Old Time Photos Question

[Browning83]

Just wondering whats probably the best way to take some photos and make them look like older photos (black and white or sepia tone) type photos. Just going through my grandfather album the other day and some great photos.

[buzzsaw]

Photoshop brotha!

[Dbl]

Photoshop elements, Photoshop, or the free alternative Picasa2.

[MN Shutterbug]

Many digital cameras have a feature where you can choose B & W or sepia tone when you take a picture. If you have a digital camera with that feature you may be able to get a satisfactory photo by taking a picture of the photo itself while utilizing the desired mode. Just do not use the flash. It works best if you do it in daylight coming in thru a window and using a tripod so the camera is directly above the picture you want to copy. I've done it this way before with a 35mm camera and it worked fine, except for increased contrast. This was also due to poor film processing at a local lab. They all use high contrast paper, which is the main reason I switched to digital. Give it a shot. At least with a digital camera you won't be wasting film trying to get it just right.

[Steve Foss]

Browning:

You can use a digital camera to photograph the photographs. I have done it. X is on the money with his advice.

Another option: Simpler to scan the prints using a scanner, and then turn them into sepia tone in photoshop or some other post processing program. Many, many folks have scanners (quite possible you have one yourself), and you can get a darn good one for under $100 these days.

Good luck!

[MN Shutterbug]

Off the subject, but speaking of scanners, When I bought my first flatbed scanner several years ago, I paid $750 for it. I did a lot of research and that was the best price I could find anywhere. Most stores were charging close to $900 and I found a store in NY for this price. This was before the days of the internet of course. And get this, this top of the line Epson scanner scanned at a maximum resolution of 600 dpi. This was more than enough because the best printers only printed at a maximum of 300 dpi. I realize I'm aging myself but isn't it amazing how fast technology advances and how fast prices drop when the newer advanced products hit the market?