AI-enhanced image Quality at the Royale Studio blog

New AI-Enhanced Image of Peter George 

These are an example of the gallery posts which I have replaced with AI-enhanced versions. I think it improves the presentation, especially of images culled from old beefcake magazines which were not amazing quality prints even when new. The new is above, the old below.

Old Image of Peter George (Unenhanced)

The change benefits muscle and posing pouch definition, sometimes with spectacular success, but the technique has it's limitations and human faces with their relatively small detailing sometimes come out with unnatural exaggerations and emphasis. The grainy texture of old images tends to be replaced by smoother, slightly plastic textures which is a mixed blessing, but better for the purposes of presentation, I feel. Enthusiasts can seek out the interesting, unspoilt originals at the Archive (see below)

I trialled the new style of images in TEDS and Stanley Free and now use it routinely on new posts but only where it improves the presentation. I do not attempt to improve those images which are already good quality. There are a variety of tools in the kit but there are situations where the AI software cannot improve the imperfect original, it struggles with fuzziness (sometimes surprisingly) and low resolutions (more understandably). It can also be misled by spurious marks on the original where the human eye would not be. I hope to retrofit older posts (pre March 2023) in due course. 

You can identify AI-enhanced images at this site because I add the Royale Studio Archive logo to them. I don't add it to untreated images.  Sometimes I provide a link to the unaltered originals for comparison purposes in the text of the post, but in any case the original source images can be found in the relevant set or model folder in the mitchmen Royale Studio Open Archive along with other images omitted for quality reasons, variants and source references. Sometimes the upload  process is retrospective so watch for an announcement or click the link to check periodically. 

Stanley Free's Solo Career added to Royale Studio Gallery

Stanley Free as a sexy muscular cowboy for Royale Studio (1958)

Stan Free, sailor star of TEDS had been added to the Model Index in the right sidebar.

Through that link you can access TEDS and a new article about his solo career for Royale Studio, Hussar and Lon of London.

The Link Between Royale Studio and Tom of Finland

Tom of Finland - The Thieving Cowboy 01

I have posted an article at the mitchmen blog which explores the link between Royale and Tom of Finland and the 'Thieving Cowboy' story they commissioned from him.

'TEDS' is the latest addition to the Royale Archive

TEDS13 - Sailor Canes A Mugger

In Royale Studio's 'TEDS' a muscular sailor is attacked by a mugger with a cosh.

He fights him off with much loss of clothing on both sides.
Then he punishes him by caning him over his knee

TEDS is Set 06 in the mitchmen Royale Studio Archive

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Go direct to the 'Teddy Boy and Sailor' pictures

Read the TEDS Introduction and Background first

 Tou can access all the sets via the index in the right sidebar