in a Photography video, where they showed real world examples, where I was able to understand it finally! :) For the record it was 'Photography Tips - Histograms Explained' by Mike Browne.

  • @spggabs

    @spggabs

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@JBColourisation Thanks for the link! I'm doing restoration and colourisation and your videos are helping me a lot to learn new techniques. Thanks again!

  • @touchedbynature5445
    @touchedbynature54453 жыл бұрын

    Very helpful and informative, Your Explanation Is Very Clear, A Good Teacher. Many Thanks For Sharing.

  • @erzoszikla
    @erzoszikla3 жыл бұрын

    That was a good video. Thank you! I will try this.

  • @DickvanderVelde
    @DickvanderVelde2 жыл бұрын

    Awesome tutorial.

  • @srg3798
    @srg37989 ай бұрын

    Immediately subscribed upon watching

  • @sherifwahba4653
    @sherifwahba46533 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much! James! very nice and informative tutorial! waiting for you next tutorial and I hope it will be a new colorization :)

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! I certainly have more colourisation videos planned for the future :).

  • @stevosd60
    @stevosd604 ай бұрын

    Brilliant. 👍👍👍

  • @Xxteamxxpro
    @Xxteamxxpro3 жыл бұрын

    OMG! Tengkyu for showing this to us. I have quite similar picture with this. I'll try with the same methode. Tengkyu

  • @balajis7937
    @balajis7937 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks a lot sir

  • @DK-ob2rt
    @DK-ob2rt3 жыл бұрын

    Keep making these tutorials. They are really good ;)

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much! I certainly have a few ideas for future tutorials I should work on. Out of interest, is there any particular area you feel would benefit from me making a tutorial on? :)

  • @DK-ob2rt

    @DK-ob2rt

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@JBColourisation How to color clothes, especially in red color. Dresses, suits, military uniforms. Another topic would be interesting how to color water (in maritime photography). You are doing amazing work. Keep going ;)

  • @brandongreen1958
    @brandongreen19583 жыл бұрын

    Great Vid as all-ways :)

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! :)

  • @armfar69
    @armfar693 жыл бұрын

    Love the way you teach, I really appreciate that you explain the “why” of everything. I do have a question, is it better if the photo we will use is saved in raw? Thanks a lot.

  • @timbaker2739
    @timbaker27393 жыл бұрын

    Just wanted to commend you on a great tutorial. I'm not paritcularly interested in the theory, so I was able to jump bypass that to the info I want. Too many people post videos that go off at a tangent during the practical application, or deliver it in a way only an expert Photoshop user can understand.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much indeed! It's always a little tricky to try and make a tutorial which will be useful for people with different learning styles and existing knowledge so it's really good to hear that you were able to find my tutorial could be used selectively as needed :).

  • @tareklarbi7168
    @tareklarbi7168 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @Natalia-pc7fm
    @Natalia-pc7fm3 жыл бұрын

    As you wisely put in your video, the only way to learn curves is through practice. It's a tricky thing. My family picture ended up looking too grainy in the grey areas, so will need to continue working on it to find balance. Or maybe it just doesn't have the quality your sample photographs display. But thanks again, without this explanation I could have never have learnt it on my own.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    You're very welcome! Yes, curves relies a lot on images with a lot of subtle levels of contrast to get the best results so generally higher quality images will give better results. Negatives, glass or plastic, are where Curves really shines but it's still possible to get good results from paper images, unfortunately usually by having to spend far more time working with them. One additional piece of advice which I'll give here but I felt was a bit too specific for this Tutorial, is that you can always add multiple Curves Adjustment layers and then Mask these duplicate versions. This can be done using the same masking methods I used in my colourisation Tutorial but by instead adding the mask to the additional Curves Adjustment layers. That way if part of the image really needs an extreme curves adjustment, such as an over exposed face, you can Mask out everything else on that second Curves adjustment, minus the face, and make very specific adjournment to the parts of the image which need it.

