BDT+MSD | Legacy Portrait Project

We’ve done a complete audit of the existing portrait files and would like to share how we are able to deliver a complete library, across new and old photography, with a unified look and feel.

As is common with most brand asset libraries, the assets have been collected over time and are quite varied, and therefore require different levels of work to arrive at the final result.

We have broken out these assets into three groups based on amount of attention they needed to bring them up to the approved look and feel that we have developed already.


Level One

Light color work - retouching - background replacement - file prep

5-10 minutes estimated per image

Original Image

Level One Retouch

Clean file, match color, retouch hair and skin. To match the required crop we needed to extend the upper body while keeping face/head size consistent.


Level Two

Moderate color work - additional retouching - complex background replacement - lighting adjustment

10-20 minutes estimated per image

Original Image

Level Two Retouch

Original image was low resolution and image was soft and out of focus. Using our AI model we increased the resolution and sharpness of the image. With a proper file size we were then able to remove the background, complete the skin retouching and color work to match all other work.


Level Three

Resolution rebuild - advanced color work - retouching - background replacement - lighting change - colorizing - extensive work to repair file.

20-30 minutes estimated per image

Original Image

Level Three Retouch

Extremely low resolution image requires deeper upgrade using AI tools. Color and matching to match all other photography.


Colorization Test

Some images were taken in black and white, most with file size issues. Our method here varies depending on the image, normally a mix of AI and traditional retouching,

30-45 Minute Estimate per image

Original Image

Colorization Test

Image Comparison

As seen here, we are able to update even the lowest quality files to bring them up to the required standards for use in all media, and match to the newly developed style.

Matching Image and style to New Photography

Updated Legacy File

New Photography

Our team of artists, digital designers, producers and image refiners have spent decades creating beautiful, impactful content for leading brands and agencies.

Assemblage