Preserving family photographs for future generations

 

When I managed a photo lab from 1996-2008, I was also the primary restoration artist. These were mainly completed in Photoshop versions CS through CS5 (before content aware was released).

 
Through years of storage, this photo had random cracks throughout. Because the damage wasn't going through eyes or any part that had a distinct pattern, it qualified as a Level 1 restoration.

This photo had simple cracks to repair. 

This is the final copy of the image supplied to the clients. The cracks in the photograph were removed. The colors and contrast were restored to a nice final image for them to share with the relatives.

This is the final image supplied to the client.  The cracks were repaired, the contrast and colors were adjusted and a file on a CD was provided to the family so they could share with other descendants. 

   
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This image has a large piece of the photograph that was completely ripped off.  It also shows some other larger cracks.  What doesn't show in this image is a lot of tinier cracks in the emulsion of the image.  That in addition to the damaged edges qualifies this as a Level 2 restoration.

 

 

The final repaired heirloom photograph

 

 

This original photo was one of the turn of the century curved glass images.  The original also had a distinct curve to it as seen on the lower right corner where you can see the sheen.  It didn't fit on the scanner and needed to be photographed in the studio before restoration was able to begin. 

 

Because curved glass frames are not as common any longer and very difficult to find, extra work needed to be done around the edges to restore the multitude of cracks and make it a perfect oval for framing.  This client chose to have a white background because they were going to invest in custom framing for the restoration but keep in mind, we can make the background any color you wish and also create beveled edges on the final image.

What a fantastic find this client had!  If you look closely at the margins of the print, you'll see it says "My Father" and "My Grandfather" 

The final restoration cleaned up the dust and scratches, improved the contrast and color and provided a clean print and digital file of the restored image. 

 

This original image was about 3x3 inches. It was extremely faded and included water damage.

 

The restoration process can be quite remarkable.  Not only are the spills and water damage on the photograph removed, the detail I was able to bring out brought life back to this family's memories.

   

Sometimes photo restorations need to be looked at as investments.  The family history displayed in this fantastic image are memories they couldn't afford to lose.

The final restoration took about 6 hours.

This damaged photograph was completely torn in half.  One gentleman's face was almost torn off but enough remained to work with.  

The most difficult part of this was recreating the framework above the desk back to the intricate pattern you see.

Yes, this really was an original signed 8x10 promo shot of Ronald Reagan.   The original glossy finish had hundreds of small cracks throughout the image.  Thankfully Ronnie's face wasn't too bad. 

For obvious reasons, this client had me scan the original while she waited and the image never left her sight.

 

The most difficult part of this restoration was leaving as much of the signature alone as possible.  The client was thrilled with the final product and I was thrilled to be able to restore such an iconic treasure.

It's not as bad as it looks.  Really!  Even though this original photograph was separated into two, once I had the pieces matched, blending in the tear only took a couple of hours. 

Final restoration of a photo completely torn in two.

This photo restoration was a bit tougher.  Every piece of this original was damaged.  The emulsion was torn in several places.  There were missing parts of the image that needed replaced.  The client also wanted the frame restored.  Once again, thankfully, the faces and eyes were not severely damaged saving the customer money.

The final restoration repaired the multitude of scratches, tears, missing pieces and damaged sections of the family heirloom.