  • @KevinMullarkey
    @KevinMullarkey3 жыл бұрын

    Great 'xmas tutorial' from last year James. I noticed you use 'blend if' with different blending modes (namely color and normal) on the uniforms and garments. Do you have a more detailed tutorial on this technique or could you briefly explain choosing the different modes and the amount of 'blend if' etc? Many thanks

  • @leniehulse1621
    @leniehulse16213 жыл бұрын

    Really great video. I have a family photo of 11 people in it. The people standing at the outer ends are not sharp. How can I go about sharpening them without enhancing the colour? Thanks.

  • @GustavoFernandesKing
    @GustavoFernandesKing9 ай бұрын

    nice video, but the "crtl-z thing" is completely adjustable, since it's a shortcut. For some reason, my PS has crtl-z working normally by default, but that wasn't always the case in the default settings.

  • @BRONWYNSVN
    @BRONWYNSVN3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the tutorial. What particular “Photoshop” are you using and can it be used on my Apple IPad?

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much and sorry for the late response! I'm using an older Photoshop but I intend to move on to the newer Creative Cloud version in the new year, which works on both PC/Mac and IPad. I know that the 'CC' version of Photoshop is now available on IPad but I'm not entirely sure it has all the same features as the full Pc/Mac versions? There is a free trial available for Ipad so there isn't any reason to not give it a go at least :). At this point in time i don't own an IPad unfortunately to personally confirm the features but i would recommend possibly checking out ''Affinity Photo'' on IPad as a potential Photoshop alternative? It would look to have pretty much the same features but with the advantage of being a single one off payment, rather than a monthly subscription.

  • @ecc84
    @ecc843 жыл бұрын

    watched a lot of your videos lately as I collect old victorian photos and am looking to get a bit better with the old version of photoshop i have. i think i need to update but can you tell me what version you use please?

  • @hermann0912
    @hermann09122 жыл бұрын

    Very nice work! Is there any way to improve the quality of a grainy, poorly taken photograp?

  • @carlosroji4144
    @carlosroji41443 жыл бұрын

    thanks mate for this really didactical video. Where is your accent from?

  • @TwerkiTwerk
    @TwerkiTwerk2 жыл бұрын

    I use Photoshop Elements 22 retail, but i cant find a lot of the shown options. Do i need to have the monthly paid version for that? ty in advance guys!

  • @heathersmeding6354
    @heathersmeding63543 жыл бұрын

    I want to purchase Elements (mac) to work mostly with old photos. Do I need a particular version?

  • @robertpayer2312
    @robertpayer2312 Жыл бұрын

    Is there a way to sharpen old images

  • @leniehulse1621
    @leniehulse1621 Жыл бұрын

    Did you scan or take a photo of the photo. If you took a photo what lens Nd method e.g.loghting etc.

  • @JBColourisation

    @JBColourisation

    Жыл бұрын

    This particular photograph was from the Library of Congress collection, www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.56172/ To me it looks like they photographed it using an overhead camera rig? And i would guess with potentially one of those 'Product Photography Lightboxes' or similar to keep the light nice and evenly balanced. I'm sorry i can't give more than an opinion on how they captured it.

  • @johnmichaelsee8314
    @johnmichaelsee83143 жыл бұрын

    Can you help me to retore a photo.. Please. 🙏🙏

  • @jeannezaks4117
    @jeannezaks4117 Жыл бұрын

    Will you use my faded photograph and do a restore? Please?

  • @thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051
    @thevfxmancolorizationvfxex40513 жыл бұрын

    Check out my colorization timelapses here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dpaN0K2worWzmag.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/oG2YmquBkcWne5c.html

  • @efstratiosdiakoniarakis9517
    @efstratiosdiakoniarakis95173 жыл бұрын

    Too much talk, we are looking for simple things how to do it !

  • @Yanisoz
    @Yanisoz Жыл бұрын

    Outdated now! No new skill! AI is wiping out it.

  • @harmonie666
    @harmonie666 Жыл бұрын

    has anyone ever told you sound like horrible histories actor voice