Recently, Gail and Ron Deemer from Ashtabula, Ohio contacted me to restore a large and badly deteriorating photo. It was in a closet for many years and had been folded causing multiple cracks.
It was a “small miracle” that we were able to restore the photo to it's original glory and also create an individual portrait of Gail's dad from the large group photo (see that photo further down this page).
In this video, you'll see the before-and-after photo restoration with an explanation of what we did to restore it. The following is the text from the video:
SpectraLight: Let’s look at the railroad group photo with Gail’s dad. Your original photo has a lot of cracks throughout. It’s turned yellow and is badly faded. There are two people on the far right of the group that are missing most of their bodies where the print surface has flaked away.
Comparing your original print to the restored one; what do you think of the work we’ve done to save it?
Ron: I cannot believe they're the same photograph. I really can't. The restoration is phenomenal. The original photo sat in a closet for years and had been folded up. For you to bring it back to a state of reincarnation – I would call it is just absolutely phenomenal!
My wife and I are both extremely happy with the way it came out.
SpectraLight: Gail, you wanted to take your dad from the group picture and have a full-body portrait of him by himself. The challenge was that he’s in the second row and partially hidden by another guy who's bigger and wider than your dad.
To accomplish that, we cloned your dad’s head from the restored photograph and placed it over the big guy’s body in front of him. We then slimmed down the body to look more like your dad’s body type. Finally, we added a portrait background to isolate him from the large group of men.
How do you like the results?
Gail: It's phenomenal. I am in awe of how you were able to extract him out of the larger photo and make a single photo using the other man’s body. The clarity is amazing. It's beautiful. You do fantastic work.
It's heart-warming because I now have a single picture of just my dad.
I have three brothers that will be so excited. I'm sure they're going to want a picture too.
I can't say enough about what a wonderful job you did. I can't thank you enough.
Here's how we created the individual portrait from the large group photo:
As a photo restoration specialist, I combine today's digital technology with old-fashioned artistry to repair worn, stained, spotted, torn, cracked, bleached and faded photographs to their original luster. Digital restoration costs have been reduced to at least half of what they used to be and the quality has improved substantially!
See samples of badly faded or damaged photos and how they look after restoration here. You will be amazed with the results.
Learn about our photo restoration services here. Get our FREE guide with tips for saving water or flood-damaged photos here. See a photo restored in a high-speed video here. Read our photo restoration FAQs that may answer questions pertaining to your faded or damaged photograph here.
Do you have damaged, faded or crumbling photos representing an important part of your family history? Don't give up on them just yet – they may be recoverable! For a no-cost, no-obligation appointment to examine your photographs and receive a quote – contact us TODAY through this link or call 440.748.6300… BEFORE it's too late. (NOTE: This is a landline so text messages won't come through.)
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Have you had a damaged or faded photograph restored? Why did you have it restored? To preserve a special memory? To remember a special family member? Please share your story with a comment, here.
