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Archive for Restoring Your Old Photographs – Page 2

DJ David Hamilton’s Autobiography – The Long And Winding Road

We recently helped David by restoring two fading 1970s photographs of him, one for the front cover of his forthcoming autobiography.

David says:

“Due out in July/August is my autobiography, David Hamilton’s Long And Winding Road, My life, loves and lessons learned, published by Austin Macauley and celebrating my 65th year in broadcasting.

Choosing the right pictures for the front cover is vital and the publishers wanted a Then and Now, a shot of me in my Radio 1 days in the 70`s and one in my Boom Radio studio today.

I had in a frame at home a picture in the Radio 1 studio taken in 1975 that had faded, probably from sunlight.   It needed enhancing.   I had heard of Photographs Forever through their advertising on Boom Radio.   Since I live in West Sussex it wasn’t too long a journey to pay them a visit.

Richard was absolutely brilliant, worked his magic on the photo and here it is, looking as good as new.   Well done, Photographs Forever and Thank You.”

Norman Wisdom Memorabilia Exhibit

We recently restored several images of Norman Wisdom for his son Nick. These were to form part of an exhibition that Nick is mounting.

We restored these two photographs so they could be printed the appropriate size for the framed exhibit of Norman’s suit dating back to 1952.

Nick says:

“As the Norman Wisdom Exhibition reaches its capacity of circa eighty frames, it’s fair to say that the best has been saved to last. A five foot high frame (below) features Norman’s long tailed suit first worn in the theatre in 1952. As ever, thanks must go to the experts who I have come to rely on. Gerald Fleuss, master calligrapher and Richard Haines of Photographs Forever who can resurrect and adapt any form of photography to great effect.”

Reigate & Banstead Mayors Have Been Restored!

We were asked by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to restore 49 faded framed portraits of their Mayors going back many years. This involved removing the existing photographs from their frames, scanning and digitally restoring each one as well as reintroducing all the red and gold elements of many.  Here is just one of the worse ones showing before and after our restoration.

Photographs Forever Before and After

When all 49 were fully restored we printed them all on archive grade paper (so the fading will no longer be an issue going forward) and replaced them in their original frames.  Here they are safely reinstalled and being regularly enjoyed by all visitors the the Town Hall.

Photographs Forever

Removing All The Unwanted Parts…

Our customer is creating a gallery of his grandchildren’s’ sports photos and this photo had lots of unneccesary elements he wanted removed.

He was very pleased with the two 16″ x 12″ canvases he ordered of the final image

 

April 2024 – 20% off Digital Colourisation

For this month only (April 2024) we are offering a 20% discount on digital colourisation.

We all understand the power a photograph can have to transport us back to moments filled with laughter, love, and nostalgia, and whilst black & white photos are fantastic, sometimes a vibrant colour photograph can make all the difference.

Photographs Forever Colourisation Example

 

Photograph Restoration Colourisation Example

 

Re-Enacted Scene From Years Gone By

Photograph Colourisation Example

Initially, Keith asked us to restore the picture of him and his sister in Trafalgar Square when they were children. A few months later he came back to us with a re-enacted picture of the two of them taken recently that they wanted to gift to their mum, and we helped to get it looking as close to the original as possible.

 

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

Glass Cooker Splashback Project

Brenda C sent us this message to ask if we could help:

I am having new kitchen worktops and was going to have a glass splashback across the cooker wall. I have decided to use two landscape photos placed somehow in the glass splashbacks but details have to be obviously pretty exact.

Would you be interested in creating the photo panorama for the glass manufacturers. It would consist of one landscape view, one central portrait view above the cooker and another landscape view. The photos to be used are of The Solent looking across to the IOW with sailing club yachts. Blue sky with few clouds, blue sea and the yachts have their dark blue spinnaker sails open. Obviously, sky, sea etc have to be in alignment with one another.

We have done this kind of bespoke project before and told Brenda we would be very happy to help. Brenda’s  photos above show the original photographs we were supplied with and the finished result. We increased the proportions to allow for the exact placing of the power point positions which meant more sea was required.

Brenda was very happy with the finished result achieved by us and the glass manufacturing company, and sent us this feedback on the final splashback:

Everyone has loved the splashback with not one negative comment. Most comments are ‘Wow’. I love it and every time I go into the kitchen, it looks so clean and bright. I am also pleased that the upstand removes enough of the sea to balance the yachts being so high. Now you have added my splashback on your new website, I have sent the web page link to many friends.

I don’t know how you did it but it was exactly how I wanted it. I have been trying to find each of the yachts from my photos but have given up trying to find them now!

 

Torn photo restored

As you can see this photo was in a bad way having been sent to us in four pieces. Turned out OK in the end though!

Grenadier Guards Photo Saved!

At some point someone obviously thought it would be a good idea to give some of these characters beards and glasses.

That’s where we were able to be helpful to a very grateful customer.

Here’s the before and after