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Bill Terry

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Evolution of a Selfie- Old School, 1980

Bill Terry

Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing project: scanning my old slides, prints, and negatives (late 1970’s to 2004) to digital.

How to make a “selfie;” 1980 – Today

– Start in 1980,

  • Set up the backdrop,
  • Set up the lights (studio lights, no flash),
  • Mount the camera on a tripod,
  • Set up the lens, exposure, focus, F-stop, etc. (nothing is automatic),
  • Run the camera trigger cable to the set,
  • Make sure the subjects are ready (not always easy with youngins),
  • Pose them,
  • Double-check the settings.

  • Run onto the set,
  • Pose with family,
  • Press the camera trigger…

  • Adjust and shoot a bunch of times so hopefully an image will be The One (there is no instant preview).
  • Thank family profusely for their patience (take wife out to a nice dinner)!

  • Develop the film into negatives in your darkroom, then store them away with a gazillion others.
Black and white negative image featuring a family portrait with two adults, two children, and an infant. The adults are standing while one child stands in front and the other sits on a lap. The image has a retro and nostalgic appearance.
This is a medium format negative shot with a Mamiya M645J camera.
The BIG negative is 2.7 times larger than a standard 35mm negative.
56mm x 41.5mm vs 24mm x 36mm;
2.2″x1.6″ vs .9″x 1.4″

In 2026,

find the negatives hidden away in one of many binders.

  1. Scan the negative to digital.
A family portrait in inverted colors, featuring a father holding a baby on his lap, a mother standing beside them, and an older girl holding a toy camera, all set against a dark background.
Time was not kind to the negative.
  1. Through the magic of software, reverse the image… “adjust Tone Curve from Linear to Negative.”
    (Sighing is required when you see time’s damage to the negative)
A black and white family portrait featuring a man with glasses and a mustache sitting on a stool, holding a baby. A woman stands beside him, and a young girl in a light dress stands in front of them.
  1. Crop and start adjusting
A black and white family portrait featuring a man with glasses holding a baby, a woman standing beside him, and a young girl with blonde hair in front.
  1. Clean up the image, adjust tone, clear out the Time Damage,
    FINISH
Black and white family portrait featuring a father with a mustache and glasses holding a baby, a mother standing beside him, and a young girl sitting in front, all smiling.
  1. Use AI to “paint” the image while keeping its character and style.
    Debated using AI to color the image, but decided I like the retro style.

(Click on the Gallery to scroll through the images)

A family portrait featuring a father with glasses and a mustache holding a baby, a mother smiling beside him, and a young girl with a hair clip sitting on the floor.
A family portrait featuring a father with a mustache wearing glasses, holding a baby. Beside him, a mother with short hair smiles, and a young girl stands in front, looking at the camera.
A sepia-toned family portrait featuring a man with glasses and a mustache holding a baby, while a woman with short dark hair stands beside him. A young girl with light brown hair is looking at the camera with a smile.
A family portrait featuring a man with glasses holding a baby, a woman beside him, and a young girl in front, all posed together with a soft, artistic background.
A black and white photo of a family portrait featuring a man with glasses holding a baby, a woman standing beside him, and a young girl in front looking at the camera.
A black and white family portrait featuring a man with glasses and a mustache holding a baby, a woman with short dark hair standing beside him, and a young girl with medium-length hair sitting in front.
A vintage-style portrait of a family of four. A man wearing glasses and a mustache holds a baby, while a woman stands beside him, smiling. A young girl with dark hair looks at the camera, standing next to her parents.
A black and white artistic portrait of a family consisting of a father holding a baby, a mother standing beside him, and an older daughter smiling at the camera.
I like #2 & #3.
In the style of Frank Weston Benson, and in the style of the Dutch Realist Baroque Golden Age.
  1. Embarrass your son and daughter by texting the picture to everyone you know and making it into a web post.

Closing Trivia

Look closely at my right wrist. See the watch?

You might say,

It looks like a digital. Nah, 1980… that was 46 years ago; they didn’t make digital anything that long ago!

I reply,

Well, you would be wrong.
It’s a Microma M D 019-W.
They were manufactured in the 1970’s and were part of a little company named Intel.

You state,

Nope, can’t be. Prove it.

My reply:

A vintage Microma digital watch with a metallic bracelet, featuring a rectangular face and buttons for setting time and alarm.
“Rode hard and put up wet.”
This was my everyday watch, enduring the demands of big, busy foodservice operations and an active lifestyle. Though its displays failed years ago, I still keep it as a memento of those memorable days.

Thanks for visiting!

October 29, 2026

Click/ tap here to visit full-size, no-watermark images at www.ImagesByBill.us

Click/ tap here to see all vintage scanned image posts

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