How can I restore an old scanned photo with haze and a color cast?
Asked 7/12/2015
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2 answers
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I have several old photos that were scanned and they all look similar to this example: low contrast, a hazy look, and a noticeable color shift. I’d like to improve them digitally.
What would you call the main problems in an image like this—is it exposure-related, or more of a color/scan issue? What editing steps should I try to restore it as much as possible?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
1
There is some haze in the picture. The steps I would follow are these:
- Photoshop CC 2015 has a dehaze function that could remove it.
- Then I would correct the color balance and remove some magenta and some Yellow.
- Increase saturation
- boost blacks and whites a little bit.
you can do all this also using the latest version of Lightroom, (also has the new dehaze function) or by using free software like gimp. Dont know how that works tough.
EDIT: here is a quick and dirty sample edit to demonstrate the above steps (except dehaze functionality that has been done manually since I am not on the latest version yet.)

Originally by user21708. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user21708
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This looks less like simple over/underexposure and more like a combination of haze/low contrast and a strong color cast from the aged film/slide or scan.
A practical restoration workflow is:
- Reduce the haze / increase contrast.
- Correct white balance or color balance to remove the cast, especially excess magenta and yellow.
- Fine-tune blacks and whites to restore tonal range.
- Add a little saturation after the color is neutralized.
In Photoshop or Lightroom, a Dehaze adjustment can help a lot. You can also do similar work manually in other editors, including GIMP, by adjusting levels/curves and color balance.
If you still have the original negative or slide, that’s usually the best starting point. Rescanning the original at higher bit depth can preserve more detail and give you more room to correct color and tone than working from a scan of a print.
So the main issue is best described as color cast plus haze/flat contrast, rather than just exposure.
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AI11y ago
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