Colorizing photos

[Larrister]

Hi,

Here's my latest finished project for those who enjoy seeing colorized photos.

A Kradfahrer standing in front of a Hansa 1100.

Cheers,
Larry

[Torpedomaat]

Here's my latest finished project for those who enjoy seeing colorized photos.

A Kradfahrer standing in front of a Hansa 1100.

Nice! It's a great photo and a great job.


Haruki

[Rikster]

my first go at colourizing!!
Before:

[Rikster]

and after

[Larrister]

Hello Rickster,

Very nice job. I like the colours. Show us some more!

Here's a grainy photo I colorized recently.

Cheers

Larry

[Kurt Monsen]

just some comments...

I have just scrolled through this tread and found that almost all, except for Ron C. and Larrister is too keen on bright colours, especially green and red is too bright and strong on most of the pictures. I am no expert on coloring images, but I see what is wrong with colorized pictures as I have some experience making catalogues which had to be 100% correct regarding color tins, brightness and all other problems making a color picture look natural.
Color in general: Try to start off with a darker shade of colour than you first would choose (At least in the darker area, on uniforms, patches, etc.), then try to add just a little transparent colour at the time, gradually working the color up to a level that looks ok. I would suggest all of you to perhaps work on to or three images at the same time, work first some time on one image, put it away and start on the second, then the third. Then you start all over again by working furthermore on the first image, etc. By doing this you will not go "blind" to your work and perhaps see any faults more easily.
The face: Also be careful when adding colours to the eye. Even on todays color pictures it is hard to make out one persons eye color, so try to restrain from using bright and strong colors in the eyes. Do not fall for temptation to enhance eyelashes, this will only add a feminine touch to a soldier.
Lips: Do not choose another colour for the lips even though it is the case in real life, all men looks weird with lipsticks. Let the shadows thats already in the lips do its job for you.
The face has got many shades of color, so one color code would not be enough to make a whole face. Also, a color code that could be used on one picture is probably useless on another. Look at a regular modern family photo, not one has the same colors in their face, and it vary all over the same face as well.
Background: Remember always to blur out colours in the background insted of making the sharp and crisp. This enhances the photo realistic impression.
I hope I do not appear as mr. know-it-all, which I'm not, just try to not go bananas with colors and you'll see the image would look more realistic.
Cheers,
Kurt Monsen

[Larrister]

Hello Kurt,

Thankyou for your opinion. Most of your points are relevant and I try to follow them when I colour a photo.
You have to remember that some of the photos posted here were done by people with little experience. I applaud them for having a go.
My photos didn't look so pretty when I first started but I stuck at it and got better. Maybe one day we may see an attempt at colorizing a photo done by yourself.

Cheers,
Larry

[Kurt Monsen]

My post was an attempt to help the beginners to see what might be wrong with a colorized image and not point out their first images as bad ones. I really hope that noone got that impression. I actually think its nice to see how enthusiastic people get when they find out how to add colors to a b/w photo. As said, i am no expert in colorizing photos myself, but I have learnt a thing or two from earlier (and quite mediocre) attempts, (In addition to catalogue work) so I speak out of experience. I will see if I can do a colorization job and post it here in the near future.
Kurt Monsen

[i.spring]

hay guys,i just wanted to appluad the amaxing efforts in this tread, when i was in collage last year, i had some time to do colourising german ww2 photos and they are so much fun, to bring them back to life.
So big congradulations.

good luck
Ian

[byterock]

The pic in #21 is nice but the colour of the beret is wrong.

The actual Sgt. photo is Burt Hardy a famous WW II photographer who was drafted from his 3000 quid a year job as a photographer at Picture Post into the British army at 300 quid a year as a photographer but now getting shot at to use his rather funny take on it.

Still alive today and living outside London I think.

His beret would have been khaki but just a little lighter than his uniform. He was not in the air-mobile or para (maroon) or provost-MP (cherry red), I think he was actually in the Royal Signal Corps during the war.

good job though. I am sure Burt would get a laugh out of it.

[Wijtman01]

here is my shot any opinions xD

[Wijtman01]

here is another shot
im on a media schoool so i have photoshop class once a week
hahaha

[Larrister]

Hi,

Here's my latest colourized photo. It took a week to complete.

Cheers,

Larry

[Prussian]

Hi Larry

the car on your Photo No. 165 in this thread is a Steyr 530 Gl******228;ser 2-door 4-window Convertible built in 1935 or 1936! It******180;s the model before the Steyr 630, of which you also have a photo in the other thread. I was very suprised to find a picture of a Steyr 530, because there were only 456 built of all body versions!

You can compare it to my car:
http://files.homepagemodules.de/b707...p8409878n1.jpg

which has different bumpers, but same radiator, air vents...

Could you please mail me this picture in better quality, so I can zoom in to see some details for my restoration project! Here******180;s my mail address: preuss-traum(at)t-online.de

This would be a great help for me! And if you have further pictures of this car, please think of me...:-)

Thanks, Axel

[Larrister]

Thanks Axel. Email sent.

Cheers,

Larry