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Archive for Restoring Your Old Photographs – Page 7

8 Great Tips to Help You Make The Most of Your Photographs

Posted by Richard Haines on

1 September 2016

There is no better way to remember all the great times in life than through the photographs you have from the past, present and future. Previous generations have very few photographs compared with the number we have today. Photographs are so important yet they often remain locked inside our phones or packed away in a box.

So make the most of your photographs. Here are 8 tips….

Download the photos from your phone – either onto your computer or a cloud-based storage site such as MyKnowHowCloud.com where you can store all your photographs and any other important files.
Make prints and enlargements of the best photographs, frame them and get them out on display so you can enjoy them.
Photographs are a great way to remind you of good times that you’ve had and important events in your life.
Photographs are the best way to remember parents, grandparents and past generations. In many really old photographs the people in them often look very serious in formal poses in studios. These were sometimes the only photographs that existed and they have a special charm and look great when enlarged and framed.
Create a photo book of your favourite memories. Your photos are the record of your life so far. A photo book of your family life in pictures is a wonderful thing to have and will give you and others a huge amount of pleasure.
Taking photographs today is a fantastic way of spending time that costs virtually nothing. It’s creative, social and rewarding. We take as many photos each day now as in the first 74 years of photography. It’s important to remember to do something positive with the photos you take.
If they’re not right, fix them! With the fantastic technology available today virtually any photo that is is in some way not as good as you’d like it to be can be resolved with digital software. You can fix lots of elements yourself with free programs such as Google Picasa.
Use Photographs Forever as a resource for any advice you may need with your photographs. You can call me any time. It is my passion that you make the most of your photographs. Get them on display, and get them scanned so you have digital copies in case the original prints get lost or damaged. If they need improving either do it yourself or let me do it for you. Let there be photographs!

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Complex Photograph Montage

Posted by Richard Haines on

14 June 2016

Here is an interesting order I completed recently. Not only to combine two photographs that were in very poor condition but also to add the woman from the first photograph – minus baby! – to the second photograph while turning her around so she was facing the right way rather than turning her back on her husband!

This was the email I received from my customer…

“Well you’ve done it again, this time with knobs on and I am not referring to the door knob in one the photos! What an absolutely fantastic result. I appreciate the time and effort you must have put in to get the images of individuals in one photo transferred and included in another. The results to include the clean up and restoration are really brilliant, my great grandmother has literally “rejoined” her family – Fantastic. I can’t wait to present the final prints to members of my family.” John P

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Tags : ancestry, editing, family history, Photo Editing, photo repair, photo restoring, Photo Retouching, photograph editing, photograph manipulation, photograph repair, Photograph Restoration, Photograph restoring, Photograph Retouching, Restoring Your Old Photographs, retouching

British Empire Exhibition 1925 Photograph Restored

Posted by Richard Haines on

3 April 2016

Here is a photograph I was asked to digitally restore. The original photograph is about a metre and a half wide and the photograph is absolutely fascinating as it contains so much detail. It’s a photograph of Robertson and Ginnetts Gigantic Circus at the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley Stadium in 1925 featuring my customer’s great grandfather who is the ringmaster!
Here is the whole photograph before restoration, after restoration and then a single detail followed by a detail of that detail! There are literally hundreds of recognisable faces.

Here are some other close-up sections going along the front row from left to right

Photographs Forever - British Empire Exhibition 1925

My customer’s Great Grandfather is the ringmaster on the left with the top hat

The following is an extract from Anne Clendinning, “On The British Empire Exhibition, 1924-25″

The British Empire Exhibition, held in 1924 and 1925, assembled the member nations of the empire to develop imperial trade connections and to cultivate closer political ties between Britain and her territories.

The British Empire Exhibition opened for a second season in May 1925, but only after considerable debate. Despite the enthusiastic press reports and the self-congratulatory comments of the exhibition organizers, the 1924 exhibition was a financial disaster. Executive director Sir William Travers Clark blamed the cold, rainy summer. Although 17 million people had passed through the turnstiles, that figure was much lower than the anticipated 30 million visitors that had been the basis for 1924’s projected returns. If only to try and recoup its investment, the British government agreed to re-open Wembley in 1925.

More recently, the British Empire Exhibition appears in the 2010 film about the Duke of York’s stammer wherein Prince Bertie delivers a painful public address at the exhibition’s closing ceremony in October 1925.

There is another interesting article of the British Empire Exhibition here

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Tags : ancestry, BEE Wembley, British Empire Exhibition 1925, family history, photo repair, photo restoring, Photo Retouching, photograph repair, Photograph Restoration, Photograph restoring, Restoring Your Old Photographs, Robertson and Ginnetts Gigantic Circus, Wembley 1925, Wembley Stadium 1925

Dad With His Two Sons Around The Same Age

Posted by Richard Haines on

1 March 2016

I was asked to to combine three very low quality photographs so that there was a single photograph of the father with his two sons all around the same age.

