Photo Services

Please call for an appointment - To do so, go to the Contact page  and send an email.  
I will respond with a phone number.

All services are custom which means I operate on an image consultation basis.  Great care is given to produce results to your exact specifications. I prefer to work with local artists so that we can preview images together on the screen to learn how you want your work done.  A test print is always included in the first print price.  Discounts are available anytime after the first print is created. I have several archival paper choices to choose from.

I can work with people who aren't local, but it can add time and complexity to the process.

See a price list at the bottom of the page or request a pdf version from the contact page.

Custom Film Processing

• Still shooting film? We process Black and White roll and sheet films. We no longer process color films. I process with or without contact sheets. I do custom processing to your specifications for Black and White negative film. I can process your film at a personalized developing time to control contrast.  It's called Push or pull processing available at no extra charge.

• Contact sheets are made in a Black and White darkroom. Contact sheets are available and are printed on either 8.5x11 or 9.5x12 glossy paper. See scanning below if interested in having film professionally scanned for custom printing.

• Film sizes are: 16mm, 110, 126, 127, 35mm, 120, 220, 620, 4x5 and 5x7 sheet.

• My main film developer is currently Ilford Ilfotech - DD-X.   Sources for quality chemistry have been changing.  Fortunately there are lots of choices.  Unfortunately some have been sold to firms that made changes in formulae without notifying customers.  The results can be devastating.  Fortunately, I test each new batch of chemistry before doing customer processing.

• When using a B&W film for the first time, I recommend cutting the ISO in half to begin with.  Then with experience gradually bring it up to your personal speed.  Generally a bit of overexposure is beneficial for negative films.  For slide films, exposure needs to be on target.  I recommend bracketing when shooting slide film.  We do not process slide film.

• Most films are processed using a Jobo rotary processor with one shot developer assuring a fresh, even process run each time. I can hand process 116, 127, 616 or other older roll films within limits.

Archival Pigment Prints

• Inkjet prints made at O'Brien Photo Imaging are made with Archival Epson Ultrachrome HDX ink or the Canon Lucia Pro ink. Both can have a very long life expectancy depending on papers used and their display conditions. 

• Some inkjet papers have optical brighteners which will fade in time. This fading can affect only the brightness of highlight areas.  Optical brighteners have no advantage if you plan to use museum glass.  Museum glass covers up the results that optical brighteners provide.

Photo Restoration

• I have been restoring old photos since 1995 for clients. Every effort is made to bring images back to life as they were when first produced. Color tones may not match original photos. Some minimal corrections are done at no charge. Some amazing software developments have provided astounding improvements in the process. I am often amazed at what is possible, but am careful not to over use these tools as they can cause an image to look too manipulated.
• All restorations require a scan or copy depending on size.  Originals are not changed.  Jobs include a small test print for evaluation. After the final print is made duplicates made at the time of the order or in the future are 30% off.  A disc of the digital file is included with the job. 

• All jobs are by quote after viewing your originals.
  

Custom Copy Work and Scanning

• COPY WORK - I copy original photographs up to 24x36.   Precise color matching of copies we make is not guaranteed. Tones may not match  analog photographs especially if they have been degraded by age.  When scanning old color negatives or color prints, I can often restore a major amount of the original color.  I do not photograph 3D objects due to lack of space.   Copies larger than 8.5x11 require photographing with a digital camera and the cost is higher. I no longer copy original paintings due to lack of space and color matching issues often encountered with painting pigments, reflections etc.

• SCANNING - photographic prints or film. I use Epson and Nikon professional scanners for all scans. Fluid mounting techniques for film are normally used.  All of my scans include cleanup of dust and other minor defects in the original film.  Film up to 5x7 can be scanned.  Scans of prints or documents are limited to 8.5 x 11.  For larger prints, see above. Scanning is done to your specifications.

• BATCH SCANNING - this is a new service.  See our price list at the bottom of the page for details.

A disc or thumb drive is included in all copies and scans.

Inkjet Negatives

• This service is for those who want a digital file printed to traditional silver based B & W paper. Perhaps a telephone line needed to be removed by scanning a negative and manipulating with software or an image is particularly difficult to print in a traditional darkroom. When this happens it can be difficult to make multiple prints look the same.  A digital negative can make printing simple by doing the corrections in a computer and contact printing to produce multiple identical prints on silver paper.  Film will need to be scanned and converted to a negative.  Digital files go direct to the negative on inkjet film. The negative is made the same size as the final desired print size. Prints from these negatives have to be a contact printed.  If you have a darkroom equipped with a contact printing frame, you can do your own.

• Digital Negatives are also used to print Platinum/Palladium prints allowing any image source to be converted to a beautiful print in the old full scale black and white printing process.  I use this method in the class I teach on Platinum/Palladium.  See the video below to get a sense of how that process works. A separate negative will have to be made for Platinum/Palladium.  The negative for silver printing will not yield good results on Platinum/Palladium.

Bostick and Sullivan video for making platinum/palladium prints.

Note:  Everyone who does platinum/palladium has modified the process to match the environment where they live.  Humidity is a major factor along with other variables like water quality, temperature and not to forget personal taste. Note the process shown here is a bit abbreviated for simplicity.  I don't recommend handling the chemistry without gloves and the clearing process is a bit more involved.  This verifies that everyone has a different approach.

I am limiting all regular darkroom classes to two students at a time. Platinum/Palladium classes are limited to three.