Digital Restoration

The Second Edition of Digital Restoration from Start to Finish: How to repair old and damaged photographs by Ctein has recently been published. (As we sometimes remember to mention, the name is pronounced "kuh-TINE" and it's his whole legal name.) Changes since the first edition are that the chapter on software has been completely rewritten; the examples are all new; a new chapter called "Beautification," about how to make pictures look better, has been added; there's a new section to help aid in diagnosing problems; and there's now better separation between the main text and the more than 80 How-To's. Changes throughout the text reflect refinements in presentation and methods and account for the use of more powerful computers and non-destructive editing.

The book is published by Focal Press, meaning that the editing and presentation are first rate.

The chapters are:

1. The Big Picture
2. Hardware for Restoration Work
3. Software for Restoration
4. Getting the Photo Into the Computer
5. Restoring Tone
6. Restoring Color
7. Making Masks
8. Damage Control
9. Tips, Tricks, and Enhancements
10. Beautification
11. Examples
12. Printing Tips
13. Archiving and Permanence

You can order a signed copy of Digital Restoration from Start to Finish through Ctein's website, or, if it's more convenient for you, you can order it through Amazon U.S. or Amazon U.K. There's also a PDF of the introduction and sections of several chapters available for download at the first link.

Finally, if you want to save some money, Ctein will be having a sale on the book at a later date, which we'll alert you to when the time comes.

Mike

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Original contents copyright 2010 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Scott Dommin: "I have the first edition of the book, which Ctein was kind enough to sign for me. It's the best book on the subject, bar none. The second edition should be even better. Even if you're not currently restoring a photo, you can flip through the book and be amazed at what is possible these days."

Featured Comment by Bahi: "I haven't yet read the book (shameful admission…I'm going to put that right shortly) but do have an idea of how good it might be, assuming that the author doesn't hold his cards too close to his chest.

"I recently asked Ctein to restore some very old photographs for a client and just had a chance to look at some of the incomplete work in progress. It may be unfinished but it's already beginning to look eye-poppingly good—there's genuine highlight detail in some of these pictures that we simply couldn't see in the originals. I'm not able to rule out the possibility that time travel was involved in obtaining the highlight detail (consider: long beard, interest in spacecraft, physics degree, clever fella, endless supply of dye transfer paper which Kodak stopped making sixteen years ago, etc.) but either way, we're talking about a book written by something of a wizard."

Comments

[jean-louis salvignol]

One click on amazon.fr.

It's the last... Déjà !

Nice to work with such a good genius behind you.

[KeithB]

Will the sale books be signed by Ctein, or is it too early to ask? (Is that why Ctein has only one name? To save time signing books?)

[Keith I]

This is EXACTLY what I need. I am about to start poring through my grandfather's photo albums and scrapbooks to preserve them digitally

[Tony]

Any plans to offer an ebook version on Kindle or iBooks?

[Walt E]

Hardback not available I would guess?

[Gregg]

We are no longer the knights who say ni! We are now the knights who say ekki-ekki-ekki-pitang-zoom-kuh-TINE!

[ctein]

Dear Folks,

To answer several questions I've already gotten.

1) All books I sell are signed (sale price or not).

2) Sale will commence mid-July.

3) If you want it super-cheap, you buy from Amazon. Amazon sells for less than I have to pay for a copy (they buy in huge volumes). They can also make a living wage processing an order with a profit margin of a few percent. I can't.

You buy signed copies from an author because you want to support the author. You buy unsigned copies from Amazon because you want to save the money.

4) Why, yes, it *does* make signing books and prints a lot easier. For real efficiency, though, I shoulda just gone with "C" (I have a friend whose legal name is "III" [pronounced "three"]; he can sign things FAST).

pax / Ctein

[ctein]

P.S. ...

and, to find out what's changed in the new edition, read the preface here:

http://photo-repair.com/DRBookPromo/DRFrontMatter.pdf

To find out what's in the book, in general, read here:

http://photo-repair.com/DigiRestBook.htm

OK, now THAT'S all the questions! (famous last words) [grin]

pax / Ctein

[David Dyer-Bennet]

This is an excellent book. I'd like to concur with Scott's point that many of the techniques shown in the book are useful well beyond just restoration. Both ways to use the tools to do things, and ways to think about the overall question of what you want the photo to look like.

