Work/Jobs - - HEY CHRIS h.---HELP

thomasgeorge · #1 08-24-2001, 07:20 PM

Chris h, would you mind giving us folks on this side of the pond an idea of how the Restoration business works over there? What equipment is popular,what type of photo damage do you commonly see, What are some general prices charged for work? Is this type of work a popular thing or mostly unknown? Any special laws governing this work? Thanks in advance, Tom

chris h · #2 08-25-2001, 08:45 AM

TG,

The photo restoration business has always been a sideline for pro photolabs in this country 90% being material with family connections. In the 1970s I used to fix photo's the hard way in the dark room and then with the retouching kit.Stuff that took hours now done by Photoshop in minutes.
I've no doubt lots of amateurs sort out damaged photo's for friends without any thought of recompense.
The majority of material I've sorted has been monochrome or sepia although I once offered to sort some Victorian family groups sight unseen, on delivery yours truly had to down a couple of large ones when they turned out to be hand tinted in some rather exotic colours !

I'd say the most common repair is damp stains where photos have been unearthed in peoples cellers. Many old photo's were never 'fixed' properly during processing. And especially up to about 1955 when photochems were of poor quality over here due to shortages after the war, unless you 'home brewed'

I know our largest photo chain 'Jessops' offers a photo restoration service. I'll find their restoration pages and post them.

As regards equipment my stuffs pretty basic 1 gig processor, big chunk of ram and Photoshop 6. Although I cerainly don't consider myself an expert on computer aided retouching or mastery of Photoshop.
I paid my way through college shooting industrial images, much easier than weddings, power stations are still there next day when you've cocked it up !

Hope this helps..any more just ask.

Regards..

thomasgeorge · #3 08-25-2001, 09:12 AM

Many thanks Chris---Any tips on repairing mold/water damage? What is the oldest photo you have worked on? Tom

chris h · #4 08-25-2001, 09:33 AM

As regards the damage there was usuallu no deterioration of the actual paper just staining on the image itself which which isn't a great problem.
Age of photo's,Difficult to say, its infuriating when you get interesting undated stuff to work on. A photo was handed to me of some naval ratings posing on a Royal Navy battleship during the 14/18 war. The lady was certain it was 1914 but luckily as you know I'm into warships. The main armamant turrets late in the war had a graduated 360 degree scale painted round the turret walls so other ships could see the bearing they were firing on. This gave the photo a date around 1917-18 which surprised her. One thing about wartime naval vessels they were being modified all the time so even an aerial/radar configuration can give you clues.

Just a comment about the death of retouching on the other thread. In the pre-computer era all my industrial stuff was retouched before going to customers mainly to get rid of dust specs and the odd bit of fibre wafting round the enlarger projected on the print.

Heres the link I promised

http://www.jessops.com/info/dp/index...erv.htm&style=

Regards

thomasgeorge · #5 08-25-2001, 09:46 AM

Chris, again many thanks. Interesting! What are the prices for restore work over there like? Is the site you posted the link for pretty typical? Tom

chris h · #6 08-25-2001, 03:37 PM

To the best of my knowledge, I'll see if I can get some more price guides. Most of the jobs I do are for pleasure or barter so I've no personal guidelines.

To be quite candid I think the the English (I can't speak for the Welsh or those rebellious Scots) aren't greatly into family histories and searching out relatives. I think much material is thrown away. Don't ask me why perhaps its national indifference
I have Scottish friends who look with amusement at these 'Clan' associations in foreign countries where the members are more Scottish than the natives. I've more pictures of mountains and ships on the wall than relatives apart from when the rich ones call of course !

Do you know if the facility to import 'custom' avatars is enabled ?

Cheers

thomasgeorge · #7 08-25-2001, 04:31 PM

Chris h, Look over in the SALON- TESTING 1-2-3 section, at the thread 4th from top, "Testing just ignore" and you will find what you are looking for. I believe the function is enabled. More info at the aforementioned site. As per the Scots---Methinks they still harbor dim hopes of reclaiming the throne.
LOOK TO THE SEA!! REMEMBER THE NORTHMEN!! BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE,LIKE OUR McARTHUR,"SHALL RETURN!!" Just glad to see that that little "pecadillo" involving General Lord Cornwallis at that Yorktown place has been smoothed over!! Regards from a "rude Colonial", Tom

chris h · #8 08-25-2001, 04:54 PM

The way our present bunch of royals are turning out I think a rebellion might well be on the cards ! Have you ever been to Scotland, of course you'll have to row the Atlantic in the traditional fashion and land on the mainland near Fort William.
I'll take a background role in case things backfire.

Herewith a few of useful links my liege...........

http://www.geoffreykilts.com/catalog...andb/index.cfm

http://www.campbellkilts.demon.co.uk/kilt.htm

http://www.hrp.org.uk/tol/indextol.htm

Perhaps Ed could help with the rowing ?

Could you be ready next week ? Dont bring the spurs!

thomasgeorge · #9 08-25-2001, 05:25 PM

ROWING??? I was going to put out a Help Wanted add for some unemployed Vikings,and smuggle my elete fighting force into the country cleverly disguised as a bushel of haggis! Thanks for the links!! Do old documents fare better over there than the photos? I guess We are such a young country that preserving Family history etc., gives us a sense of having a heritage, thus is pretty importiant. Tom

chris h · #10 08-25-2001, 07:11 PM

There's no shortage of documents Doomsday Book onwards. All the empire stuff is still available in the archives, etc. I think Henry the VII was probably our best king, left £7.000.000 in the coffers in 15 something or other, unfortunately his son spent the lot.

One advantage of being a 'new' country is your not saddled with the baggage of the past.