I graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2013, but I have been using Adobe Photoshop for most of my life. I have worked in the photo department of retail stores, where I have seen customers frustrated by the limits of the self-serve photo kiosks. It gave me the idea to create a personal business utilizing my knowledge of Photoshop to provide more customized photo editing and repair. My abilities include, but are not limited to:
All project estimates are based on an industry-competitive $20 USD hourly rate. Multiple photos or a photo that needs particularly involved retouching will result in a higher quote.
There are some things to consider before approaching a photo retoucher:
Today's standard American photo sizes are 4x6", 5x7", 6x8", and 8x10". It is also important to note that these sizes are not perfect ratios of each other. For example, if your original photograph is a 4x6" and you want to print it as a 8x10", you will have to crop some of the image to fit the more square-like 8x10".
Many older photographs do not exactly fit today's standard sizes. If you want to preserve the original ratio, you will likely have to find a specialized store that can print and cut at custom sizes. You will also need to get a custom frame made.
Images saved via social media and text messages make for poor-quality prints. You're lucky if you can get a clean-looking 4x6" from it. If you want to retouch or print a photo from facebook or a text message you recieved, ask the original owner for the original file.
Finally, photos can only be enlarged so much before they start to look grainy and pixelated. You can't turn a postage stamp into a poster and expect it to maintain clarity. In general, a properly scanned photo can be comfortably printed at the next size up and still look good.
If you would like me to edit a physical photograph, you will first need to create a digital copy. This will be the copy that you send me.
If you have your own scanner, please use your scanning software to set the resolution to at least 600dpi/ppi before scanning the photo. This resolution will allow some room for enlargement if desired. If possible, use TIF as the file format. If you are unable to, then JPEG or PNG will work.
If you do not have your own scanner, many retail chains with photo departments provide one as part of their self-serve photo service. All of the scanner settings are preset, but should suffice for our purposes. Save the image or images onto a CD, DVD, or USB drive. Please ensure that whatever method you choose, it is a method that your computer supports. For example, if your computer does not have a CD/DVD drive, do not save your images onto a CD or DVD. Don't forget to check out prices before doing anything.
In order for me to edit your photo or photos, you will need to send me a digital copy. You may send the file as an email attachment, or through a hosting service such as Dropbox or OneDrive. If you run into any issues doing so, contact me and I'll do my best to help you.
To discuss a potential job, get an estimated quote, or ask any questions at all, please contact me using the address below.
