Nowadays, many people try to bring historic photos to life through color and colorizing photos has become one of the most popular hobbies in recent years.
With all of the online tutorials available, it seems that anyone can colorize black and white photos, but there aren’t many who can say that they are successful at it.
However, there is a small number of people who managed to turn their hobby of colorizing photos into a passion, and among them, there are some who turned their passion into an obsession. This is the case with the young Brazilian digital artist Marina Amaral, whose impressive work gives us a new perspective on history.
13.Civil Rights March On Washington, D.C
Civil Rights March On Washington, D.C. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And Mathew Ahmann In A Crowd. Original Photo: NARA, Colorized by Marina Amaral
12.Cree Man
Cree Man, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada, 1903. Original Photo: British Library, Colorized by Marina Amaral
Amaral was only 10-years-old when she started using Photoshop and began experimenting with the colorization of black and white photos in April 2015.
She says that she always loved history and when she accidentally found colorized photographs of World War I on an internet forum she decided to combine her love for history and her Photoshop skills to create these fascinating colorized photographs.
10.Gen. William T. Sherman – Civil War.
Gen. William T. Sherman – Civil War. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
9.General George S. Patton Acknowledging The Cheers Of The Welcoming Crowds In Los Angeles, CA, During His Visit On June 9, 1945.
General George S. Patton Acknowledging The Cheers Of The Welcoming Crowds In Los Angeles, CA, During His Visit On June 9, 1945. Original Photo: National Archives and Records Administration. Colorized by Marina Amaral
Laura Mallonee wrote for Wired that Amaral “colorizes black-and-white photographs from the past with obsessive accuracy and stunning near-perfect hues. Poker-faced historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Lewis Payne suddenly look less stodgy, becoming the kind of warm-blooded people you could imagine laughing or eating or yawning.”
Among the numerous black and white photos colorized by this talented digital artist are some of the crucial historical moments over the past 150 years and people who shaped history as we know it today. But the hobby that eventually became her profession goes far beyond just adding color to old photos.
As the artist notes on her website, “coloring black and white photos is an art that requires a deep work of research, analysis of each object to make it as realistic as possible, historical knowledge and enough respect to value and preserve every detail in each story. It is a complex process able to transport us to anywhere. “
8.Migrant Mother
Migrant Mother, Great Depression. Original Photo: Dorothea Lange LOC. Colorized by Marina Amaral
7.Lewis Powell- Lincoln assassination conspirator
Lewis Powell. He Was A Conspirator With John Wilkes Booth, Who Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
6.New York On D-Day
New York On D Day. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
5.Nurse Aiko Hamaguchi
Nurse Aiko Hamaguchi. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
4.School At Anthoston, Kentucky
School At Anthoston, Kentucky. By Lewis Hine, 1916. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
3.JFK Wedding day
Senator John F. Kennedy And Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy On Their Wedding Day, September 12, 1953. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
The artist pays attention to the finest details and says that the process of colorizing is quite complicated.
She spends hours and even months researching the story behind every photo she wants to colorize. In many cases, Amaral contacts experts for an opinion of the photos so she can “faithfully reproduce the original colors and atmosphere.”
2.Three French Boys Look At A Knocked-Out German Panther Tank
Three French Boys Look At A Knocked-Out German Panther Tank In The Falaise Pocket. Near Falaise, Lower Normandy, France, 25th August 1944. Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
You can follow her on Facebook or Twitter if you want to see more of her stunning photos.
1.Unemployed Men Hanging Out On The Street In San Francisco – Great Depression
Unemployed Men Hanging Out On The Street In San Francisco, California (April 1939). Original Photo: Library of Congress. Colorized by Marina Amaral
Amaral was studying International Relations but decided to leave school so she could devote herself completely to her craft. Amaral is now a real professional and that didn’t go unnoticed by the public.
She works on many big projects and collaborates with a great number of magazines, TV stations, and museums.