In reading through the threads here, I've noticed that from time to time folks have treasured photos that they would really like to keep or use, were it not for a relatively minor but very annoying defect. Or maybe it's just a photo that you really like, but it's got a power line going right through the middle of it. Don't want to pay a professional retoucher to fix it, and can't do it yourself? Maybe I can help! :-)

About me - I have worked as a newspaper editor, fashion photographer, and wedding photojournalist for 8 years, and I started learning Photoshop sometime before then. I consider myself skilled in photo-manipulation, however I am not a graphic artist. I can't paint or draw for the life of me, nor create web art/graphics and come up with an "original" creative idea like Shane so masterfully does in his avatar requests thread.

Services offered:
---- Old photo restoration / cracks, lines, chips, etc
---- Removal of unwanted objects - not happy with the trash can that sneaked into the background of your family photo?
---- Telephone poles, power lines, etc that might be going right through your precious photo.
---- Fixing large blemishes, spots, and sun flares
---- General face lift - whiter teeth, brighter eyes, smoother skin.
---- "Trimming" a few pounds off.
---- Lightly sharpening blurry photos (I can't work miracles, just slight improvements)
---- General pre-printing enhancement of self-taken portraits and family photos to give it that "professional" look before you send it to the printer.
---- Removal of unwanted people from photos (more complex, send me the photo and I can evaluate it to see what it will take).
---- Adding people into a photo (can be super easy or super complex, depending... send me the photo(s) and I can evaluate it).
---- Want something not on the list above? just let me know. :-)

DISCLAIMER: Each photo is unique, what I can do for one photo I may or may not be able to do for another photo. Sometimes thing that appear similar are in fact very different levels of difficulty.

ELIGIBILITY: I'll request that as a general guideline folks have been on the forum for 4 months OR have more than 400 posts. Feel free to submit your request if you don't meet those guidelines and I'll try to get to it when I can.

Work order and response time will be based on order requested AND the complexity of the task as I see it. Little jobs will probably get done pretty quickly, while larger more complex ones may take a little longer and be done out of order.

I stay pretty busy and my free time usually comes in spurts, so one time you might get it back in 20 minutes... and the next one might take 2 weeks! I'll try to give you an idea of progress on things if it looks like there will be a significant delay.


Guidelines for submission:
1) Indicate specifically what in the photo you would like changed.

2) Upload the pic to the web and post the link to it here.
---- make sure it's the biggest file size that you have available. If you've got it in a RAW file, I'll even take that! Bigger = better, more for me to work with.
---- You can PM me the link if it is something you do not want to share with the internet at large.
---- www.imgur.com is an excellent site for hassle-free image uploading.
---- Send an email to my user name @ gmail.com AND post here on the forum to alert me that you sent it. (I don't normally check that mail every day).

3) Give me some idea if you can or are willing to about the intended use of the photo. Printing a 5x7 for the desk? a giant 24x30 poster? background for your phone? This part isn't super critical, but it allows me to tailor the work to the target output (and I'll probably spend more time on a 24x30 poster than I would have to spend on a phone background).
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Thanks Francis! :-)
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I might have one to send you. Met Brian "Head" Welch and wife takes our pic with my cell phone and says it is good. I check later and it has a weird blur but not really bad. Would like to see what you can do with it.
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Nice :-)

Oftentimes there's not "a lot" that can be done for a heavy motion blur, BUT there's plenty of tricks to play with edge contrast and give a pic the appearance of being sharper to the viewer.

Send it on over :-)
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Bumparooski
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I'll have to dig out my photos, but I remember a few that could use a skillful hand at retouching. Thank you fot the offer, Francis!
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Francis, does some great work I can attest.

Francis, Might I sugest a couple of photos to show off your talents??
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Thanks Ken :-)
Thought about it, but my server is down for extended maintenance, Don't have access to anything I can share publicly.
Soon as I dig up a couple examples, I'll post em... or you know, soon as someone posts one for me to do. :-)

FOLKS, this is holiday card season and it's amazing what a little retouching can do to make someone look 5 years younger!
Send me your family holiday card photo and the misses will thank you :-)
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