Photo Restoration

The skills and expertise that we employ in our core work also allow us to digitally repair and reconstruct photos that may have been damaged by age or other unfortunate accidents.

Photo restoration services abound today, many run by those who have learnt repair tricks in Photoshop® or similar software. These services can produce satisfactory results when minor damage exists in background areas of the image, however, when damage exists on the main subject, someone who is artistically skilled will make the repairs look natural and indistinguishable from the surrounding original content. Our 'in-house' photo restorer is a technically accredited professional artist who uses his painting talent and digital skills to bring your cherished photos back to the way they were the day they were first developed. 

Blemishes on photos such as cracking, tears, dust spots and discolourations can usually be successfully repaired, bringing the photo back to "as new" condition, and as it is a digital process the original is not altered in any way.

Sepia and black and white photos can also be converted into full colour, again without affecting the original.

We can produce restored photos from the following sources

• Original prints (size limits apply)

• 35mm negative film strips

• 35mm slides (positives)

If your image has some or all of the problems below, we can fix it

• Scratches - Sometimes large, sometimes small, sometimes a few, sometimes a lot in one place or all over the picture

• Creases - Large and small; dog ears and folds

• Rips and Tears – Even if your photo is in pieces, in most cases, it can be put back together again (of course providing no major pieces are missing)

• Spots and Stains - Watermarks, coffee splashes, mould, fungus, etc.

• Pen and Crayon Marks – Caused by little fingers and budding artists!

• Fading - Left the picture on a sunny windowsill too long? Yellowed with age? Colours washed out or dull? Black and White or Colour, we can bring back the lost contrast

• Sticky Tape Joins - The tape goes yellow and brittle and looks terrible

• Colour to Black and White or Sepia – Get a new look with an old look!

• Black & White to Colour - We can colourise all or part of your picture

• Bad Composition - We can crop and if necessary slightly rotate your photos to enhance the subjects

• Unwanted Elements - We can remove unwanted people or objects from your pictures. You will never know they were there

Options

In addition to restoring a photograph, you have many options when it comes to printing it and giving it a particular look and feel:

• Increase its Size – many old photographs were very small originals - why not make it easier to see with an enlargement?

• Decrease its Size – Don't want a poster when a picture will do? Why not make it smaller?

• Paper Type – Full Gloss, Semi Gloss or Matt? Different paper will add different character to your picture

With Every Restoration

With every restoration, we want to make sure that your memories are preserved for a long time to come. As part of our standard service you will receive the following:

• Premium quality print on photographic paper

• Restored image provided as a jpg file in photo quality format - make as many duplicates as you like!

• Restored image provided as a jpg file in a email optimised format - share your memories with friends and family instantly

• Original image provided as a jpg file in high quality format

Photo Restoration Examples

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Photo Restoration Pricing Guide

How much will it cost?

This is an impossible question to answer without viewing the image as each restoration job is unique. For estimation purposes only we provide the following guide, but once we see the image we can give you a firm quote before beginning any work.

Photo Enhancement – Original up to A4: starting at $50

• Optimise brightness and contrast

• Remove ‘red-eye’ if necessary

• Remove colour casts (orange/yellow look) if necessary

• Crop and resize if required up to A4

• Restored image reproduced on quality photo paper

• Original image and restored image provided as jpg files in high quality and email friendly formats

Minor Restoration – Original up to A4: starting at $70

• All ‘Photo Enhancement’ features, plus

• Repair of minor surface defects including cracks, tears, blemishes, stains, colour problems and spots

• Damage in non-critical subject areas (eg, background)

Medium Restoration – Original up to A4: starting at $110 

• All ‘Photo Enhancement’ features, plus

• Repair of moderate surface defects including cracks, tears, blemishes, stains, colour problems and spots

• Limited damage in critical subject areas (eg people)

Major Restoration – Original up to A4: price after assessment of image

• All ‘Photo Enhancement’ features, plus

• Repair of extensive surface defects including cracks, tears, blemishes, stains, colour problems and spots

• Problems present in critical subject areas as well as general areas

• Removal of unwanted elements (eg, people, objects)

• Colourise ‘black and white’ image