List of Services
The process of repairing old photos is something I enjoy. I love the expressions my customers give, when they see the treasured photos, they thought had seen their last days, have been given new life.
Over Twenty Years of Photo Repair Experience
I began to digitally repair old photos about twenty years ago. I hated having to pay my photo lab their exorbitant fees, whenever a correction needed to be made to one of my images. So I decided to acquire the necessary software and equipment and learned to do it myself. This was when film negatives and slides (positive transparency film) was still the primary media being used by professionals. If an image needed editing, I would scan the slide or negative to create a digital copy.
By 2005, most photographers, professional and amateur alike, made the transition from film to digital. Subsequently, as a professional photographer, in order to provide my clients with the quality product they expect, it became imperative to devote a *significant amount of time in the so called digital darkroom. (*This has always been the one big drawback to digital photography.) After photographing a wedding, I would typically spend anywhere from twenty to forty hours editing the resulting images, depending on the size of the package.
My point to all this is that I have literally spent thousands of hours, making digital corrections and alterations to images. As most people can attest, when you spend
that much time doing anything you become pretty efficient at it. Twenty years ago, when a woman brought in the torn and faded old photo of two baby children (shown below), it took me nearly four hours to do the digital repair work. Today, I can do the same thing in less than twenty minutes.
What this all translates into for you, the customer, is SAVINGS, more production and less cost. You can go somewhere where they supposedly specialize in this kind of stuff and pay through the nose, or you can have me do it , better and for less.
Digital Photo Repair
First, it should be understood, that I do not repair original prints. Instead, the old or damaged print is scanned and a digital copy is created. The original print is returned to you. Digital corrections are made to the digital file.
After completion, you receive digital file(s) of your digitally restored print(s). You can then take the digital file(s) and have your own prints made, or I can have prints made for you. Prices vary according to the amount of work required to correct the print. If you are in the area, depending on the size of the job, I may be able to do the work, while you wait.
Digital Conversions from Slides and Film Negatives
I also offer digital conversions from slides and film negatives. Prices begin at $15 for the first slide or negative, $2.25 for each additional. This includes any necessary color adjustments but no editing with Photoshop. Due to their chemical composition, slides and film negatives degrade over time. The severity of the degradation will depend on their age, how well they were stored and weathered the elements over the years. In most cases some level of Photoshop editing is required to produce a digital file that replicates the original image. If you only intend to use the images for digital purposes, you may consider just having them scanned and converted to digital and forgoing any further editing. On the other hand, if you intend to have prints made from them, your files will likely require additional work.
Color Restoration and Black and White To Color Conversions
Getting a Price Quote
Visit: If you live in the Tucson, Marana or Oro Valley area, call (520-990-3964) to set up appointment to show your photos. I will provide you with an on-the-spot assessment of the repair cost.
PLEASE ~ NO UNANNOUNCED or DROP BY VISITS! (I work from a home/office.) Submitting Your Photos
If the print(s) you want to have digitally repaired are 8x10 inches or smaller, you can avoid the travel time it takes to bring them here, by scanning them or taking quality images of them with your cell phone.
SCANNING: If you have access to a scanner and want to use that method, check your settings first. Do a quick preview scan of the print. Then select only the printed image area. Set the properties to "color prints" or the equivalent. Set the resolution to 300 or higher for smaller prints. Scan and save the image to a folder, preferably in the JPEG format, if possible. Then send them to me, when you can.
CELL PHONE IMAGES: If taking pictures with your cell phone, for best results, use window lighting. Avoid direct sunlight and DO NOT use flash. Lay the print down on a white, black or gray cloth or paper background. Stand as close to the print as possible, without casting any shadows on it. Line up the photo with your camera, so that all four corners of the image are proportionally equal in the frame and not distorted. (This process is similar to taking a photo of a check for mobile bank deposits.) Snap a picture. Examine the results. Make sure there is no blur, shake or image distortion. If you are not happy with the results try again, until you achieve satisfaction. Then email or text the files to me. Disclaimer - COPYRIGHT LAWS PLEASE READ: Submitting photographic media for repair or duplication, in digital or hard copy, implies that you own or have given been the go-ahead to have copies made. If your images were taken by an active photographer or studio, be sure you have their prior approval before submitting your media. Check with me, if you have any questions.
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