Using modern digital imaging techniques, photographs or documents can be restored without causing any damage to the original. A variety of problems can be corrected such as fading, scratches, staining, tears and missing corners. It's a simple matter to convert black & white photos to "old style" sepia tone images or for a more elaborate finish, parts of an image can be altered to give a "hand coloured" appearance. 

Please view some of the examples below and if you have any doubts about the quality of my work, its worth viewing the last example, the restoration of panoramic photographs. Please email for a no obligation quotation. Its surprising what can be achieved with today's technology but if you want a professional service with personal attention, then look no further. 

STOP PRESS!

See these examples and many more on the main photographic services web site. Please select the link below.

 http://www.borderpics.co.uk/restoration01.htm

Thank you

BASIC ENHANCEMENT WORK

Before A faded B/W print copied from an old painting.	After Rotated to make it horizontal, sepia toned, contrast adjusted and sharpened as the final enhancement.

It's possible to work on more recent photographs such as changing a distracting background, removing unwanted objects (or persons) and even merging different photos together.

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MORE ADVANCED RESTORATION

Before A late appearance, no suit . .	After   No problem! The suit/tie on the left were copied, reversed and the colours adjusted. This image was carefully pasted over the t-shirt and further work done to place it behind the other people.  A 10 x 8" print was prepared and the client was delighted with the finished result.

 

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	Do you have several photographs of someone, black and white or colour? Why not ask about having a montage produced.
	A montage can be created incorporating several photographs, backgrounds, items and objects etc. Why not have it printed and framed?

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A treasured wedding photographed faded and left with a deep red colour cast.  The original also had burnt out highlights in the face and head areas.	I restored the colours to a more natural balance and patched in the burnt out highlights. I rebuilt the right hand edge of the photograph cloning the background to make the finished print size a standard  10 x 8" print. This helps the balance of the image and its easier to source folders / mounts and frames for a standard size print.
"Hi John, Received photo this morning and have to say I am extremely satisfied with the results! As was my mum who was so overjoyed that she was crying! So excellent job I would say! Thanks for changing the size for me, I have put the picture in a 10"x8" frame and it looks fantastic. Thanks for your superb service!" L.Homes -Aberdeen
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Before A winding on problem with the film or it was exposed to some extraneous light, either way a very difficult image to restore.	After Adjusting colour balance, saturation and using other parts of the jacket and woodwork to rebuild the final image salvaged this print.

 

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Before Faded, slightly un-sharp and badly stained, this print is treasured by its owner.	After The cloning tool in Photoshop was used to repair most of this image with contrast and colour balance also being adjusted. The bright flash highlight was removed and the window effectively rebuilt. The print was then sharpened a little to improve the overall appearance.

 

 

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A level 3 restoration requiring skilled restore and repair techniques using digital retouching methods.   Faded, badly creased and cracks in the emulsion. Quite a challenging photograph to restore and repair. This is typical of many photographs submitted for restoration / repair work and at Borderpics, we love this type of challenge.

After Time, care and attention (and a bit of skill) are the  requirements for a successful repair and restoration using modern day software - thank you Adobe. Not only did we provide an effective repair and restoration of this photo, we enhanced the final print by correcting the tilt. The edges, foreground and sky area of the photograph were re-built making it possible to re-align into an upright position. Cropping the original then rotating would have been the easy option taken by many photographic restoration companies, but why settle for losing parts of your original image in the restored version?

 

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Before A combination of smudges, blobs and torn emulsion requiring all the tricks of the trade to restore.	After The sharper the original image the easier it is to work on and to enlarge if required. Rebuilding parts of a face/body is possible provided one half is intact on the original print.
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Before Faded, stained, torn edges, ripped emulsion on surface, badly creased in several areas. An example requiring the 'expert' level of service.	After Extensive work was required both on the subjects and the background. It was better to replace the background as the original was too faded to work on. The client asked for 3 @ 10 x 8" prints
"I have just returned to the office from holiday and have received the photos. They look great - thanks very much - and very quick as well." S Stone - London
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PANORAMIC RESTORATION

The most difficult restoration job ever undertaken arrived October 2004. The client was keen to have two panoramic photographs restored and reproduced to their original size of 39" wide by 9" high. The originals had been taken with a panoramic camera in 1938 and 1939 but the prints had been tightly wound into small rolls about two inches in diameter as shown below.

To restore the photographs they would have to be scanned or re-photographed and this proved difficult. Scanning was not an option due to the unwound length (39") and the fact that the photographs would not lie flat. I decided I would have to re-photograph the originals and somehow flatten them sufficiently to make reasonable copies.

The client understated the damage on the original photographs (they had not unrolled them fully) and the emulsion had cracked in several places and there were tears in each print at both ends. Had they been flat, restoration would be a major task alone but I needed to capture images to work on first. You can see the extent of the damage below.

