RADFORD STUDIOS PHOTOGRAPHY
SHOP G-02
10 EDGEWORTH DAVID AVENUE
HORNSBY (02) 9477 4086
Wedding Photography by Christopher Radford
Multi Award Winning Photographer
AIPP Member
Restoration
RADFORD STUDIOS is Sydney's premier photo restoration studio.
We offer a range of services including digital film archiving, straight copies, retouching, full restoration, framing, frame restoration, prints from old and odd sized negatives.
We take the time to talk you through your restoration process offering helpful advice.
Christopher's background working at the State Library of NSW back in 1994 with its large collection of images is invaluable. Here he helped archive large collections of glass negatives as well as document everything from old maps of the Opera House to making microfilm from newspapers as well as printing some of Sydney’s famous shots onto archival fiber based papers.
The Process
First we assess your photos to see what can be done in regards to restoration. Some photos may be fine to be scanned and some may need to be photographed in our studio depending on the amount of creases and texture of the paper. Sometimes the silver halide that creates the image in a Black and White photo has become exposed to the elements and creates a metallic "sheen". This can be seen by tilting you photo in the light and viewing from different angles.
We are happy to give you an exact quote in person. You will have the sound knowledge that this quote will not change throughout the process.
It is important to us that the authenticity of your photograph remains intact. We use digital imaging as a tool and not a gimmick. You don't want your photo from the 1800's looking like a fake redo from the future. It is important to retain a style of the period the photo was taken. Keeping this in mind, we do not overdo contrast or colours if unnecessary. Being professional photographers gives us the skill to create photos that are realistic.
Some Recent Work
Recently we restored a photo of a baby from the early 1900's and also restored the frame recreating the original French polish. The glass was curved and tempered and luckily in good condition.
Another restoration we are currently working on is a large water and mould damaged hand coloured photo of a girl from the early 1900's or late 1800's. As the frame is too damaged we are choosing a new frame to match. It is a tricky job. Much of the girl's face is marked so we need to be very careful with shading and especially with eyes. This is where our skills in drawing come in handy. We have taken multiple scans and studio photographs of the photo to access as much original detail as possible.
We also recently recreated a wedding album from the 1970's. Using the photos from the original album we restored them and designed a beautiful album. It made a great anniversary present.
Restoration and Archiving
Photo Restoration
Restore your damaged photographs. Including ripped, mouldy, water damaged, fire damaged, faded, colour fade and more.
Photos From Old Negatives
We can produce photos from your old negatives of any size. Box Brownies are our specialty.
Frame Restoration
If you have a special old frame that you wish to use. We can restore it for you. Tim is our expert frame restorer.
Digital Archiving
We can put your valued photos on CD for you at high resolution.
My photo is damaged. What should I do?
The first thing is to leave it as it is. Do not try to peel it off any surface or pull it out of an album. This may cause more damage than is there already. Do not use any cleaning liquids on the photo. Bring it to us and we will advise you on the best action to take.
ACID FREE PAPER - WHAT IS IT? (TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA)
Paper made from wood-based pulp that has not had its lignin removed goes yellow and deteriorates over time.When exposed to light and/or heat, the molecules in the acidic paper will break down even faster. It was only in the 1930s that the effects of wood-pulp paper became known, when William Barrow (a librarian) published a report about the deterioration of acidic paper in the libraries. For fear of the gradual disintegration of written materials, measures have been taken to improve the quality of paper.
During production, acid-free paper may be treated with a mild base (usually calcium or magnesium bicarbonate) to neutralize the natural acids occurring in wood pulp, and it may also be buffered to prevent the formation of additional acids (as may develop from the application of sizing).
The bicarbonate is added in excess, to supply the paper with an alkaline reserve to provide protection from further attack by acids remaining in the paper or supplied by the environment (e.g. atmospheric sulfur dioxide).The bicarbonate during drying loses carbon dioxide and water and is converted to calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate. In order for paper to last at least 100 years it must have an alkaline reserve of 2% or more.
Today, much of the commercially produced paper is acid-free, but this is largely the result of a shift from china clay to (cheaper) chalk as the main filler material in the pulp: chalk reacts with acids, and therefore requires the pulp to be chemically neutral or alkaline. The sizing additives mixed into the pulp and/or applied to the surface of the paper must also be acid-free.
Alkaline paper has a life expectancy of over 1,000 years for the best paper and 500 years for average grades. The making of alkaline paper has several other advantages in addition to the preservation benefits afforded to the publications and documents printed on it. Because there are fewer corrosive chemicals used in making alkaline paper, the process is much easier on the machinery, reducing downtime and maintenance, and extending the machinery's useful life. The process is also significantly more environmentally friendly. Waste water and byproducts of the papermaking process can be recycled; energy can be saved in the drying and refining process; and alkaline paper can be more easily recycled.
Interesting Facts
Did you know that Black & White photo images are made from silver? This goes for x-rays too! Silver recovery units were used to recover unused silver from the photographic process.
The most archival photographs are Black & White photos.
Negatives were not always bendy plastic. They used to be made from glass! Some photos were also printed directly onto tin. These were called TinTypes.
Mercury used to be used in the processing of photographs in the 1800's. A bit of a health hazard!
Early portrait photos could take up to 5 or more minutes to expose. A special brace was used to hold the subject in place.
Over 50 different types of Box Brownie cameras were manufactured.
JPEG stands for "Joint Photographic Experts Group"
