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My Six Year Anniversary Working as a Photo Restoration & Retouching Artist

Ambrotype I digitally imaged 
last week.
Six years ago this week was the anniversary of my first official day working as a Photo Restoration Artist at the photo shop. When I think back to all the projects I have worked on, it amazes me how much I have learned the past six years about the entire photographic process!!

Of course, my Photoshop Art skills -- making restored photos look realistic -- continue to excel each year with the customer orders we do. But, I now know Photo Lab processing, digital imaging of film, RA-4 printing, and even a few darkroom tasks. And, of course, cutting a custom mat for the final product! 

Through handling them, I have learned so much about vintage film mediums, old negative & slide types, Daguerreotypes, movie & audio reels, cameras old and new, etc, etc. I enjoy converting all the "antiques" to digital. However, just when you think you've seen it all, there is always something new someone comes in with -- and I love that surprise! 
Comparing sharpness of the original
slide to the digital image on monitor









And my anniversary date was no exception to the variety that is my job. I scanned and edited pictures on the computer, scanned and printed from 35mm film in the photo lab, priced and called orders, helped customers, imaged 126mm and 35mm slides, etc. Also, true to form, I did a new task I never had before: I viewed the slides on a slide viewer to compare the sharpness of the captured image. The only main duty I didn't specifically do on my 6-year anniversary was what I was hired for -- photo restorations! ;-)  I did, however, finish the last restoration in an order with five separate photographs the day before, which I packaged.

As much as I have learned from my boss already and through my own discovery, I am sure I will easily obtain an equal amount of new knowledge over the next six years! ;-D

 

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