Sun damaged photo restoration

Colour photos from the 1970s through to the mid 80s were notoriously fade-prone as the dyes used in the papers were unstable. Recovering depth and restoring colours in these photos is one of the mainstays of our business, and we can usually rescue even severely faded images.

When finished, we use archival, acid-free paper, and the latest pigment ink print technology to create very long-lasting new images.

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Examples of our photo restoration work

How do you fix sun damaged pictures?

Sun damage is a common problem with old family photos. Exposure to sunlight, air and moisture causes fading, cracking, and the appearance and brown and yellow spots. Acidic glues and adhesives often make matters worse.

Digital photo restoration is a way to repair those old sun damaged photos and bring them back to life. Restoration can bring back the colour the sun has leached away. It is important to note that the original photo is never damaged in the restoration process. A scan is taken to get a digital copy of your damaged photo. Next, one of our restoration artists will use a specialist computer program to digitally correct the colour of the photo, bringing blacks back and removing the yellowing. The tone and colour saturation are altered to give a natural look as close as possible to the original photo. The idea is to make the photo just how it looked when it was first produced. After this process you will have your original untouched photo and a beautifully restored photo. You will also get a digital file that you can use to upload your photo into your digital photo album.

Thank you, you’ve brought tears to my eyes, so many happy precious memories I can share with the rest of the family. I received the hard copy prints yesterday. Just perfect, thank you so much.

Andrea, Wahroonga, Sydney NSW

A photo of my father as a young lad from the late 1800s had seen better days. Flashback did an excellent job on bringing all of them back to life – I was amazed at the transformation. They were extremely helpful throughout the entire process and I have no hesitation in recommending them for any restoration job.

Elizabeth W, Lane Cove

I gave Flashback two 1800s photos of my grandparents which were in a very poor condition. I could not believe how they have come up, with a clear picture of how Annie and David actually looked. Highly recommended!

Janice Coleman Evans, Collaroy Plateau

Just wanted to let you know that I picked up our printed canvases this morning and I’m absolutely thrilled with the result! Thank you so much for your help with this project. I really couldn’t be happier!

Sarah H, Davis Marina, Balgowlah NSW

Can faded pictures be restored?

The answer is generally, yes. Old photo restoration brings tired and worn photos back to life. Not only do restorers adjust the colour and tone of your photos but also ‘fixes’ torn pieces even filling in missing parts. Restoration can fix creased and scratched photos as well as sun damaged photos and faded photos. People often think faded photos can’t be restored because they don’t know what the original colours were. The programs used by restorers can pick up shades of the original photos and digitally enhance the colour to as near as possible to the original photo. It is an amazing feeling looking at an old family photo that has been restored – the colour brings the picture to life and you feel like you are looking directly into the face of your ancestor. Thinking of colours, old black and white photos can be colourised. This is especially popular for old wedding photos. Whatever your needs, a professional photo restoration service will be sure to bring your photos back to life.

What is the best way to restore old photos?

Many photos including sun damaged photos, those damaged by moisture or torn and folded photos need restoring. The colours, including the black and white ones, get washed out. Some photos have missing sections which have been torn off. Antique photo restoration is a specialist skill that can restore these photos. Digital photo restoration services are the most economical way to have a photo restored. Even though it’s digital you still end up with a physical photo. A digital restorer takes a scan of your picture to digitise it. They then use a specialised computer program to adjust the colour saturation and tones and digitally enhance the photo to restore it to its original condition. Creases and folds are digitally removed and missing sections of photos are replaced. Finally, your photo is printed, ready to be enjoyed for years to come.

Can a sun faded photo be restored?

Photos that have hung on the wall for years will obviously fade over time – so too will photos frequently viewed.  Either way, there comes a point when you will want to bring those photos back to life by getting rid of those washed out, faded colours.  A photo restorer can adjust the light in a sun-damaged photo to give the picture a realistic look again.  Old photo restoration can not only correct the colour, it can eliminate blurry lines, doctor backdrops, remove unwanted elements and colourise black and white photos.  They can even repair colorized old photos.  In fact any element of a picture you don’t like can be removed or enhanced.  All of this is done without damaging your original photo.  To work their magic, photo artisans first digitise your photo then use photo software to adjust the photo to bring it back to life.  If you are looking for photo restoration Sydney, then you will be wanting our talented photo restorers to renovate your photos.

Can you get an old photo restored?

Any old photo can be restored.  This means pictures which have faded or discoloured over time can be restored to their original condition.  Not only that, photos with tears, lost pieces, cracking, water damage or sun damage can also be restored.  In fact, when it comes to old photo restorations, we can do virtually anything.  To start the process the original photo is scanned into proprietary image editing software.  From there the photo is manipulated to repair the damage and enhance the image.  This will include filling in missing pieces, fixing the background or anything else the image requires.  Sometimes photo restoration means we need to remove backgrounds and replace them with more crisp images.  You can even put a completely new background.  All this while keeping your original photo safe.  To restore old photos, it is important to find a photo technician who is experienced as well as being a talented artisan.  When you search for photo restoration near me, make sure you only entrust your photos to the Flashback Photo Co team who have a proven track record.

Why do old photos crack and can they be restored?

Photos react to their environment.  Photo cracking is usually caused by constant changes in temperature and humidity.  Both high temperatures and low temperatures combined with humidity causes cracking.  Sometimes this may cause the image (emulsion) to completely separate from the photo paper, requiring a restoration.   Repairing the cracks and other photo issues is done through photo editing.  When editing, a technician will repair damaged parts of the photo.  They can remove the background, remove unwanted objects, adjust colour and replace missing pieces.  Old photo restoration is more of an artform than anything else.  When your photo needs repairing a digital image of your original photo is made.  Then the artisan corrects the photo and ‘remakes’ missing  parts to create a beautiful repaired image.  Always ensure you get an experienced photo restorer to work on your precious photos.