Taken at the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century, this studio photograph portrays a Russian officer wearing an Imperial Palace Guard uniform and displaying a Golden Sword, a rare decoration given for extraordinary personal valor in combat.
Despite having been carefully preserved for more than a century, the photograph has faded with age, and minor scratches began to appear on its surface. The owner of the photo, a collector of historical Russian memorabilia, asked for a high-quality reproduction of the picture to be created and partially colorized in the fashionable photographic trend of the epoch.
To confirm the officer's uniform's colors, some research was required. After selection and verification of the colors, the picture was toned, transforming the old, fading photo into a captivating portrait of a gallant officer.