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Photographs – Digital Restoration or Preservation of Original?

We are sometimes asked to restore an actual physical photograph (photograph preservation) as opposed to restoring a digital scan of the same photograph.

Photograph Restoration Example

Photograph preservation can improve a photograph, image quality is not usually the primary purpose. Conservators will try to improve the overall visual appearance, but they would find it impossible to match what can be achieved by digital restoration. Because of the knowledge and skill and time required to carry out the physical preservation, the cost is likely to be prohibitive.

Digital restoration has many advantages including:

  • Preservation of the original photograph
  • Prevention from further deterioration
  • Eliminating scratches, blemishes, tears, folds and fading
  • Increase in the level of detail and enhancement of facial detail
  • Prints of any size can be made and shared
  • The ease of storage of digital files, also able to be shared

Top Quality Framing For Your Restored Photograph

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

Satin Black Frame

 

Mahogany frame

Mahogany frame

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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.

Quad-mount-frame-5-650

 

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.

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A representation of your own photo with dimensions added

A representation of your own photo with dimensions added

Further details are available here

9 Great Ways To Transform Your Photographs

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, Editing, Retouching and Manipulation Examples Updated

Photographs Forever specialises in photograph restoration, photo editing, photograph retouching and photograph manipulation and has just improved the EXAMPLES tab of the website and has now been updated so that the different types of work undertaken are separated and examples are easier to see and evaluate. There new restored images, retouched photographs, edited photos, and other types of manipulation.

Jag-Before

Before – Mud behind wheels, traffic cone, lamppost, man behind car roof

Jag-After

After –  Clean car, no traffic cone, no lamp post, no man behind the car

Often people think of restoration as just rectifying old damaged photographs from many years ago.

What is sometimes overlooked is the number of improvements that can be made to any photograph of any age.

How often have you taken a photograph that was basically great but spoilt by something or somebody being in the photo that you don’t want in?

This is where photograph editing and photograph manipulation are extremely useful.

We can manipulate your photographs so they are what you want them to be so as well as improving fading, restoring colour we can increase the resolution so that the lower resolution photographs can be printed without pixellation.

Click HERE to take a look at some manipulation examples

Incidentally, the convertible Jaguar is available to hire for weddings and other celebrations. CLICK HERE for details

 

Genes Reunited Blog About Photograph Restoration by Photographs Forever

If you’re a regular user of Genes Reunited, you may already have investigated our Keepsafe feature, which allows you to upload treasured family photographs and documents. It’s a great way to ensure your digital legacy – a carefully curated and preserved archive that you can share with your family. But what about all those old photos that you keep meaning to scan in, but just haven’t had the chance? Photos, like any archive material, can degrade over the years – have you checked on those shoeboxes and old albums recently?

Richard Haines of Photographs Forever specialises in restoring old photographs, and says “Unfortunately photographs don’t age well and over time their quality deteriorates. Because photos are printed on paper, things such as handling, light, moisture, dust, and scratches often affect them. Regrettably, these factors can ruin our photos and prevent them from lasting through future generations. Poor storage, such as keeping photos in attics or basements or allowing photos to be exposed to sunlight, have all contributed to the poor condition of most of our photo collections.

“It is a very good idea to restore your special photographs or even entire photo collection in order to stop the unavoidable destruction that will take place no matter how carefully the photos are stored. Once you have digital copies you needn’t worry about further damage because digital images do not change at all.”

Faded photograph restored
Faded photograph restored

You can even get enlargements made of restored photos – perhaps you’d like to present your parents with a framed version of their favourite photo on their first holiday, or give all the grandchildren a copy of an old (but badly scratched and folded) family photo. Richard comments “Since old photographs have a tendency to degrade over time, professional photo restorers have developed digital techniques for restoring your old photographs and they can eliminate scratches, cracks, tears, and fading as well as repairing other damage. Many precious old photographs, often the last copy in existence, are good quality but too small to see the detail. Restoration not only captures the image electronically but then allows the restored photograph to be enlarged so prints and enlargements can be made or framed so they can be truly enjoyed in all their glory.”

Tattered portrait photograph of soldier rescued
Tattered portrait photograph of soldier rescued

Once you can see the detail in those old photos more clearly, they may even hold valuable clues to aspects of your family history – who’s that woman standing on the edge of the family group? What’s that landmark in the background? Richard says “Deteriorating photos may provide important historical links in your family or possible clues about your ancestors. When rebuilding your family tree, it is possible to determine certain aspects of your ancestry, such as weddings, landmarks of geographical nature and important occasions. Enhancing your old photos may reveal details you had not noticed before.” Remember, when you upload your photos to Keepsafe, you can choose to make them public to other Genes Reunited users and invite others to help you investigate them further – someone else might have the answers you’ve been looking for.

Take some time this week to look over your old photographs and create safe digital copies of them – you may even find precious photos you’d like to see restored. And if you have any questions regarding preserving old photographs then Richard would be happy to help you.

