ancestry | Photographs Forever

Due to the increasing demand I am receiving for photograph restoration, I’d like to keep you informed of some changes I’ve introduced within the company to make sure we can stay as efficient as possible.

My daughter Amy (Haines) has now joined Photographs Forever. She has been helping me part-time over the last 7 years and, having recently finished her degree at university, is now working with me full-time. Amy (Lees) has moved into a new role and Selina (Payandee) is now my Administration Assistant.

Amy Haines

Selina Payandee

Introducing our professional framing service to complement and further enhance your restored photographs has proved to be very popular with my customers. This means we are able to offer a complete service, transforming your damaged and fading photographs into to a high quality framed photograph you will truly enjoy forever. Here is the link to more details and the advantages of our frames.

Our photobooks are also increasing in popularity and another great way to enjoy your favourite photographs by printing them in a book that will not fade or deteriorate. The photobooks we provide are good value and much higher quality and specification than those ordinarily found in the high street. Here is the link to more details of our photobooks with a step by step guide to help you to organise your photographs and make your photobook a reality.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE VIDEO OF THE TWO BOOKS COMPARED

Here is a photobook we completed recently which duplicated an existing album that was lovingly put together just after World War 2. The new photobook is virtually twice the size of the original and is now in a form that will literally last forever and can be handed down through generations to preserve precious family history.

If you would like any more details, information or advice in relation to your photographs or how I can help please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I look forward to hearing from you.

2020 has been a very unusual year in so many ways for all of us. One factor that has occurred to many of us is the importance of the family and close relationships as we have had time to reflect.

I will be moving to a smaller house soon and, as I have to get rid of quite a lot of ‘stuff’, it has occurred to me that when I look around the house to decide what’s precious, there really is very little that I couldn’t live without. Except photographs. Photographs are one of the very few things that can’t be replaced and they are therefore possibly our most important and valuable possession.

Because we have all had more time on our hands than usual, photograph collections that have been overlooked for years have finally been finding the light of day and getting them scanned and either optimised or fully restored has enabled these very special photographs to be enjoyed so much more.

So, if you haven’t checked out your own photograph collection yet, there is no better time than the cold dark winter months. Apart from anything else, it is actually a very enjoyable exercise. So make that diary note to do it. You’ll be glad you did.

There has been a very big increase in the number of photographs I have received because going through the masses of old family photographs is a job that is so often put off by many people due to lack of time and for these past few months have provided the time and the environment to tackle the task. It’s always much more fun than people expect. And the rewards are huge.

I am now very excited to be able to offer you a top quality bespoke framing service. This means I can offer custom size prints, mounts and frames to show off your restored photographs in the best way possible so they can receive the attention and admiration they deserve.

The most popular moulding is the solid wood satin black or mahogany with single or double mounts.

Satin Black Frame

Mahogany frame

I can also provide multi aperture frames – the one below is 20in x 16in with two landscape format 8in x 6in prints and two portrait format 5in x 7in prints. There are several multi aperture options available and the frames can be any size you choose. Heavier mouldings are available for larger sizes.

I can even show you what your photograph will look like before you order including all the relevant dimensions. This is particularly useful if you want a specific frame size to fit a specific space in your house.

A representation of your own photo with dimensions added

Further details are available here

My customer John G had a photograph he had taken of an old oil painting of an early member of his family (centre photo above). The photograph he gave me was not very good quality itself and you can see by the close up of the face on the left that the surface of the painting was also very cracked and damaged.
On the right is the same section after I had digitally restored it.

My customer John G wanted to get his grandfather with his two brothers together in a single photograph with a Scottish background.

Here are the three individual photographs and below the final result

Here’s the review John left for me on Yell.com

“Please accept my wonderful thanks for the restored colour job you did to the photo of my late grandfather and his two brothers.
You have done a very professional and absolutely stunning job. You are very talented at what you do.” John G

I found a very small framed old photograph of one of my family members with his family and wanted to see the man more clearly so I restored that section of the photograph that is just (1.5cm x 2.5cm) which I’ve printed A4 and it looks very good! Above is a photograph of the original photo alongside the A4 print. Below is the restored file.

