Technical Image Enhancement for Dummies?

Doubt any AI could do this
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1365174328515809

 

I installed the Gemini app and tried enhancing a picture with interesting results.
I asked it to sharpen the image, it sharpened the image but changed the faces to generic images! My Dad looks like Ray Liotta! My Grandma looks like the smiling image on a Betty Crocker package. Oops.
So I told it to delete the people and got a great image of our first family boat.
I have to call my first experience with AI partially successful I guess.
Thanks to all for showing me a new trick, now I guess I have to learn and practice.

 

Bob...if you look closely at my tank sticker you'll see Copilot simply made **** up. AI can't be trusted..lol. I had to correct it so many times...that I just gave up. The image I posted above bears zero resemblance to a Corvette tank sticker. Worked well on the custom car in this thread..but on my deal..not so much

 

That’s interesting. It does have a mind of its own, so to speak….

 

Here’s one HAMB friendly picture that I was able to enhance. It didn’t seem to change anything but the focus, thank goodness.
That’s my Mom at 18 standing beside my Dad’s ‘41 Ford convertible. It’s the car that they dated in. Stock engine except for 2-2s and milled heads. It was gray lacquer and my Dad kept it spotless. He was going to city college and working part time refinishing woody station wagons.

 

Well, I hope some others are able to figure this out and clean up some old images. Gemini is free and just a click to download the app. It has the power of Google behind it so I figured it would work pretty good. There’s no instructions but the little + in the corner lets you load a picture and just typing “make this image clearer” gets some basic enhancement. “Remove the people” or “remove the car” etc will do just that. I’m certainly no computer whiz but I’ll be experimenting some more for sure.

 

Here’s what the original looks like….

It looks like it added cactus in the pot on the porch, flowers on the trellis, and flowers on Mom’s blouse. It put the correct Ford on the hubcaps. Not bad. Better if it didn’t add anything. Oh well.

 

I'm not too worried about people using the the pictures I took. I feel I'd rather have pictures be seen than be tucked away in a book where they could not be enjoyed by others. Not only that I'm hoping that HAMB lives on long enough where These pictures would be displayed along with the other great pictures that people post in the vintage thread.

 

I use a Axiem Systems Photo Editor. I found it on the Apple App Store. There is a free version and a pro version you have to pay for. I’ve been using the free version for several years. Very easy to use. Select a photo and adjust until you like it and press done.

 

Bongos, I thought they were pitchers of beer!

 

@bchctybob
Did you notice the hub caps on AI pic

 

I noticed that it added the correct center caps and made the Ford lettering line up horizontal. It looks like Dad might have had baby moons or “baldy” caps.

 

Not picking apart , it add tree stalk to.
Neat stuff !
But @ same time looks that AI is going to alter what was actually in the p***
By adding things .

 

I’m thinking that’s going to be part of the fun, looking for what it changes and figuring out how to make it right. It also depends on how big you want the finished image to be. In the smaller images, like on a phone or tablet facial details weren’t real obvious, but on a desktop monitor or expanded on an iPad the errors start to show.

 

I have a freebie photo enhancement program that I haven't used yet, I imagine it just works with the actual photograph and doesn't do AI change-o tricks.

When I'm interested in some type of program, I go to the Major Geeks website to get a selection of freeware and shareware software programs. The biggest draw for me is that Major Geeks tests all of the programs for malware so that its safe to download the software.

 

I thought they were tubs of fried chicken…

 

FOCD?

 

I'm AI ignorant. Could AI possibly help these 2 photos?

Years ago. many of my old toy collection pics got destroyed by a burst water pipe. The only pics I have of my Tether Car and "Mite Car' collection are these I managed to harvest off of an old VHS tape.
I have photo editing software and minor skills...sadly, this is the best I could edit them.
I don't know much about AI and if it could even possibly clean-up/focus up these any better. Thanks.

 

Hey HRJ,

If you already have photo programs on your laptop or home desktop, once you digitize your VHS tape collection, now that will give you a base to start going frame by frame. The digital program track will allow you to go frame by frame and not have to chance a stop on a VHS tape.

The digitized VHS tape will now allow you to go frame by frame finding the best "still" shot from the tape plays. I had two VHS tapes digitized when my whole collection of 16mm movie film was done. it was a simple process for the local shop to drop in the VHS tape into their players and transfer the tape on to a small digital flash drive.

Jnaki

It will depend on how long your VHS tape is and how many other items will be digitized at one sitting. Most shops that convert film to digital usually likes to put the result on a DVD disc. But, we all know what DVD discs do for scratches and longevity. Take your own flash drives up to 5 tb and that should be enough for most normal VHS tapes in anyone's collection. Most cities have a good digital conversion shop for transferring those film files and your old photos.

All of my films were put on a early 20 GB flash drive way back then. That is "baby" size compared to today's hard drives. But, due to enlarged files and digital photos, 5 TB hard drives are the norm for saving our family files. YRMV

 

Sadly, that old VHS was also damaged and I was lucky to get anything off it. That old VHS tape is long gone...the 2 images are all I have left.

 

Is that what they say when you blow them up?
So AI has a sense to humor? I didn’t blow them up beyond what I needed for restoration. Too funny. I guess consumer level AI has a way to go. Or I do….

 

I did these in Grok...I thought they were admirable...AI does quite well with uploaded images...

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I had those bongos back in the day! You had to heat them over a flame to get them to expand and sound crisp.

 

You old beatnik you…..lol

 

These are a little better…

That was quite the collection!

 

Stogy, have you noticed AI changing or adding anything to the original image on its own, like Gemini occasionally does? I see that Grok made the coupe shiny, did you ask it to do that?

 

Yes Bob, it very often does many things you don't want to. I specifically asked in my wants to make the image resolution clearer without changing overall details except to remove the items on top. I again will give it to Elon's Grok that it really impressed me. Yes also I did ask it to polish the paint and it looks a deep burgundy...which is what it decided and I'm okay with it...

Man you did quite a number on Jacks collections there...

I tried that in Grok and it wouldn't do anything but I think I run out of freebies with the coupe...

@hotrodjack33 look what Bob did to your blurrys...

 

Maybe that's why they were on the roof eh!...

 

Holy **** @bchctybob !!!!
Thanks so much, what a difference.
It always saddened me that I had no decent pics of my old race car collection.
Again, thanks for taking the time to "enhance" them...you made my day!