I had to increase all the file sizes, restore the photographs, remove backgrounds and the lanyard, match the scale of each person, add Dad’s shoulders, find a different background and then put the composite image together to create the final result. Here’s the before and after.

Creating a Composite Image of Dad with his Two Sons at About The Same Age

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Tags : manipulation, Photo Editing, photo montage, photograph editing, photograph manipulation, photograph montage, photograph repair, Photograph Restoration, Photograph restoring, Restoring Your Old Photographs

An Example of Colourising an Old Photograph

Posted by Richard Haines on

15 February 2016

Here is the original photograph, then the restored and colourised version. I knew what colour the Union Jacks were – all the rest were my best guess!

Photograph Before Restoration

Photograph After Restoration and Colourising

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Tags : Adding colour to old photographs, Colourising photographs, family history, Family Tree, Genealogy, manipulation, my family tree, Photo Editing, photo repair, photo restoring, Photo Retouching, photograph editing, photograph manipulation, Photograph Restoration, Photograph restoring, Photograph Retouching, restoration, Restoring Your Old Photographs

Two Special Ladies Remembered

Posted by Richard Haines on

22 December 2015

This is a letter I received from Maurice after I had carried out some work and the story behind his photographs

“I was delighted with the work you did for me. You took old faded, a bit ragged looking photos, some showing cracks, and restored them to original condition. Your manipulation, to achieve a full length photo showing only my late wife, from two separate group photos, was unbelievable. I get the feeling that if it can be done, you have the skill and the patience to do it.

There is a saying, “Love the work you do and you will never work again”. I suspect this applies to you. I assume most people having photos restored, are rekindling memories, or trying to extend memories, and the fact that you can help them do that must give you great satisfaction.

My reason? My first wife, the mother of my four sons, died 1981. My second wife died 2015, I was married for approximately 30 years to each of them. Two very special ladies. I feel like I have had two lives. So photos have been resurrected and restored, and photos have been enhanced, and thanks to you are now on display. Thanks once again Richard, I wish you well for the future. Yours sincerely Maurice.”

Here are the photographs Maurice is referring to

Example of Photograph Restoration

Photograph Manipulation Example

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Tags : manipulation, Photo Editing, photo repair, photo restoring, Photo Retouching, photograph editing, photograph manipulation, photograph repair, Photograph Restoration, Photograph restoring, Photograph Retouching, Restoring Your Old Photographs

Mum and Dad Together At Last

Posted by Richard Haines on

15 December 2015

This is Irene’s touching story

“I first came in contact with Richard earlier this year when he restored a badly damaged photograph that I wanted to include in my autobiography. Over the years it had been folded in half, ‘mended’ with sticky tape and was in a really bad state. Richard restored it beautifully and it is now scanned onto my writing.

Later, while reading Richard’s blog, I came across Lucy’s story, how she had asked him to restore and combine two photographs in order to create one of her parents and grandparents. This started me thinking of my own parents and the fact that I had never seen a photograph of them together. My father was in the Royal Navy serving on HMS Achates on the Russian Arctic Convoys. He was lost at sea during the Battle of the Barents’ Sea when I was two and my brother just six months old. Sadly, my parents had just over three years together and my brother and I never had the chance to know our father. We always wanted a photograph of our parents together and over the years did everything we could to find one, even trawling the Internet but to no avail. I really wanted one not just for my dedication page but also to hang on the wall at home.

I had a photograph of Dad in his uniform and a rather blurry snap of Mum taken with my gran, aunty and grandad. The two photographs were taken 13 years apart but I asked Richard if he could somehow create a photograph of my parents together, not knowing if this would be possible. Well, his expertise took over and soon I experienced the absolute thrill of seeing my parents together in the same frame. The time difference didn’t matter as seeing my parents together was priceless and very emotional. I’m not usually lost for words but I was when I saw the photograph for the first time. Richard set it in a beautiful black frame and I ordered another one for my brother as a surprise gift.

Dad and Mum Together At Last

When he saw the photograph, my brother, too, was absolutely delighted. Thanks to Richard’s skill and expertise, we have something we always wanted but never really thought possible. My children are so pleased, calling it spectacular and special. Now, when I arrive home and open the door, I see my parents – together again. Thank you so much, Richard, for making a dream into a reality and for your dedication, professionalism and kindness.”

