Vicky Amdal

Vicky Amdal

Todd Fernandez

Jessie Dean

People often tell me that their photo is irreparable because their child got a hold of it or the paper became brittle and the photo was now in pieces.  They are always surprised to learn that "in pieces" doesn't mean ruined.  The pieces can be scanned in an played with like a jigsaw puzzle.  Once all of the pieces and in their correct place, the tears can then be removed and missing pieces of the photograph can be rebuilt.

Check out this photograph that had been loved for many years.  It had been torn and then taped back together.  There are also quite a few cracks that I am willing to bet were very close to breaking apart, as well.  Luckily, this photo was repairable and now the family can have a nice copy to enjoy.

Melissa Martin

I think it is so sad how much damage time can do to a photo.  This photo was inside a frame, behind glass and it still suffered a lot of fading.  It also got a little water behind the glass which caused the photo to stick. 

While this photo did not have the water damage, you can see how badly time can fade a photograph.  The edge of the picture is where the frame was covering it.  Although it has more color, the colors have still changed and are not the same as the photo originally was.

Helen, James & Woody Butterfield

Before

After

Back again

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted anything.  It's not that I quit, or even took some time off, I've just been extremely busy.  Since last October I've restored all of my Dad & Mom's childhood photos & created each other them an album.  I've also been restoring other photos like crazy.

I want to expand my business so I've branched out into wedding album design.  These albums are amazing & so fun to be able to create.  I've been working with the very talented Carrie Butler of Carrie Butler Photography as her album designer & now I've started designing the wedding invitations for some of her clients.  Can I just say that I love what I do.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to find the time to start posting again.

Adriana Eldred

Isn't this a cute picture.  So sad that, for whatever reason, it was damaged past the point of being able to be enjoyed.  These are the photographs that I really like to work on.  To be able to give someone back a priceless memory is very rewarding to me.

The Downs Kids

This photo is of Bessie (age 2), Reva (age 7) & Ray (age 5) Downs.  It was taken by Menlove Studios in Provo.  There isn't a date on the photo so I'll have to look up the kids birthdays to find when this photo was taken.  The original photo was a 3x5 & on first examination it seemed that the only damage was to the edges of the photo.  Once I looked closer, though, I noticed that the whole picture is severely scratched from years of movement against another object.  I also noticed that all 3 kids faces were damaged in the development process.

I'm happy to say that I was able to repair all the damage plus correct the damage that was done during development & that this picture is now "better" that the original.

Original Photo

(restored photo)

Bessie (original photo)

(restored photo)

Ray (original photo)

(restored photo)

Reva (Original Photo)

(restored photo)

Who knew a wet glass could be so damaging?

All this damage was caused by a cold glass, covered in condensation, being sat on the photograph.  This photograph was also a reproduction, which made the quality tougher to work with.

Sincerely, Eliza Hopkins

A New View

I found a second photo of the same little girl from the previous post.  It's a different pose but from the same photo shoot.  What I realized is that the "mold" on the curtain in the 1st photo is actually a flower print.  I've looked over & over at the 1st photo & I still can't tell it's flowers, but it's definitely flowers in the 2nd photo.  This is why I always save a copy of the original photo whenever I do a restoration.  That way, I can go back to the original photo, someday, if I want it to look different or if technology changes.

What a Transformation

I'm not sure who this picture is, the back says "Mrs Butterfield, 1469 Coronado, Long Beach CA".  I'm thinking it might be Mary Indiann Butterfield.

The original photograph was bent, torn & covered in mold.  After I restored it, I decided I wanted to color it as well.  I think it's such a cute photo.

Original

Restored Black & White

Restored & Colored

Nice Recognition

In October I submitted the restored photo of my Grandpa Lender & my dad (as a baby) to Adobe Photoshop.  They had asked for people to submit examples using Photoshop & were going to choose 10 of those submissions to display in their office in San Jose.  Six Hundred & Fifty-Six people submitted projects, some submitted more than one.

Last week I received an email telling me that my photo had been chosen.  While I don't receive any "prize" for being chosen,  it's really nice to know that a huge company like Adobe likes my work.

Turning a black & white photo into a color photo

Earlier I posted this photo after I had repaired the damage.  Since then, I have added color to it.  Here I am posting the original photograph & the colored photograph.

Original 

Repaired & Colored

Ephraim Stockwell (Mark, Jack & Rick)

Hamilton Jr. High School Janitors

Before

This photo was taken about 1933.  Grandpa Lee is the 3rd from the right.

After

Dina?

I left the writing on this photo because it's the only clue as to who this is.  I can't figure out who it is but maybe someone else can understand the writing.  The only thing written on the back is "Ma" Mother-in-law.  Someday if someone wants the writing to be removed it'll be a very quick & easy thing to do.

Before

After

The Butterfield Family

This photo is of James Butterfield Sr., Myrtle Butterfield, Helen Winefred Butterfield & James Butterfield Jr.  It was taken in Long Beach, CA around 1916.

Before

After

Helen Winefred Butterfield

Every time I restore an old photo, I'm frustrated at the lack of info available about the photo.  This photo is one of the rare cases where they actually included more info than I would have asked for.  This is Helen Winefred Butterfield.  Taken on November 7, 1914.  Age 2yrs 2months & 8days.

Originally I thought that this picture would be a simple restoration but once I got in close, I realized that the facial damage was going to take quiet a bit of time.

I wish there was a way to zoom in on my blog so that you can see the before & after photos better.  I'm currently working on creating a website.  Hopefully when I do, you'll be able to see the damage clearer.

Before

After