Digital Photo Restoration Service

Above shows a damaged photo and on the left the image after digital repair.

I am passionate about fixing old photographs and I have been offering my services for over 20 years. I like to bring old photos back to life and in some sense it also exposes me to the history of photography. The repair process involves making a high resolution scan or photograph of the image and then repairing the photo digitally using Adobe Photoshop.No one can perform "miracles" like put someones face back that has completed faded, but I can make old, faded, and damaged images look new again. I can colour or hand-paint old black and white photos, provide black and white, sepia or colourize black and white images. I can even convert the photos so they simulate a water colour or oil painting. I original image is disturbed as little as possible and I can even work with photos several feet long. I am often asked to provide prints, I used to but frankly it's cheaper to take the digital files to your favourite print shop (I recommend London Drugs or Vistek in Calgary).

Quotes

To provide a quote I need to see the image. In some instance if you can send 300 dpi or higher resolution scans I can work with them, but generally I scan or re-photograph the images which allows me to enlarge the images and provide better results. Generally, the image repair can cost from about $5 to $200 depending on the size of the image, and the amount of damage - but you will never get any surprises I will tell you the cost before I start. I generally remove images from frames if possible. If I am not able to repair the image to your satisfaction you will not be charged a fee. Images that are burned onto glass or that have become glued to the glass can sometimes be separated from the glass, if not I scan through the glass to repair. I don't repair the paper prints, I create a new digital image which I fix and provide you with a repaired digital image you can have printed as often as you like and share them with friends and relatives.

The original photo on the left was hand painted, I show the BW, sepia and Photoshop coloured versions I created.

I can email or transfer large files to you via WeTransfer and offer online payment using credit card or PayPal. I usually keep a copy of your images in case you lose the files unless you specifically ask me to delete them. If you have a lot of images to repair I offer discounts. Often I can have the images repaired in 24-48 hours.

Before and after photos - the image above took me about 30 minutes to repair and cost $30

I can't repair all images, for instance color prints soaked in water during a flood often result in the dyes being washed away. I also can't return a face that's not visible in the photo. I can replace an arm, ear, eye, etc in some cases. I can remove the background and alter the images in many circumstances and I can add folks into the picture. By scanning the images at high resolution I can make an 8 x10 inch photo from a wallet size photo. If the image is blurry, I can sharpen it - but there are limits. Some folks ask if I can return the color - in some cases if there is still a hint I can bring it back (see below) or colourized a black and white photo. In all instances I provide you with the digital files which you can share, or have printed. I also provide low resolution .jpg files at no extra cost to send by email, post on the web or social media.

Repaired photos in black and white, sepia and coloured - hand colouring costs extra because it takes more time.

I don't fix graduation pictures anymore even if you have a letter from the photographer saying its OK. The watermarks are usually placed over the eyes and mouth making them difficult to repair and sometimes the results are not satisfactory. Most images I can repair even if they are not flat.

If you would like to repair the images yourself - I have posted a tutorial and movie on how to do it here do it on my other web site.

If you have a lot of photos to repair I can even train you to repair the images yourself - it just takes time and a little bit of talent, scanner, computer, and Adobe Photoshop. If your photos were damaged in a flood, fire or other catastrophe your insurance company might pay for the repair. I don't repair original prints as this a specialized craft and in most cases is beyond the price most people are willing to pay. Digital repair is significantly cheaper, can be emailed to clients and printed at your favourite photo printing outlet.

Below are some examples of before and after repair photos.

In the instance above the original was in color but faded. I was able to restore the original color and also make a sepia and BW version from the original.

 

The original photo on the left was a daguerreotype  which was the first commercially successful photographic process (1839-1860) in the history of photography. Named after the inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, each daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate. The digitally restored image is on the right. The originals should be protected from light usually in a specially covered album or frame with a cover. They are rare.

Another daguerreotype on the left and restored on the right. The original image was just about an inch in height, whereas the final restored image was 8 x 10 inch. On the left you can see tape residue over the photo.This photo has historical value.

Left before and right after digital restoration.

 

In order to fix the image on the left I had to find a new arm - this was one of my more challenging images to repair.

 

Brothers that had all purchased a car in the 1950's from the same dealer were invited to the dealership for this group photo and a gift bottle of champagne. The photo was was stained wrinkled and in poor condition. The original image was about 10 x 15 inches in size.

After repair this image was framed and a copy was provided to each brother.

This old photograph was hand painted on the left and had numerous stains. On the right is the repaired image.

Above shows the before and after shot of a photo that I restored for a women's 90th birthday.

Above shows a photo taken in 1869 on a glass negative that was broken into small pieces. I carefully assembled the piecies on my scanner then digitally repaired the photo making a Black and white, sepia toned and a black and white image with a white vignetting.

Sharing photos with family and friends makes a unique gift that will be cherished for generations and costs much less then you might think. Once repaired the images can be copied and shared with your entire family. They also make ideal wedding, anniversary, birthday and Christmas gifts. When families face a disaster such as a fire or flood the one thing that often has more sentimental value than any other are family pictures.

Contact me for a quote - my prices are guaranteed and satisfaction is guaranteed or you pay nothing. I provide a quote upfront before any work is done. I have been a professional photographer for over 50 years and I have been repairing images for about half this time. I have also taurght these skills to others in college (SAIT and Red Deer).

If you have some old photographs in your home, pull them out and consider having them digitally repaired.The photos shown above are just a few samples of what I have worked on over the years. Repaired older photographs make and excellent gift. If have older prints that just need to be scanned with minium repair my fees start at $5\image with discounts for more then 10 images. I can be reached by phone at 403 247-2457 or Email rberdan@scienceandart.org - I am located in Calgary, NW since 1990. If you are not able to visit you can mail or courier photos to me and I will provide you with a quote and repair them if you wish me to proceed.

 

(403) 247-2457