Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Carleton E. Watkins, Nevada Fall, 700 FT, Yosemite Valley, CA,
mammoth albumen print, 155/8”x203/4”. This print was removed
from its mount to remove the stains and then remounted.
“Photograph conservation is both a science and an art,” says
Weaver. “We must apply what we know about the chemistry of
the photograph, its mount, and any varnishes or other coatings
in order to safely clean, preserve, and enhance the image. Since
we cannot quickly 'undo' a step in a conservation treatment, we
must always proceed with great caution and a healthy respect
for the fragility of the photographic object whether it's a
160-year-old salt print of Notre Dame or gelatin silver print of
Half Dome from the 1970s.”
Many of the manual tools of an art conservator have analogous
digital versions in Photoshop:
An art conservator might wash a photograph to remove the dis-
colored components of the paper, or even use a mild bleaching
process known as light-bleaching to oxidize and remove the
colored components of a stain or overall discoloration. In Pho-
toshop, you can use a Curves adjustment layer to remove the
color cast from an image.
