How to Properly Age a Photo?

Let’s look at how to turn any photo into a relic of the past, or simply put, how to age a photo using the digital tools available in Adobe Photoshop.

For this lesson, you will need the latest versions of Photoshop and a beginner or intermediate level of proficiency with the program.

Let’s start our experiments with this photo number 75811891, from the user named Konrad Bak.

First, you will need to find or create a texture that has a lot of wrinkles, scratches, or any other heavy texture.

In your search for the necessary texture, the Shutterstock photo bank can help you, offering a wide variety of texture options. For the first part of this lesson, we will use the image number 61282714 from the user cla78.

Insert the texture into the photo on its own layer. Change the blend mode. Try several options. “Overlay” usually works best, but you can also try the “Screen” blend mode or any other mode depending on the original image and texture color.

With this step, you have already achieved a good aging effect for the photo, but removing the color will really send our photo back in time.

Go to “Hue/Saturation.”

Make sure to check the “Colorize” checkbox, then use the following settings: Hue – 25, Saturation – 25, to create a sepia tone.

After that, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E or Cmd+Opt+Shift+E to merge the visible layers into a new layer.

To add grain to the photo, go to “Filter” > “Noise” > “Add Noise.”

Select Gaussian distribution and check the “Monochromatic” checkbox.

Set the percentage of grain needed for the best look of your image.

For additional aging of the photo, use the “Dodge” or “Burn” tools on specific light or dark areas of the photo as desired, for example, to add a bit of darkness to the cut edges, creating the impression that the photo was burned.

Here’s the result!

Now, let’s assume you have already used a wrinkle texture that doesn’t tear at the edges like the one we used before.

You can use the following technique to add torn edges to the image, significantly enhancing the realism of such an image.

First, follow the steps described above to get such an image.

Create a new layer under the aged photo. Fill the background of this layer with color, like a brown gradient; once you do this, the torn edges will become more noticeable.

Select the layer with the photo again and create a white border around it. To create it, use the rectangular selection, leaving a thick line between the outer edge of the selection outline and the edge of the photo.

Press Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection, so the left stripe will be selected. Fill it with white.

Now make another selection about halfway between the edge of the entire image and the edge of the photo.

Press Ctrl+Shift+I again to invert the selection. This time, press Q to enter “Quick Mask” mode.

The central part of the image, the part that is not part of the selection, should be painted red. Activating “Quick Mask” mode allows you to edit the selection just as you would edit pixels, for example, with a brush or filters.

To do this, go to the “Filter” > “Brush Strokes” > “Spatter.” Set a fairly small “Spray Radius” and medium “Smoothness” level.

Press OK, and you will see that the edges of our red “Quick Mask” now look quite ragged.

Press Q to deactivate “Quick Mask” mode. Press “Delete” on the keyboard to remove the torn selection outside the image, leaving only the nice edges of the photo.

Try this photo aging technique with different photos and various colors to see and understand what retro options for photos you can create yourself!

Original source:
Author: Karl Rosencrants
Link: blog.shutterstock.com/2011/09/aging-photoshop-tutorial/?sid=SEPNLS&utm_source=mainimage&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SEPNLS

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