[Robin P]

Even if you never want to play with photo restoration (could easily become a full time hobby or career), my experience with the first edition suggests that this book is a great education in image manipulation. Especially impressive is the explanation of various alternatives to the ubiquitous Photoshop - espouse "horses for courses", it works for me.
If any of your photos spend time as digital files before printing or projection then this is one book you should own.

[Alex Vesey]

I never saw the first book, but I do want this one. I hope we will see updates on this site.

Alex

[V.I. Voltz]

As we sometimes remember to mention, the name is pronounced "kuh-TINE" and it's his whole legal name.

Or, as PayPal would have us believe "None Ctein". I wonder what Javanese make of that? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javanese_names

Voltz

[Bill Hughes]

Assuming that international shipping is available, the question is whether I have the patience to wait until mid-July? That's 2/3 weeks wasted!

[Mike Johnston]

V.I.,
I'm just blown away that there is a former President of Java named "Megawati."

Mike

[amcananey]

I've known that Ctein had written this book for a while, but I have to admit that I just assumed it wasn't interesting/relevant to me. But I just read the sample chapters from the previous edition that Ctein linked to above, and I have now decided to buy it. It is clearly written and very practical, with tips and techniques that are applicable far beyond photo restoration. I have to confess that I wonder whether pitching this as a photo restoration book doesn't artificially restrict its appeal/market. Then again, I can see how it is better to completely dominate a niche than it is to be "yet another Photoshop / image editing book".

One thing I will point out: by the time you assemble the hardware, software and experience necessary to do some of this stuff, you could probably could have just paid Ctein to do it, thereby saving time AND money, while getting better results to boot!

Best,
Adam

[ctein]

Dear Bahi,

Nothing close to the chest [grin]. Everything I know (well, knew, as of the writing) is in the book. In fact, there are a bunch of tricks in there I hardly ever use myself, just 'cause we all settle on a routine centered around a handful of favorites. I find myself referring to the book to remind myself how to do some things.

Time travel? Not really a problem. No paradoxes. But talking about time travel-- that creates paradoxes.

First rule of time travel. You don't talk about time travel.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Bill,

I'm on vacation for two weeks, so if you want to order from me, you won't get it faster if you order now. Yeah, I ship internationally.

If you need it sooner (and cheaper), then Amazon is your friend.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Voltz,

Dealing with computer system's rules for names is always a challenge. Facebook is one of the few places where I am purely and simply "Ctein". 'Tho I'm thinking of emailing Paypal and asking them if they have a way to do that (it's a program issue-- is there a special 'ignore-this-data-field' code in their software).

~~~~~~~~

Dear Adam,

The entire computer system I used for my professional restoring four years ago, when I wrote the first edition of this book, would cost you well under a grand today, not counting the dedicated film scanner (which few people need).

Software's another matter. If you go full-bore, with Photoshop plus a suite of useful plugins, you're just about doubling the cost of the system. But, as I emphasize in the book, you can do most of the magic with Photoshop Elements or, better still, Picture Window Pro. Under $100.

pax / Ctein

[V.I. Voltz]

Mike,

Megawati's name is derived from Sanskrit meghavatī = "she who has a cloud" - apparently it was raining when she was born. It's a common way of naming children there.

Voltz

[bob Fuerman]

I have the first edition by my side. Chapter 4 "Getting the Photo into the Computer" or 'how to scan' is worth the price of admission. You must scan properly for best results.
And as Adam points out above, even new photos straight from the camera frequently need 'restoration.
Long time user of Picture Window Pro. If you don't want to spend big bucks, or learn 'layers' take down the trial & give it a try.
Bob

[Martin Doonan]

I've got a restoration project on the go and had been wondering how I'd realistically get hold of a copy in time. And then this afternoon I snapped up a copy in a local bookshop here in Manila. Now that was a surprise.