What do I mean by "Photo Restoration"?

 A few weeks ago, I wrote about storing your printed pictures safely. But what if they become damaged?  An interesting thing about photos is that the old, old sepia or black and white photos often survive the years better than more recent, color photos. Those images are still clear but they may be creased, stained or torn. Color prints, especially from the 70s and 80s, have often faded or taken on a magenta hue. In each case, the value of the picture is not the print itself but the memory it contains. That's what makes restoration worthwhile.

When I talk about restoration, I don't mean restoring the original print. What I mean is, restoring the image to it's original state-as near as I can judge- so that you can continue to enjoy the memories. I start by making a copy of the photo; if it is small enough, I will scan it with a high quality photo scanner. If the picture is much bigger, or in a frame that cannot be removed, I take a photograph of it and work from that file. I then work on the picture on my computer, using Photoshop and Lightroom. The result is printed for the customer to enjoy again. It's a time consuming process but the joy I see when my customers see the result makes it very satisfying!

Not all my restoration projects are old and valuable; I have been asked to remove a person from a photograph more times than you would think! I see it as restoring family harmony, rather than just the photo ☺ Whether it's great grandma's wedding photo, little sister's first communion, or that pie in the face at the State Fair, I will do my best to bring your treasured photos back to life for future generations to enjoy!