Author Topic: Colourising History  (Read 2383 times)

Offline Josh094

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Colourising History
« on: 20-02-2015, 03:02:05 »
So I recently found out that I really enjoy colourising old photographs.

Railways are one of my key interests as some people on here may know and when someone on a facebook group I'm a member of started to post some of his old black and white photographs from the 60s I asked him whether he'd be kind enough to let me attempt colourising them.

He gave me the go ahead and here are some of the results:







Anyway, some of you may have guessed where this is going..

I'm going to give recolouring some Second World War photographs now, balance out the Tank to Train ratio.

 


Offline Ts4EVER

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #1 on: 20-02-2015, 03:02:20 »
That sloped area to the left of the train in the first picture looks like bare earth to me, not grass.

Offline Hjaldrgud

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #2 on: 20-02-2015, 03:02:33 »
OOH! Great! I love looking at recoloured pictures! Keep us up to date!

"Generous and brave men live the best" -Hávamál

Offline Josh094

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #3 on: 20-02-2015, 03:02:44 »
That sloped area to the left of the train in the first picture looks like bare earth to me, not grass.

I'll give you that, but from the references I was working from It is almost certainly just short grass.

You rarely got bare earth embankments but short grass was common in the Summer months as a result of line side fires.


Offline Korsakov829

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #4 on: 20-02-2015, 04:02:44 »
Ah I used to do this. Once, I took a 1920s Mugshot of a English man charged of indecent exposure and changed him into a criminal mastermind.

Obligated to start looking for that now...

Offline Roughbeak

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #5 on: 20-02-2015, 04:02:43 »
Looks great Josh!

Offline Josh094

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #6 on: 20-02-2015, 04:02:54 »
Okay, here is my first Second World War recoloured image. Admittedly it isn't a particularly colourful scene but it was the first image on my hard drive.

Vehicles of the 10th Armoured Division advance near Trier, Germany, 1945.



Offline Korsakov829

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #7 on: 20-02-2015, 06:02:19 »
Looks ok, but I think you should try to remove some artifacts as well, like grains and overexposure in some areas, as well as signs of age on the physical print of the photo.

Offline Matthew_Baker

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #8 on: 20-02-2015, 06:02:06 »
This is awesome man :D colorizing photos is no easy task.

I've sometimes thought about doing this too.

If you want some feedback, the tank in the above photo looks a bit too... green. idk a better way to put it but the dirt/mud etc should be contrasted more from the olive drab. Looks awesome overall tho

Offline Josh094

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #9 on: 21-02-2015, 18:02:11 »
British Sherman IC Hybrid Firefly, Namur, Belgium 1944/45
« Last Edit: 22-02-2015, 02:02:39 by Josh094 »


Offline Josh094

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #10 on: 22-02-2015, 23:02:02 »
Panzer IV of the 12th SS Panzer Division HJ, somewhere on the western front.

« Last Edit: 23-02-2015, 21:02:06 by Josh094 »


Offline Ivancic1941

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #11 on: 23-02-2015, 09:02:09 »
Nice!
Floppy Wardisc or Floppy Wierdbear

Offline kummitus

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #12 on: 23-02-2015, 09:02:09 »
Your pics look great!

Though the last one is little odd, with the very bright elements with apparently overcast weather.
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Offline AfterDune

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #13 on: 23-02-2015, 12:02:14 »
I love that! Please share more when you have 'em ;).

Offline Josh094

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Re: Colourising History
« Reply #14 on: 23-02-2015, 21:02:18 »
Your pics look great!

Though the last one is little odd, with the very bright elements with apparently overcast weather.
Good call, i've toned it down.

Panzer IV Ausf. H of 12th Panzer Division, Eastern Front, 1944.