Pat Pearson Photography

Here you'll find everything you needed to know, yet never wanted to ask about photo restoration and anything else we feel like throwing in. If you still can't find what you're looking for, let us know and we'll do our best to assist you.

How do you restore my photograph ?
Each photo is scanned and saved onto our harddrive. Changes are made to the scanned version, which is then printed on high quality paper, with the finish of your choice. The original photo serves as a visual reference for any repairs and adjustments, the photo is then returned to you, unchanged, with your finished order.

Just what exactly are you going to do to my photograph to restore it?
A few, several or maybe all of the following:

* Enlargements / Reductions
* Dust, scratch & spot removal
* Restoration of cracks & tears
* B&W/Sepia from colour
* Colour from B&W/Sepia
* Lighten / Darken / Brighten
* Sharpen / soften
* Red eye removal
* Colour restoration (restore faded colour)
* Removal of shadows / unwanted objects/people
* Background replacement/enhancement
* Blurring background to emphasize subject

Can I submit my photos via e-mail?
Yes, but you need to be sure you are able to scan your photo at a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch) and save it in an uncompressed format, preferably 16-bit TIF (NOT JPG or JPEG), however 8-bit TIF will do nicely as well. You may E-mail your photo with restoration instructions, or alternatively you may snail mail your package to the address on our Packaging Tips page.

How large can my photo be printed?
We can arange to have your photo printed to fit your specific size requirements. However, when enlarging a photograph, or a section of a photograph, we strongly advise not to enlarge photos more than two to three times the original size. Any more and the photo will likely start to appear grainy and out of focus. Obviously, the clearer the original photograph, the larger it can be printed. Please request an estimate for prints larger than 8 x 10.

Also, if at all possible, when having a photograph restored, please tell us how large of a print you are considering before we start working on it. We may have to scan it at a higher resolution in order to get an adequate image print for you.

What effect does lamination have on my photos?
Lamination is usually reserved for special projects,and not seen as an archival storage method. We do not recommend laminating original photographs, documents or trading cards that have sentimental/monetery value. If you feel lamination is necessary, have it copied it and laminate the copy. Laminating your photos will not protect them from the harmful effects of direct sunlight exposure.

So, why laminate? Lamination is a great tool for special photos turned into fridge magnets, place mats, bookmarks, mouse pads, anything that might involve sticky little kid fingers, you get the idea! It's a fun way to make a photo or photo item last longer (washable) and can be used in a variety of fashions. It does protect your photos and documents from humidity, which helps preserve them to a certain extent. If you have a great frame that has no glass, or wish to hang a larger family portrait without worrying about the extra weight of glass, a laminated photo put inside would stay protected from dust and other elements...but please keep in mind it's better to only laminate duplicate photos and documents, NOT your originals.

For an estimate, follow the directions on the Pricing Guidelines page.