Try Keepsafe now

by Richard Haines of Photographs Forever

 

Click HERE  to see the Blog entry on Genes Reunited’s own website

A Couple of Restoration Ideas That Aren’t Photogtraphs

People that have had their special photographs restored will have realised the value of having had this work done.

As well as restoring damaged and faded black and white photographs there are other types of restoration I thought you may be interested to know that I do.
I’ve recently restored a newspaper article dated January 1966 which was very fragile and about to fall apart. Here’s the before and after, having combined two parts of the newspaper:

Then there’s the terrific artwork that our children have done at school on awful quality paper that fades and tears so easily.
Still retaining all it’s original charm this painting is now saved forever, can be printed and framed, any size, and it won’t fade as the prints are on archive paper :

I can digitally restore and make huge improvements to all your:

  • Damaged photographs  
  • Faded black & white/colour photographs
  • Photographs that contain unwanted articles, backgrounds or even people!
  • Newspaper cuttings and photographs
  • Drawings and paintings
  • Children’s artwork
  • Documents
  • Virtually any printed material!
So do make the time to dig out those important photographs, paintings or newspaper articles etc and get in touch with me so I can restore them to their former glory or, in many cases, give you results better than the original ever was!

There’s No Time Like The Present……To Get Those Photographs Restored

If you’re still thinking about getting those special photographs of yours restored, see what recent customers have said about the results I produced for them.

“The restored photos arrived today and they are really excellent.  They recall teenage and early twenties so well that I was, as Victoria Wood used to say, filling up!  Thank you so much Richard.”
Tom G – Ambleside, Cumbria
“Hi Richard. You have produced another masterpiece!  My mother and fathers wedding photograph is great.”
Frank A – Birmingham
“Hi Richard – photographs received this morning.  They’ve surpassed my expectations and are truly lovely. Thank you so much for taking the time to readjust the colours.  We have I think achieved a wonderful true to life result which my parents will be overjoyed with. I will recommend Photographs Forever to friends and family.”
Jane S – Aylesbury
SOME EXAMPLES OF BEFORE AND AFTER RESTORATION

    

Remember, I can digitally restore and make huge improvements to all your:
  • Damaged photographs  
  • Faded black & white/colour photographs
  • Photographs that contain unwanted articles, backgrounds or even people!
  • Newspaper cuttings and photographs
  • Drawings and paintings
  • Children’s artwork
  • Documents
  • Virtually any printed material!
So do make the time to dig out those important photographs etc and get in touch with me so I can restore them to their former glory or, in many cases, give you results better than the original ever was!

January – The Ideal Time For a Photograph Rummage!

Do you have loads of your precious photographs safely tucked away somewhere?
With the promise of snow and cold January days and nights what better time is there for you to locate and rummage through your old family photographs?
Although we all have photographs we feel are really precious, how often do we actually look at them?  I know from personal experience that once you sit down and start looking through your photographs it’s a really enjoyable experience!
Maybe you’ll find that some of them are very small that you may like enlarged or framed so you can keep them on view to be continually enjoyed.  Others may be looking faded or tatty and would benefit from being digitally restored.
If you find you have a quantity of photographs that you would like to create into a Photobook the cost for a high quality scan and basic image optimisation is as little as £2.50 per picture.
This means you’ll be able print copies and enlargements as well as email your photos to others.
So make an appointment with yourself for this weekend and check those photographs out. You’ll be glad you did! 
Let me know how it goes..
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For Christmas we gave our children their own 100 page Photobook of themselves growing up. They were all absolutely thrilled to bits with them..
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cd
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Most importantly your photographs, once scanned, can be stored safely on a CD with no fear of them fading or deteriorating ever again.
 
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RECENT RESTORATIONS
Below is a photograph in a newspaper where my customer’s son was cycling with Bradley Wiggins. Newspaper articles are usually relatively poor print quality with the ‘dots’ being very visible when enlarged. This restored photograph was printed 15″ x 10″ and looked really impressive.
The photograph below was an interesting challenge. The original photograph had been badly damaged by water. Not only that but the original frame glass was also smashed and the photograph was stuck to the broken glass! As the photograph had great sentimental value, the customer had framed the stained original complete with the broken glass in a new glazed frame!  It was not possible to scan so I photographed it and restored from that image.
Mounted in a new frame with mount finished the transformation.
So if you need any help or advice in relation to storing, cataloging, scanning or restoring your photographs, don’t hesitate to Richard a call on 01825 740986 any time, I’ll always be happy to help.

Photographs Forever – Guest Blogger on Ancestry.co.uk and also Your Family Tree Magazine

Photographs Forever was given the opportunity to add a blog entry on the Ancestry.co.uk website.

To see the blog written about Saving Your Precious Photographs click on the Guest Blogger logo below:

 

 

 

 

 

We also wrote an blog article for Your Family Tree Magazine which has some important points on the Benefits of Restoring Your Photographs.

To see this article – click on the image below:

My Fascination For Vintage Photographs by Kate Helen

The following article was written for Photographs Forever by long-standing customer Kate Helen – I think you’ll find it fascinating.
Kate’s passion for the subject makes a great read!