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| FAQ
What is digital restoration of photos?
Digital restoration of photos involves the scanning of a photo into a computer and working with the digitzed image itself in the computer rather than working on the original photo.
Do you colorize or sepia-tone images?
Yes. A simple sepia-toning would be a minor retouching (exclusive of any other repair). Coloring of an image would be a manipulation.
Is restoration possible with every image?
If an image can be scanned then it can be worked with in the computer. Restoration jobs vary in degree, according to how extensively the image is damaged. On the web site you will find examples involving minor retouching, moderate retouching, and very extensive retouching or reconstruction of an image which is called manipulation or enhancement. There are times when an image appears to be badly damaged but the manner of damage may make for a not-too-difficult restoration. Other times, considerable manipulation may be required. The manipulation section of the web site gives a variety of examples. The best way, of course, for me to determine if an image is or is not a candidate for restoration is to examine it.
How do I get my photos to you for consultation and/or retouching? Is there a consultation fee?
If you have a resource for scanning your image, you can email me a jpg for consultation purposes (for which there is no fee). My suggestion is that one go perhaps to a Kinkos where a professional can scan your image for you onto a CD, then send the CD in an appropriate mailer. Scans should be 300 dpi as to work with anything less will mean a loss of important data for printing purposes.
You may also send your images via mail.
If you are mailing your images, you will to place them between two pieces of cardboard and ship them in a padded envelope designed for shipping of photos (these may be purchased at an office or computer supply store). If the image is extremely fragile or in pieces, first place it in an envelope and then place the envelope between two pieces of cardboard and tape the edges of the cardboard together (do not put tape on the photo itself). Then put this in a padded mailer and mark "fragile." It is also not a bad idea to purchase insurance and/or a delivery confirmation from the Post Office, and deliver priority. You will be notified by the postal service when we have received your package. I will also notify you via email.
How much will a normal job run and what do I get?
Please see the pricing page. However, I would say most older photos are in need of moderate retouching.
On top of the charge for retouching, some restoration services will send you, for an extra fee, a photo produced from the digitized image, but if you want to purchase the digitized image they charge yet again another fee. Many services state they will send this photo on glossy paper, giving no other paper choices. Some "farm out" to printers these jobs and those that have in-house professional printing may restore their photos in an assembly-line type process.
What I send is a CD on which the digitized, restored photos have been archived; the original scans I have made of the photos are also archived on the CD. You will not be able to view these unless you have the appropriate software, so I also archive on the CD "optimized" versions of the images as 72 dpi jpgs which you can view on your computer. For those who have web sites this is quite a plus as you can then use these optimized images on your web site.
If a job requires manipulation/enhancement (extensive restoration), involves sepia-toning or colorization, then I will also post a jpg (stamped with a watermark) to the web, and send you the URL at which you may look at it and give your approval. Optimized images are exactly that, however, "optimized". Their quality is inferior as they are 72 dpi (dots per inch) as opposed to 300 dpi (dots per inch). Which is also why they are great for the web: speedy.
For printing, my suggestion is to use a service which offers Laser prints or Pictography prints on a non-glossy paper that is more appropriate for old photos than glossy paper.
Why should I restore or digitally archive my photos?
With restoration one gets automatically the digital archiving, as explained above. If one is only interested in digital archiving then each scanned image, with no touching up, is $10. The reason one should digitally archive is to protect your images. Photos fade and deteriorate; it's a fact of life. One may have become fond of an image that has colored with age, and that tint can be duplicated in the digitized and restored image, but just because one is fond of it as it is doesn't mean the image shouldn't be archived and thus preserved from further deterioration.
Why should I use your restoration service?
I began hand-tinting photos twenty-five years ago and made the move to computer five years ago. It is far superior a medium.
One of my personal interests is genealogy, so I am aware of how precious old photos are to those who are preserving their familial heritage. For me, every photo which is to be restoredi is a challenge and a pleasure. I enjoy attention to detail and a love of old photos. Not only do I restore images, I am an artist and thus have the required eye for severe restorations which may need extensive reconstruction.
Take a look around the web at examples of photo restoration. I'm confident you'll Imagedjinn's restoration work is of a quality far superior to the majority.
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