What is retouching?
Retouching is a technique most commonly used in fashion magazines to enhance the look of models and glamour shots. There are many stylized changes that can be made to a portrait - the options are almost endless. Typical edits include smoothing out skin or film grain, removing blemishes or spots, whitening or straightening teeth, adding makeup, making someone look thinner or younger, softening or changing backgrounds, adding textures, and changing hair or clothing colors. Other edits can make the image feel soft and stylized, as if it was digitally painted. This is often called "airbrushing."

Is my photo a good candidate for retouching?
There are general guidelines for a photo to be a good candidate, but it usually varies greatly by individual photo. Consider why professional retouching is most often used for professionally-taken photographs: those photos have a more uniform look, great focus and lighting, clear borders between the figure and surroundings, and a clean background.

For example, here are some GOOD candidates for retouching:

If your photos are more of the messy "snapshot" type, with wonky lighting and out-of-focus or messy subjects and backgrounds, there may not be much that can be done to it.

What is NOT a good candidate for retouching:

• An insanely blurry photo of your friends cannot magically be made crystal clear. Excessive blurriness is one example of not enough data or information within the photograph to work with.

• Removing a person or object from a photograph is only feasible if the person or object is NOT in the very front/foreground or blocking other subjects. For example, someone in the first row of a class picture can't simply be removed. If you have a second photo of the same scene with a different person in the same place, the two people might possibly be swapped, but most people don't have "similar duplicates" like this. You may as well just crop the photo in those cases, instead of trying to retouch it.

• Overly dark lighting (think pub or night shots), or overly busy backgrounds are also often bad candidates. Photos that are too dark fall into the "not enough data" category, and overly busy pictures are a nightmare if you want anything removed or any "digital slimming" done.

What is reSTORATION?
Restoration and refurbishing involves digitally fixing flaws and tears, removing dust and scratches, and correcting details. The service is usually requested for restoring old family photos or damaged prints. It can be a very involved and time consuming process.

Is my photo a good candidate for restoration?
On average, most old family photos can be restored. As long as the photo is not TOO faded away, and there is still enough data left to reconstruct the image, we can probably work on it. It all depends on the severity of the repair needed. Check out our portfolio section to see the range of restoration work we do. If you're not sure about your particular photo, send it to us and we'll give you an assessment of the damage and what work can be done on it.

How do I scan my photos?
See full instructions here.

What if I don't have a scanner?
If you do not have a scanner or don't know how to use one, many photo developing centers (Duane Reade has one, for example) or internet cafes will be able to scan your photos for you for a low price. They can then put the files on a CD or flash drive you bring, or perhaps even email them to you directly. Just make sure they scan it at 300dpi or more. At this point in time there is no option to mail your photos directly to us.

Do you have any minimum requirements for photo quality?
Yes. Submitted photos MUST be in either TIFF or high quality JPG/JPEG format, with a resolution of least 300dpi (600dpi if the original photo is small).

How do I get my photos to you?
Email the digital image file to us at baranovdesign@gmail.com. If the file is too big to send through direct email (a common problem with Yahoo or Hotmail accounts), you can use a file transfer website such as YouSendIt.com or TransferBigFiles.com. If you have further issues, drop us a line and we'll do our best to help.

How much time does it take to get my photo retouched?
On average, minor-to-medium retouching projects take anywhere between 1 and 3 days, and major-to-severe retouching can take upwards of 1 to 2 weeks if the damage, changes, and repairs are complex enough. It all depends on the "workability" of the individual photo, and the chosen services. Some photos just take more precise care than others to get "just right". Once we see the photo in question, we can give you our best time estimate, and we'll inform you by email of any changes along the way, and then again once the work is complete.

do you charge by time spent per photo, or fixed prices?
Both, depending on the severity of the project. We list fixed prices for simpler retouches, loosely based on how much time it generally takes to complete them. We also use ranges instead of single numbers, because every photo and client is different, and we understand that someone who just wants an eye recolor for example, doesn't need to pay the same as someone who want a digital makeup overhaul. When you submit your photo, tell us what you want done and we will email you back with a quote within the appropriate range. For larger and more complex projects, we charge by the hour because the amount of time needed varies so much by individual photo.

What happens if I'm not satisfied with the results?
Your satisfaction is the most important part of our job. So if there is any part of the retouched photo you are not 100% satisfied with, just send us a message and we'll do the requested changes, free of charge. (Obviously, this doesn't apply to requesting completely different retouches than were originally agreed upon, i.e. asking for a full background change or person/object removal when the project was merely to remove blemishes. Any subsequent changes have to relate directly to the work already done.)

Can I see other before and after examples?
Sure. Just click on the "Portfolio" link at the top of the page.