In case of fire or natural disaster, almost all of us would (1) see to the safety of family members, (2) rescue cats and dogs, and (3) grab the photo albums. In many ways, the photos we accumulate are the most important remembrances of our lives. That said, we almost all have a closetful of family treasures, at best gathering dust, at worst moldering away. Photos have a life span of as little as 10 years—less if they are exposed to sun or extreme humidity. They’ll last longer if stored in sealed boxes at controlled levels of heat and humidity. Older color prints fade away more rapidly than those produced in more recent years using improved papers and finishes.
Many people retain only the prints, having long ago lost or misplaced the negatives. Negatives themselves, if stored in high humidity or heat, can become damaged and unusable in ordinary photo processing. The job of photo and document restorer works to scan and digitize old black-and-white or color photographs. Besides that, the photo and document restorer also scans and digitizes old documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, and diplomas, and also applies advanced computer software effects to restore color, improve contrast, remove scratches, and fill in holes. The worker also edits or crops images as requested, and prints new digital images and store edited files on disk for archival purposes. The images can be reprinted using modern methods, and the edited digital files can be stored on CD or DVD for future use.