Old Photo Specialists

Where restoration is considered an art!

Welcome to Old Photo Specialists (since 1971)! We are located at 7713 Summerfield Rd., Summerfield, NC., about 10 miles north of Greensboro and 1 block from Hwy 220.  We are open for business by appointment only, but we do have more flexible hours.  Please call us at 336-271-6960 or 336-273-1097.  

Our Goal – To integrate genealogy and interior design with archival quality visual images on display that do not fade and are water resistant. All photo restoration work completed by us in done in our studio! We do not outsource anything from start to finish, ensuring to all of our customers the highest quality product possible.

Our Story

Old Photo Specialist was founded in Greensboro, N.C. 1971 by William Heroy, a biomedical engineering graduate of Duke University. We had been at our location on Elm St since 1977 operating first as a photo restoration studio, second as a commercial and portrait studio, and last as a vendor and restorer of antique frames. Now, we operate from our brand new location in Summerfield, NC. We are well known locally and in the surrounding area for quality, archival products, with a strong emphasis on historical accuracy and pigment printing (referred to as giclee’). Old Photo Specialists spends a great deal of time repairing the smallest of details. Though the vast majority of our work is concerned with old photos (made between 1840 and 1950), we often work with modern photos as well. Our specialty and favorites are the medium to large size convex oval and flat prints (that often look like pastel drawings), panoramic photos, and photos predating 1950; however, we are experienced in restoring faded color prints and cracked or damaged photos (documents, artwork) as well. Also, you will find that we maintain a stock of original oval frames and are able to repair older oval and ornate flat frames-and we often recreate small photos into large ones to fit into these frames.

All of our print reproductions include a lifetime warranty against fading and water damage (we lacquer finish all of our prints for extra longevity). It must be stated here that our favorite items to restore are the large antique oval photographs (they come in many sizes and shapes)as well as panoramic photos from WW1, WW2, the Spanish American War, and various family reunions and special events. Do not attempt to open a panoramic that has been rolled up as years of being in tubes will have made the emulsions brittle. Unrolling the photo may result in permanent damage to the original. Also, improper removal of a large convex prints from the frame can also result in damage to the print as well as the glass, which is very expensive to replace.

Our staff includes:

William Heroy – Photo Restoration, Studio Photography

Anna Heroy – Office Manager, Accounting, Newsletter

Sarah Sacco – Restoration Specialist

Marvin, Ransome, Chris, and Ken – Computer Assistance

See our features on Fox 8 and the O. Henry Magazine by clicking the logos below!

Photo Restoration

If you are considering our services, please read the following:

1. OPS needs access to the earliest printing of every photograph for us to do our best work. Making a proper scan (or the use of cameras for larger items and convex pictures) is essential to our photo restoration process since originals contain chemical information that is usually lost once a scan is made that “skips” over that detail. Most shops then make “color copies” that can easily result in the long term destruction of the image once they are exposed to prolonged sunlight.  We only make archival giclee’ prints!  Usually we do not need to keep the original once the correct scan has been made. Serious genealogists need to store all photographic originals in a safe, dry place and only make archival giclee prints on the most important ones.
2. OPS does not have separate pricing for stages of our photo restoration processes – one for the scanning process, one computer restoration (known as Photoshop and may be subject to time spent (other studios may get you on this one)), and finally one for the printing (includes lacquer finishing-very important). Instead, we combine all three processes into one price (additional charges for more serious restorations are quoted in advance and do not exceed the quoted amount). All work is done in our shop- never outsourced. 
3. In the case of restoring color prints, it is important to understand that UV light which is a natural component of sunlight is responsible for breaking down the chemical compounds that give selected reflected light, or the color you see, resulting in “fading” or loss of color. The software in many of today’s programs is able to recover much of this loss, the rest is done by us. Prints that are severely damaged, out of focus or have been copied already generally do not restore well.
4. The older the photo is, the better it is made. Technology, in this industry, for the last 60+ years, industry has focused on more profit for manufactures, not better material quality for consumers. The introduction of giclee’ (or pigment printing) in the mid 2000s has been revolutionary for serious genealogists. There is finally a product that allows both maximum image quality and archival resistance to both water and sunlight. Combined with lacquer finishing, prints can be displayed without glass and without fear of environmental destruction or glare.
5. Always know where your originals are!
6. There is so much more we can say about the restoration and re-printing process, but suffice to say that without an understanding on how things are made (which is the state most of us are in), how do you know what will last? We have worked with old photos since the late 1960’s and have worked with a great number of photos over many years and can finally say that under the right circumstances, the preservation and enhancement of all photos has never been better.

Video by Tony Wu, OPS intern from April-May 2017

Portrait Photography

Above are examples of our studio work.

Pricing by quotation baesd on expected end result.  Please note any prints delivered will be archival giclee’ prints.

Commercial Photography

Hourly rate only (minimum 1 hour) …………………….. $125/hr or by the job

Visit http://www.williamheroyphotography.com/ for more information!

Hi Bill and Anna!

I’m happy to announce the Faces of Revolution exhibit will be on display in the Central Gallery of Rev Mill on July23-Oct. 1. The portraits will become a permanent exhibit in th Hall of Fame in the Mill later.

You are invited to the Artist Reception on Friday, July 23 from 6-8 pm. We will present the subjects with the prints of their portraits that night. You did a beautiful job with the mounted giclees and I know they will be so happy with them.

Thank you for being a part of this project!

Suellen McCrary

Fine Art & Portraiture

Bill,

The Rotary Carousel Team greatly appreciates your help with digitizing our Charter Night picture so that it could be made into a metal, engraved image for permanent display at our entrance!

We would like for Anna and you to be our guest at our celebration party.

See you September 12!

Thanks for your help! The image is beautifully done!

The Rotary Club of Greensboro Carousel