In the detritus left at Simon's cottage, I found this overexposed photograph. "Overexposure is the result of too much light hitting the film.. Overexposed photos are too bright, have very little detail in their highlights, and appear washed out."
I have no idea where my father snapped this picture of his three oldest sons but I suspect that it was at a quarry - perhaps a coastal quarry down in Cornwall. It is clearly summertime because we are all wearing shorts.
I am the smallest boy in the photo. My little brother Simon may have still been a baby or perhaps a toddler. I estimate that the picture was taken in August 1958 when I would have been four years old.
My son Ian saw the picture a couple of hours before the funeral. He has grown up with mobile phones and his smartphones have been like essential extra limbs for years. He snapped the overexposed picture with his new i-phone. Then using the built-in editing facility he was quickly able to resurrect the image. It was like a magic trick. And here we are - Shazzam!
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And here's a close up of the little boy who once was me - with his big brothers: Paul (b.1947) & Robin (b.1951):-
Scan 600 or 1200 dpi for a better image. Not really "detritus" is it.
ReplyDeleteYes it is detritus. One can find treasures at the tideline.
DeleteGosh, your mum must have had a handful with all you boys.
ReplyDeleteShe had so much energy. Incidentally, we also had a father!
DeleteYou were darling boys!
ReplyDeleteSuch innocence.
DeleteWow. There were FOUR of you!! As an only child with an only child I can't imagine it. What amazing magic to bring the photo to life!
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't imagine what it might have been like to be an only child.
DeleteIt is truly amazing what a phone can do. I am totally ignorant about improving photos.
ReplyDeleteMost computers have photo editing facilities built in. They are quite easy to use.
DeleteThe pictures are nice love to see old photos great pic
ReplyDeleteThank you Orly.
DeleteWere there any girls in the family? I had 4 boys and then 1 daughter!
ReplyDeleteYour photo just reminded me of all the good times we had when they were little!
How sweet, Neil!
My mother had two miscarriages at a late stage. One of them was a girl. I should have liked a sister. She could have taught me a lot.
DeleteThat was an amazing 'fix'. What a sweet momento to have.
ReplyDeleteIt was a "nothing" photo before the magic happened.
DeleteFour brothers! I'm an only child and always wanted a sibling.
ReplyDeleteIt really is wonderful what tech can do. It's a super photograph.
I am glad I had three brothers but only one left now!
DeleteMy Mum always wanted four children. My sister was born first, and the wish for three more remained intact. Then I came along, and she said "enough!"
ReplyDeleteIt is a nice picture, and I can still see the little boy you once were in the few photos you have shown us of yourself as an adult.
Your mum probably thought, "The first baby was okay but this one is perfection! I will never beat it so I shall stop at two!"
DeleteWhat cute little fellows! I'm glad Ian was able to resurrect your photo.
ReplyDeleteHe did it so quickly. New i-phones have amazing lenses and editing software too.
DeleteThat's a very much improved photo. I would have no idea how to do that. How on earth did you get to that little seating area on that rock wall?
ReplyDeleteShazzam! No 2 shows off your tattoos too well.
ReplyDeleteYou really are Potty! Ha-ha!
DeleteIf you hadn't identified yourself and your brothers, I would have said that you were Robin!
ReplyDeleteThe next phone and computer innovation will be to take black and white photos and instantly transform them into full colour! It's already done with old films.
Now you mention it, I am surprised that such a facility isn't easily available right now.
DeleteIt's certainly a lot easier and quicker now than spending hours in the darkroom as we used to do.
ReplyDeleteI've done similar things with some of our old photos. Isn't digital technology wonderful? That's a great picture!
ReplyDelete