An additional problem caused by the creasing - areas of dark and light were created either side of a crease and this required further restoration work. Creasing and tears can be viewed in the image below.

Each photograph was carefully unrolled then taped down to a wooden board to copy them. I applied masking tape to the rear side of the tears to prevent further damage through handling. Knowing I would be able to re-photograph the prints, it was at this point I contacted the client to say I was prepared to attempt the task of full restoration and print production. I quoted them a price and they agreed. Next - the photography. Panorama unrolled and taped to wooden board ready for photography (image below).

Taking just the one photograph would be insufficient in terms of file size for reproduction and would introduce distortion at the edges. I took 5 photographs from left to right moving the camera and tripod a set distance each time.

I had to stitch the 5 photographs together for each panorama before restoration work could begin. The stitching in Photoshop was additional work and created a large file from the 5 x 6.2 megapixel images created by the Canon 10D used to copy the images.

Many hours later with Adobe Photoshop I finally produced images I was happy with. I sent them to Peak Imaging in Sheffield for printing. Peak Imaging were one of the few labs that could handle work up to 40 " wide. I was very pleased with the finished results as was the client.

Happy Customer! Unknown to me at the time, several other companies had been approached. Some didn't reply and the others turned the job down possibly due to the difficult nature of the work. To view the clients testimonial letter,  select this link here.   The final image is represented below. I feel confident of tackling virtually any restoration work, colour or black and white. First and foremost I'm a photographer, but I also know and understand Adobe Photoshop.  Having spent many years in traditional photography, much of this in the darkroom; today's techniques are very different but still require the right combination of skills to produce top quality work.  Remember, if you want a professional service with personal attention, then look no further.

Please note these are low resolution images for example only

 

PROFESSIONAL RESULTS - PERSONAL ATTENTION

Restored photographs make attractive items of decor and original personal gifts. They can be treasured reminders of loved ones or past family generations.

Many companies offer a similar service but if you want reliability, a personal service with care and attention, you won't be disappointed.

How It Works

Whatever the service level required, your original is always scanned or re-photographed to provide a copy. I never work directly on an original photograph. All work is carried out on electronic copies, so that your photograph is protected from further damage. The copy is then corrected for colour, contrast and brightness as well as completing any necessary repair work before being printed onto photographic quality paper. Your restored photo is then kept on file, so you can easily order more copies.

Do you have an odd size of negative that you would like a print from? No problem, send negatives or transparencies (slides) and in most cases I'll be able to produce a satisfactory print. 

Sizes Of Photographs

I accept original photographs of almost any size, the final picture being enlarged or reduced to meet your requirements. Very small originals (less than about 3 ins by 4 ins) do however place limitations on the size of the final print produced and the smaller the original, quality becomes very important.

The amount of work involved in restoring a photograph depends not only on the extent of the damage, but also on the amount of fine detail which needs to be rebuilt. My restoration service is divided into three broad categories, ranging from straightforward correction of minor blemishes to complex restoration work. Prices for each category of work are set out in the accompanying price table

FREE Quotation - No Obligation

If you are unsure what 'category' best describes the condition of your original photograph, please make your best estimate. I'll advise you promptly if I have a different view and I won't proceed with the work without your agreement. Please email if you have an enquiry, no matter how difficult or badly damaged you think the original is, whether it be a photograph, document, painting, drawing or print.

Additional Copies

Once your photograph has been restored I'll retain a copy for future reference. Either way, additional copies of the restored picture can be ordered at standard print prices for a period of up to 1 year.

Sending Originals

To keep costs fairly low, I operate a postal service only. Please indicate your requirements and post it to me with your photograph and the appropriate remittance.

Packaging

To safeguard your original, pack it carefully with cardboard stiffening so that it does not suffer additional damage in transit. Please do not send framed photographs, glass plates, lantern slides, or transparencies in glass mounts, as all of these are very vulnerable to damage in transit.

Valuable Photographs

While every possible care  taken with your originals, photographs are sent at the customer's risk and I am not able to accept responsibility for accidental loss or damage to photographs in transit or in my care.

If you believe any photograph to be of exceptional value, please advise me before sending, and be sure to arrange appropriate insurance cover.

Payment

All work is subject to receipt of payment with order. Because of the risk of sending cash through the post I can accept payment only by cheque (if drawn on a UK bank), UK Postal Order, or Money Order.  Cheques will normally be cleared before work is despatched.

Cheques should be made payable to John Peters. 

I can be contacted at the following email address:  photos@a2jlp.co.uk

I normally acknowledge receipt of a communication or order within a few days but if you do not receive an acknowledgement by email, please send a reminder. Thank you.