Damaged photos, gently restored.
Faded color rebalanced, tears and creases repaired, dust and scratches gently removed. The original photograph is scanned and returned — all restoration work happens on the digital copy. Free Chicago pickup and return.
What's included
Careful, local, and never automatic.
Color rebalancing
Faded, yellowed or shifted color is gently rebalanced so the restored photo looks the way the memory should.
Tear & crease repair
Rips, folds and creases are repaired digitally — even across a face — and missing pieces can be rebuilt where possible.
Dust & scratch removal
Surface dust, mold spots and scratches are cleaned up without softening the people in the photo.
Your original stays safe
Restoration is performed on the digital scan only. The original photograph is returned untouched.
Damage we handle
Every kind of photo damage, repaired by hand.
Fading & discoloration
Chicago's humid basements and attics fade photos fast — yellowed and shifted color rebalanced by hand.
Tears & creases
Rips, folds and creases — even across a face — digitally reassembled and smoothed.
Water & mold damage
Flooded basement or pipe leak? Water stains, swelling and mold spots cleaned up on the digital copy.
Missing pieces
Lost corners and gaps rebuilt where enough surrounding context remains.
Scratches & dust
Surface abrasions and emulsion damage removed without softening the people in the frame.
How it works
Three steps, start to finish.
- 1
We scan the original
Your photo is scanned at high resolution and the original is returned to you — all restoration work happens on the digital copy.
- 2
Restoration by hand
Color, tears, creases and scratches are repaired by hand on the digital file. Heavy damage is quoted individually before work begins.
- 3
Review & deliver
You review the restored file, request any tweaks, and receive the final on USB plus a secure cloud download.
Areas we serve
Free pickup across Chicago and the suburbs.
Free home pickup and return runs roughly 30 miles from downtown Chicago — including Logan Square, Hyde Park, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Oak Park, Evanston, Skokie, Cicero, Berwyn, Oak Lawn, Schaumburg, Naperville, Arlington Heights and Palatine. Outside that radius we can usually arrange a meet-up; anywhere else in the country, request a prepaid mail-in kit.
Pricing
Clear pricing, counted at pickup.
You only pay for what we actually scan — we hand-count everything together at pickup and again at return. See full packages on the homepage.
Custom restoration
from $5 / photoTears, creases, fading and missing pieces — quoted individually so you know the cost up front.
Manual sharpening
$0.10 / photoCrisper focus on soft or blurry prints. Optional add-on, never automatic.
Colorization
add-onAdd natural color to black-and-white photos — available as a checkout add-on for up to 10 photos.
FAQ
Good questions, straight answers.
Will you change my original photograph?+
No. The original is scanned and returned untouched. Every repair is done on the digital copy, so your physical photo is never at risk.
How much does restoration cost?+
Custom restoration starts at $5 per photo and is quoted individually based on the damage, so you approve the cost before any work begins.
Can you fix a photo that's torn in half or missing pieces?+
In most cases, yes. We reassemble torn pieces digitally and can rebuild missing areas where enough context remains. Heavy damage is quoted before work starts.
How long does restoration take?+
Restoration adds a few days to a standard scan order. We'll confirm timing based on the number of photos and the extent of the damage at pickup.
More from Golden Hour
Get a free quote
Bigger jobs, bulk discounts, anything weird — let's figure it out.
Our packages cover most orders, but if you've got boxes of slides, a wall of albums, or a stack of tapes that won't fit a preset, tell us about it. We'll send a custom quote — usually within a day.
- • Custom pricing for 500+ photos or 3+ tapes
- • Mixed-format collections welcome
- • Free Chicago pickup, no matter the size