I received an enquiry from Debbie Summers of Acorn Framing in Bognor Regis asking if I could restore a very poor computer print photograph of a soldier she has been asked to frame with the soldier’s medals as a tribute for their family history.

Here is the before and after

Debbie then suggested that her customer added a nameplate with the details and also a genuine cap badge to go into the frame too. This was agreed and Debbie supplied these.

Here is the finished article

I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year. Longer days, sunny mornings, colour reappearing in the garden. And then there is the spring cleaning of course…

You’d be surprised (or perhaps not) at how often this leads to new conversations around old photos; a box recovered from the back of a dusty cupboard or the damp corner of a loft often leads to the rediscovery of old pictures and memories. With spring being all about new starts and rejuvenation, what better time to breathe new life into something so valuable?

This is why I’ve created a new brochure to share with you. It’s a light read – with photographs designed to show you not only how your pictures can be saved; but what we can do to enhance them or turn them into new forms of enjoyment, such as our new seamless lay-flat Photobooks or large sized canvasses.

Click here to look at, or download the new brochure

I’d love to hear what you think of the brochure and invite you to get in touch if you need help with saving your precious photographs. The brochure covers a lot but not all of what we can do, so feel free to give me a call anytime even if it is simply for some advice.

Here’s to spring (and not so much cleaning)

With Christmas now on the horizon here are some ideas for a unique gift that’s ideal for those who can be tricky to find something a bit different.

Here just a few examples of the many ways I can transform your photographs….

If you have a photograph that has faded in its frame, it can be restored and re-coloured.

Two or more photographs can be combined and you can choose the people you want in the finished photo

Family groups can be ‘adjusted’ to include or exclude people!

Couples can finally be together in the same photograph.

Snapshots of pets can be made into portraits or montages

Treasured photographs that have suffered years of damage can be restored to their original state.

Combine a favourite photograph with a more interesting background.

Create a family montage from a selection of favourite photographs

Not sure which photos to use but can see the potential?
A Photographs Forever Gift Voucher of any value could be the answer.

Photograph restoration is very popular, although you may be interested to know that I also scan and restore many other things

For example I restored a drawing that, over the years had become torn, dog eared and generally in very poor condition. I restored the artwork and made an enlargement on archive paper and mounted this in a plain black wooden frame.
Here’s the before and after:

Do you have precious unique documents such as Birth Certificates, School Reports, Qualification Certificates, Death Certificates, Wills or any other documents that should be digitally preserved and restored shared with other members of the family? If you are creating your family album or your family tree, you could add images of important documents.

What about the children’s artwork? Their wonderful creative drawings and paintings are nearly always done on the cheapest paper, the paint fades, they get crumpled up and torn. Save them now. I will scan them and then you’ll images you can print, put into photo books and share with the family

Do you have negatives of possibly precious photographs and lost the prints?
Do you have a collection of negatives and you’ve no idea what the images on them are of?

I can scan your negatives whether they are 35mm or 127, 126, 120 roll film or even the really old glass negatives and provide you with positive images as data files, which I can then restore if necessary or just print or enlarge your favourites.

You may have a large number of 35mm or 6cm slides from the 70’s and 80’s but no longer have a projector that works. Let me scan and improve them so you can enjoy them again. They are often really high quality and make great enlargements.

So don’t delay, wherever you are, whatever town, city or county, look out those precious documents, drawings, artwork, negatives, slides and of course those fantastic old family photographs and let me restore them, repair them, retouch them so you and your family and friends can enjoy them forever.

Archive for ancestry

Increasing Demand for Our High Quality Photobooks and Photograph Framing

What’s YOUR Most Important, Irreplaceable Possession?

Top Quality Framing For Your Restored Photograph

Restoration of Photo of Deteriorating Oil Painting

Three Brothers Together at Last in One Photograph

Restoration of a Section of an Old Photograph

Framed Tribute to a Decorated Soldier

12 Ways To Make The Most of Your Photos

9 Great Ways To Transform Your Photographs

Restoration of Photographs, Artwork, Certificates, Children’s Artwork, Negatives and Slides by Photographs Forever