Chapter 24. Fixing Photo Flaws

Good photos can suffer from a host of problems, some of which are easy to fix. Others require more patience. Dust and scratches are most common on old pictures, and particularly on scans of them. Red eye is seen mainly on pictures taken with a flash camera, but it can happen at any time, if the subject's eye catches the sun or an indoor light. And nearly every picture needs a little bit of cleanup, especially outdoor shots that can be spoiled by litter on the ground, dead leaves , or whatever is there that shouldn't be. Old black and white or color photographs may need some overall sprucing up as they fade, discolor, or begin to disintegrate over time. In this chapter we'll look at many techniques for fixing photo flaws ranging from minor to drastic.