When you cast your eye over the images Stuart Humphryes posts on social media, you'd think they were modern-day fashion shoots for a magazine. But they're not. In reality, many of them were taken more than a century ago, yet they're sharp, beautiful and full of colour.
Humphryes, 50, who's known as BabelColour on social media, transforms archival snaps into what you'd assume are images taken on a mobile phone or a digital camera.
"I don't actually colourise because I work with early colour photographs that were taken in colour. I enhance what is already there," he tells The National.
Every day, after finishing his 9 to 5 job in London, Humphryes dedicates his evenings to this creative pursuit. The local government worker, who has a background as a colouriser, spends hours editing images and videos in his spare time.
Click through the gallery below to discover five exclusive photographs by BabelColour shared with 'The National':
It was in June this year that Humphryes changed his Twitter account to BabelColour and started sharing these images online for the first time. Since then, the response has been overwhelming. In less than three months, he has gained more than 100,000 new followers, receiving messages from people around the world (sometimes in so many different languages he had to use Google Translate) praising his work.
"The more people joined me, the more varied my photographs became. So I started repairing and enhancing photographs from across the world, from the Middle East and Africa to India."
By making them more contemporary and modern it breaks down the barriers of time. So people look at the photographs and they can relate to them as if they are real people they could meet today, rather than ghosts from another period
This led to him starting an Instagram account a few weeks ago, something he never imagined he'd do considering he doesn't even own a mobile phone or a tablet. His account already has more than 10,000 followers.
"With these photographs, I'm not trying to make them look like they were taken in 1918," he says. "I'm trying to make them look contemporary; I'm trying to make them look like they were taken on an iPhone today rather than 100 years ago."
What Humphryes does goes beyond image editing and Photoshop. Instead he is tricking people into seeing the works in a completely new way.
"It's not really a case of restoration. It's a case of changing them so that people's perception of them changes – by making them more contemporary and modern, it breaks down the barriers of time. So people look at the photographs and can relate to them as if they are real people they could meet today, rather than ghosts from another period," he says.
The very first colour photographs were taken at the start of the 20th century using autochrome plates that captured colour. While the process was considered to be a successful first attempt at moving away from black-and-white photography, the autochromes were fragile and colours didn't age well. Humphryes, however, works with a digital version of the autochrome to boost the colours that have faded within it.
"Imagine there's a piece of music playing and it's quiet, you can barely hear it. Well, if you turn the volume up, you are increasing the level of the sound, but you are not adding any new music," he explains. "What I'm doing with colour is I'm boosting it so it becomes clearer to see with the naked eye. I'm not adding any of my own."
Most of Humphryes's work is done using software widely available on the market today, such as Adobe, which he uses to remove grain and dirt from an image, repair any damage, balance the light and boost the colour. He then uses AI technology to make the photo look like it was taken on a modern camera.
For example, this 102-year-old portrait of Fayz Bey el Azm (companion of Prince Faisal, who led the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War), taken by French photographer Paul Castelnau in Jordan, looks barely a decade old.
Today, Humphryes receives messages from teachers asking for permission to use photographs he's enhanced in their classes, something that brings him much joy.
"People seem to see the First World War very much as a black and white war. Seeing images of the soldiers in colour is a completely different experience, so I'm very happy for teachers and children to engage in history in a new way, because they do see differently in colour."
He has also received many requests to edit personal photos, which he has had to politely decline.
"People ask me every day, but I explain to them that if I do it for them, I have to do it for other people," he says. "At the moment, I don't have that capacity."
However, he is thinking about what the future of this project could hold.
"Everybody seems to be clamouring for a book," he says. "I would love to do a book or just something so that it's in a physical medium that people can purchase and own."
While the prospect of a book intrigues him, it's the technology at our fingertips that he describes as "exciting".
"It makes you wonder where we're going to be in five years' time and 10 years' time."
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