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Tags : Photo Editing, photo repair, photo restoring, Photo Retouching, photograph editing, photograph manipulation, photograph repair, Photograph Restoration, Photograph restoring, Restoring Your Old Photographs

Restoration of Family History Photographs Creates Full Gallery

Posted by Richard Haines on

18 November 2015

Here is an interesting story from Graham Jones who has carried out a massive amount of research on his family history with great results to show for his hard work. Here it is in his own words:

“Recently I have been working with Richard to create a set of some 20 framed photographs that now form a complete record of my family back to 1850. The initial idea came from a very battered, postcard size photograph dated 1895 that showed my great-grandparents and their eight children. I asked Richard to scan, restore, enlarge to A3 size, title and frame the photograph. The result caused so much interest in my family that apart from ordering a further three copies, the wider project was born. Collectively, the family has pooled our best photographs of parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and even two great great grandparents. Apart from normal restoration and enlargement, Richard has also prepared several composites to splice together the various groupings that we requested. The complete set now forms its own “gallery” in my home and the whole family is delighted with the result”

Here are some of the photographs in question and the gallery Graham has created

Photograph Restoration/Montage

Restored Photograph Gallery

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Tags : ancestry, family history, family search, Family Tree, Genealogy, manipulation, Photo Editing, photo restoring, photograph manipulation, photograph repair, Photograph Restoration, Photograph Retouching, Restoring Your Old Photographs

Please Don’t Try This At Home….Don’t Find Out The Hard Way!

Posted by Richard Haines on

1 November 2015

I received this email from John P which I have to admit, because of his clever writing style, I actually found very amusing –

“I recently found an old photo of my Grandfather, 5 x 3 inches. It was in remarkable condition except for an orange stain under his nose which extended across his face towards his left eye. Under a magnifier this looked like surface food material which I thought I could remove by gentle washing with minimal quantities of water wet tissue. I appeared to be winning, then horror. I noticed that small specks of the image had been removed – see under his nose and to the left and left lower cheek. I was extremely lucky that was all that was damaged, it could have been much worse.
Then, I stupidly thought I could repair this “slight” damage by applying scrapings of pencil lead!!! What an idiot. Anyway this photograph now desperately requires the attention of an expert.
I attach a digital image of the photo so that you can see what is required. Please note there is a very small scratch, me again, on his right shoulder which also had my lead pencil treatment.
If I send the photograph to you can you restore the damage and clean the image up i.e. remove the stain and repair the bits I removed and include taking the lead pencil material away? I would also like you to make digital enhanced reproductions, on paper, of the same image. Thank goodness there are experts like you that twits like me can turn to.

Here’s the evidence and the results after restoration-

Photo Restoration – Before and After

I am pleased to give you permission to use my plea for your help. It will hopefully make others decide to leave the required expertise to the experts like yourself. Thanks for asking.

Thanks for everything. I have other photos which are in a far worse state, not due to any of my doings this time, for you to consider their rescue. I will be in touch in due course as I need to search them out.

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Tags : photo repair, Photo Retouching, photograph manipulation, Photograph restoring, Photograph Retouching, Restoring Your Old Photographs

What To Do When Your Favourite Photograph Is Lost or Damaged

Posted by Richard Haines on

29 September 2015

This is Jennifer and Frank’s Story as told by Jennifer

“I first contacted Richard at Photographs Forever to see if there was anything he could do with a photograph that had huge sentimental value to my partner Frank as it was the only one he had of his two daughters at that age. The photograph had accidentally been very badly damaged by falling from a car window in the rain and being repeatedly run over by several cars, here’s the photograph in question.

Richard said that unfortunately there was nothing he could do as the photograph was too badly damaged to restore.
I knew there was one other photograph of the two girls that was one of those tiny photographs in a key ring fob.

So I sent this to Richard to restore and also to ask if there was anything he could do to recreate the original photograph of the two girls with hi-vis waistcoats and hard hats. This is the resulting photograph that Richard created and sent to me

Richard sent this photo of the girls, to be signed for, and as I am at work, I missed the postie, got a card through the door to pick it up from the sorting office in West Bromwich. I did not know where it was so I asked Frank to take me. (I have not lived in West Bromwich very long). When I collected it he could see it was photos by the packaging, I told him that I had got you to do “something” to the picture of his girls but I would not tell him what because it was to be a surprise for his birthday, he seemed quite uninterested. He has since told me that he thought you had just made the photo bigger and made it oval, why he thought that I will never know! ANYWAY, when we got back home I opened it, I got goose pimples!
I said “You have got to see this, I cannot wait for your birthday”
He replied “No, put it away somewhere and I will have it for my birthday”.
I pulled it out the envelope again and said “No I cannot do it, you have to see this”.
When he saw it, well……………….. He is SO HAPPY, his bottom lip started to quiver and I have never seen him like that, he was astounded. I was afraid that he may not like it as it has been manipulated, it is not actually a memory, as photos normally are but no – he LOVES IT! We cannot believe the attention to detail, I thought that the girls were wearing hi-vis COATS on the original photo but they were not, they were actually waistcoat hi-vis’s, and the hard hats -on the original – the oldest girl has a blue hat and the youngest a white one, Richard is SO GOOD. AND the pen in the hi-vis on the youngest, AMAZING. WHAT MORE CAN I SAY……….. WE ARE SPEECHLESS, totally, I cannot thank Richard enough, he has made Frank’s day, his year, his birthday! I told Frank I would buy him a frame for it for his birthday, he said “No way, we are getting a frame on Saturday”.

Any ideas what I can get him for his birthday now please Richard??????????????????”

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Archive for Restoring Your Old Photographs – Page 7

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