Why This One Was So Challenging

Unlike the first image, this one lacked clear structure in several areas. The facial features were barely visible, and much of the background detail was lost. It forced me to push my AI workflow — especially inpainting and prompt tuning — much further.

How I Handled the Restoration

• Enhanced contrast and structure using preprocessing before sending it through ComfyUI.
• Used custom inpainting prompts to reconstruct large missing sections while keeping the results believable.
• Fine-tuned restoration strength — striking a balance between creative fill-in and preserving what little original data remained.
• Iterated with multiple runs, comparing outcomes until I found a result that felt both faithful and complete.

The Result

After some back-and-forth tweaking, I was able to bring the image back to life. It’s not just about making it “look nice” — it’s about restoring emotional and historical value that would otherwise be lost.

What I Learned

This test taught me a lot about handling edge cases — images where traditional restoration tools fall short. My workflow now has better flexibility, and I’ve developed a clearer sense of when to use subtle tweaks vs. full reconstructions.

If you want to give i a shot yourself, here is the file:

Why This Image Was Perfect for Workflow Testing

Because the photo had a mix of common restoration challenges — discoloration, physical damage, missing details — it was a great real-world example to work through. I wanted to create a reliable, repeatable process that could handle photos like this consistently and efficiently.

How I Used This Photo to Refine My Process

• I experimented with different prompt formulations to get the best detail recovery.
• Tweaked inpainting nodes to fill missing or damaged areas convincingly.
• Balanced clean-up and upscaling steps to avoid artifacts while restoring texture.
• Tested batch processing potential, aiming to save hours on future restorations.

The Result

Within a surprisingly short time, I achieved a restored version I was happy with. More importantly, I now have a solid baseline workflow that I can confidently reuse and improve over time for other images.

What’s Next

This photo was my stepping stone. Moving forward, I’ll keep refining the pipeline and applying it to more challenging restorations — turning old, damaged memories into vivid, beautiful images with minimal manual effort.

Then I discovered ComfyUI — and everything changed.

What Is ComfyUI?

ComfyUI is a powerful, modular interface for working with Stable Diffusion and other AI models. Think of it as a visual programming tool for AI image workflows. You build your process once, and then use it over and over — no scripting needed (but you can if you want to).

Why I Switched My Photo Restoration Workflow to ComfyUI

Here’s what makes it a game-changer:

• Batch Processing: I can restore 10, 50, or 100 old images with minimal effort.
• Prompt-Based Detail Generation: With a carefully crafted prompt, ComfyUI fills in missing detail beautifully — from skin texture to background reconstruction.
• Non-Destructive Workflow: Every node is reproducible. I can go back and tweak a step without losing my progress.
• Time Saved: What used to take hours now takes minutes.

To me, this kind of power makes older editing tools feel… well, obsolete.

My Typical Workflow

1. Scan or photograph the original image
2. Pre-process: Basic cleanup using GIMP (cropping, leveling)
3. Load into ComfyUI with a prompt like: “Restore vintage photo, enhance facial detail, remove scratches, natural lighting”
4. Run my custom workflow: Upscaling, inpainting, detail enhancement
5. Export before/after images for comparison

Real Examples

I’ll be posting several before-and-after comparisons so you can see the results for yourself.

Each of these images was restored using my AI workflow in ComfyUI — no manual retouching, no Photoshop. Just a smart pipeline and a bit of prompt magic.

Is Photoshop Dead?

Not entirely — but for me, it kind of is. I still use GIMP for touch-ups or annotations, but when it comes to restoring life to old, damaged photos, ComfyUI has taken over.

Want to Try It Yourself?

If you’re comfortable with running local AI models (or want to learn), I highly recommend giving ComfyUI a shot. The learning curve is there, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.

Final Thoughts

AI isn’t here to replace creativity — it’s here to amplify it. With tools like ComfyUI, we’re no longer just retouchers — we’re building intelligent restoration pipelines.

What used to take me all afternoon now takes 5 minutes — and often looks better.

Stay tuned for before/after image galleries and a behind-the-scenes look at my workflow