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Colorize and Enhance B&W Photos for Free Before Sept. 10th, 2020

 SEPTEMBER 05, 2020

Head on over to MyHeritage.com THIS WEEK to upload your black and white photos for FREE (you’ll need to set up a free registered account with the site first). The system will instantly enhance the image and utilize cutting-edge software to give color to your photo! Check out some of my personal examples below.

BEFORE


Photo of Dixon Family on wagon, 1904, West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz.

AFTER


Photo of Dixon Family on wagon, 1904, West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

Here’s what the colorizer looks like in action!


Screenshot of MyHeritage Photo Enhancer Tool, 5 Sep 2020, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020); photo of John C. Eggenberger in his confectionary and grocery store, 1905, Boone, Iowa, black and white original courtesy of Sandra (Foltz) Vallo in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

I am very curious how well the tool manages different complexions, shading, and low-light situations, so please hit me up with your results! I’d love to see them.

The site allows you to re-download your original image, download their enhanced and colorized image (with watermark at the bottom), as well as giving you an option to save a combined comparison image (such as the one below, featuring my 2nd great grandmother).

I have noticed that while you can submit tintypes (or daguerrotypes or similar), the software’s colorization does not turn out as realistic I’d say. It more so looks closer to a water-colored image of a black & white photo.


Photo of Ester (Sauvain) Eggenberger Ziegler, Aug 1927, West Dolan, Cass, Missouri, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).


Photo of Phoebe Ann Yoders, undated, likely West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

Photo of Phoebe Ann Yoders, undated, likely West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

Photo of Chester Joseph Dean, undated, likely West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

Photo of Chester Joseph Dean, undated, likely West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

Beware! It is a QUICK ADDICTION!


Photo of George LeeRoy Foltz and freighting associate possibly George Harrison, 1912, Oregon, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

ANYONE can do this! I mean, anyone! It’s SO easy to use and SO quick to generate!

It’s just so much fun.

And, yes, the following photo is of my great aunt Vivian as a toddler with a LIVE BEAR! Chained up….but, um, still….


Photo of Vivian Margaret Foltz, ca. 1920, Walla Walla, Washington, black and white original courtesy of Bob Silva in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).


Photo of Dean Family Reunion, 14 Aug 1949, Wheeling Park, West Virginia, black and white original in personal possession of Kira D. Foltz; digital colorized image, MyHeritage (MyHeritage.com : accessed 5 Sep 2020).

As you can tell, it also helps bring to light small details in the photograph that you may not have noticed otherwise.

What a great way to forensically analyze photographs!

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