Photo Texture Noise

[RussH]

Hi,

I was looking for some help with the attached photo. The whole photo is covered in small white marks/lines. I believe this could be from the texture of the photo paper during scanning.

Is there a tool, or set of tools, that can remove or greatly reduce these marks with out having to dry and brush each one out individually?

Many thanks

Russ

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi @RussH

I made it a Smart Object and used the dust and scratheds filter to at least get rid of the wide offenders. Without those distractions you may still consider more work yet thought this was worth mentioning.
John Wheeler

 

[thebestcpu]

I would also like to add that sometimes the odd texture is very sensitive to the lighting used when scanning the image. It can be a particular problem with flatbed scanners since the light is often very direct onto the image surface and it can negatively reflect the texture on the photograph. If one uses a copy stand and takes a picture with a high resolution camera, the lighting can be adjusted off to the side (often 45 degrees) where you can take a picture of the photograph and have very little texture come through.

You can adjust the angle of the side lights to minimize or allow some of the texture come through as desired.

Not sure that is part of you issue yet thought that would be good to share another possible path that sometimes is a great option to remove these texture issues with no or greatly reduced post processing.

One step higher is to use polarized side lighting and a polarized filter on the camera with the copy stand. This helps with some types of optical sheen on photographs (yours does not appear to have this issue)

Just wanted to get all the options on the table.
John Wheeler

 

[nurgle]

Technically, yes these marks can be the fibres of the photo paper, or the reflections of highlights from the small bumps (micro sides) that are in semi gloss photo paper... (but almost never seen in Glazed, nit just glossy, photo emulsions)

and this looks like it is a highly magnified portion of an old photo.

one method to completely eliminate this, is to wet scan. this is why epson made their top of the range A4 Scanner be able to wet scan...

but this has dangers of residual chemicals that may be still in the print. due to improperly washed photos.

and you need to be an experience photo conservator to do that. (My old hobby)

so the above 'dust & scratches' filter, and also the above method of photo copying with a digital camera, with properly lit cross lighting, which is also the way I often go, but best with pro equipment of that.

also wanted to get my thought on the table. (been working a professional photo copyist since 1970)

regards, Sandy