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Frequently Asked Questions NEW

We may think the photos displayed around our house in frames or stored away somewhere in a box are safe from harm, but as everyday goes by these photos are deteriorating and degrading. Not only this but they can be easily misplaced or even unintentionally damaged. Once those photos are damaged beyond repair we lose that unique connection to our past and loved ones that makes photos so special. Digitising your photos is so important, not only to ensure they are safely stored on your computer/device but also to allow you to share those moments amongst friends and family whether electronically or through having fresh copies made.

We provide a quality bespoke service. Unlike the majority of other photo restoration services we (where possible) are able to scan your original photo ourselves on our high quality Epson Perfection V85O Pro scanner. This guarantees an exact copy of your photo, allowing us to get the closest likeness to your original. Though other services may sound quicker or more convenient by telling you to ‘scan’ your photo with your phone and upload it or send it to them by WhatsApp, what they don’t tell you is how much this interferes with the details of your photo, drastically reducing the quality compared to the original you have with you at home. Sadly most people wouldn’t know that this has happened until it’s too late and it comes to enlarging or printing your newly restored photo and suddenly the loss of detail becomes very apparent. You can see an example here of a close up from one our customers own scans (on the right) with our scan (on the left) – this really shows just how much detail can be lost from using low quality equipment!

We understand the art of restoration. Restoring photos digitally is an art. It is not an easy task and it takes a lot of skill, patience and hard work. We never rush the restoration process and we give every photo the time required to bring it back to looking its absolute best. At Photographs Forever we share a life-long passion for photography and the arts. Richard became the family photographer at the age of 10 when he recieved his first camera, giving him over 60 years of experience in the field. You can read all about Richard’s long history with photography in our About section. Amy has been into art since she was old enough to hold a pencil, spending hours and hours drawing as a child. She excelled in art through school with one of her pencil drawings being displayed in the Mall Gallery in London and eventually graduated college with an A in Photography. She continued into the arts studying Art Film at University and graduating with a first class honors degree in 2021. Amy’s passion for art is now channeled into her restoration work everyday, with an eye for detail and unique ability to bring photos back to life, simultaneously enhancing them whilst maintaining the authenticity that makes them so special. With us you are guaranteed a high quality finish that you will struggle to find elswhere – even if we do say so ourselves!

We are a small, family team. As a father and daughter team we truly span the generations, offering a great wealth of experience and a first hand understanding of just how important our photos are.  Being a small team allows us to act with empathy and common sense at all times – your photos are unique to you and so the process should be too. We have developed so many amazing relationships with our customers over the years, and are always here to help or offer advice when you need it.

We care about your history. Restoring photos is not just our job. As cheesy as it sounds it really is our passion, and when it comes to choosing someone to restore your photos you want someone who is passionate about preserving the past and will treat your family’s history with respect and dignity. We feel priveleged to be chosen to look after such special and sentimental heirlooms, and the reactions to seeing your photos restored reinforces our passion everyday.

Sorting out our photos can be overwhelming which is why we try to make everything as easy as possible for you. Just send us a message or give us a call so we can get an idea of what you need and then we will advise you on the best way forward and provide all the details in an email for you. Most often we ask you to post your photographs to us, from here we can scan them and then send you a detailed quotation outlining all of the work and costs involved. If you decide to go ahead with any photo restoration or enhancement work, we will complete the work and send you an email link to the ‘before’ and ‘after’ images for your approval. At this stage you can decide if you would like to order any prints, framed or canvas prints etc and then we can add these to your order. Only when you are completely happy with the proof do we ask for payment. Your order is completed, packaged and posted out to you, including any original photos, with Tracked 24 hour Signed For delivery.

Where possible we would always suggest sending us your original photographs in the post, as this guarantees an exact copy can be produced using our Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner, getting the closest likeness to your original without any added interference that more often than not comes from lower quality scanners/photo copies/phone photos etc. However we also understand that posting an original photo is not always possible for a multitude of reasons, most often with the original photo having been lost meaning a poor copy is all that remains. Whatever the case we will always be more than happy to take a look at the version you do have and advise what we can do to help. See below for our tips on getting us the best version of a digital photo.

We also work with digital photos where there is no physical original to be posted. In this case the most important thing is getting the closest to the original digital file as possible to ensure no quality is lost. Where possible we don’t recommend taking ‘screenshots’ of photos (particularly ones that have been posted on social media!) or using photos that have been sent to you via WhatsApp as both can dramatically reduce the quality of the original image. If you can go right back to the source of the digital photo and send us the full resolution file, either by email or if too large for email then via a free file sharing site such as WeTransfer.com – this will always make for the very best start point, and therefore the best end result.

Every photo is unique and therefore the process for restoration is too. This means without first seeing the photo we cannot give you an accurate cost. Once we receive your photo in the post, we will send you a detailed quotation outlining the work and costs involved. If after receiving our quotation you choose not to proceed we will always offer an alternative service where possible, and if not we will happily post your photographs back to you via Tracked 24 Hour Signed For mail, free of charge.

If you would like us to take a look at your photos first please feel free to attach these in an email to us or via the enquiry form. These could be scans or phone photos of your pictures at this stage, just so we can get an idea of what’s required. Please specify if you’d like us to give you a ballpark idea of cost prior to posting. If you are scanning and have a scanner that you can adjust please scan in colour (even if the photo is black and white) at 600dpi and turn off any auto settings that the scanner may be trying to use.

We pride ourselves on our satisfaction guarantee. Once we have quoted, if you decide to go ahead with any photo restoration or enhancement work, we will complete the work and send you an email link to the ‘before’ and ‘after’ images for your approval. Only when you are completely happy with the restoration will we ask for payment.

We usually allow two weeks to complete the work from when our quotation is accepted. However we know sometimes there can be a quick turnaround required so we will always do our very best to make sure we can have everything completed and with you in time. If you do have a specific deadline you need us to meet, please make us aware of this as soon as possible.

Still have a question? Give us a call on 01825 740986 and we will be more than happy to help!