Famous old photos colourized

[pyonir]

Pretty cool but I still prefer the b&w versions for all except the burning monk. I think that one has the most impact with colorization.

 

[drquest]

Very impressive!

 

[JTsyo]

Is this done via software or by hand?

 

[ShawnD1]

I think most of them look worse with color. Black and white stuff tends to look better because it hides all of the flaws. It also draws a lot of attention to everything in the picture so it's harder to focus on one particular thing.

I like how digital cameras can still take black and white pictures. They can sometimes capture the mood a lot better.

 

[DesiPower]

In India, we have entire classic movies recolorized... no big deal...

 

[OVerLoRDI]

This is incredible work. The color really makes those famous black and white photos come a live.

This is especially impressive

 

[qliveur]

As far as I know, these are Confederate dead, so the use of blue here is incorrect.

 

[GotIssues]

The Lincoln, Darwin, Twain... really brings those people to life. It makes them seem more "real" and "relevant" some how. Like they ACTUALLY lived and aren't just people in a picture.

Amazing.

Holy crap, this is exactly what I was thinking as well. Mentally, you just kind of file these images in the back of your mind as "history" and it just really doesn't register on a personal level. When you see them colorized, it just... I don't know, puts it in a different mental category, something you relate to in some way.

 

[ShawnD1]

Holy crap, this is exactly what I was thinking as well. Mentally, you just kind of file these images in the back of your mind as "history" and it just really doesn't register on a personal level. When you see them colorized, it just... I don't know, puts it in a different mental category, something you relate to in some way.

Blah. Color is too cartoony. It's easier to notice the fine details when the color is not there:

The same effect is seen on statues. The black and white greek statues look impressive and artistic. Modern analysis reveals that they likely looked like shit when they were first made

http://io9.com/5616498/ultraviolet-light-reveals-how-ancient-greek-statues-really-looked

 

[Matthiasa]

As far as I know, these are Confederate dead, so the use of blue here is incorrect.

And as far as the truth goes, they are actually union dead.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

And as far as the truth goes, they are actually union dead.

pwned

 

[qliveur]

And as far as the truth goes, they are actually union dead.

Proof?

 

[BladeVenom]

"The rebels represented in the photograph are without shoes. "
The book the photo came from identified them as Rebels.
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate36g.html

 

[DrPizza]

Those are incredible. I wonder if there will ever be consumer level software that does it nearly automatically, vs. how much of that is an art.

 

[Sephire]

Wow Photoshop CS5 FTW!

 

[qliveur]

http://io9.com/5616498/ultraviolet-light-reveals-how-ancient-greek-statues-really-looked

Not your fault, but that statue is Roman, not Greek.

 

[SandEagle]

Wow, amazing work.

KT

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." -- Leonardo Da Vinci

yes, these are great. they may be in violation of PIPA, but I approve.

 

[Matthiasa]

Proof?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=harvest+of+death&l=1

Is that good enough?

 

[sixone]

I'd love to have pics of my grandparents and great grandparents colorized. Much rather pay someone else to do it, tho.

 

[qliveur]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=harvest+of+death&l=1

Is that good enough?

"Although Gardner's caption identifies the men in the photograph as "rebels represented...without shoes," they are probably Union dead."

Nope, although I was going by the original caption, myself.

So, we don't know, I guess.

 

[dighn]

almost makes these historical figures come to life. very nice.

the one with the nuke blast really struck me though. seen plenty of of such photos/footage before but there's something about this photo. I think it's the tranquil blue waters...

 

[Matthiasa]

Wikipedia says they are union as well.