Photo Restoration - got biz?

[sean seah]

Just wondering how big is the market for photo restoration in SG?
I run a business offering photo artwork, restoration and retouching.
It seems to me that there are people who are looking to have their old photo restore to their old time glory.

Apparently, there seems to be market but not big from my perspective or hard to reach.
Any views on this?


Sean Seah
blog.phokki.com
www.phokki.com

 

[catchlights]

there are some demands of photo restoration, but most people don't want to pay money for it.

 

[sean seah]

hmm...you know the interesting trend i observe is that when they do want to have it restore, price is not a concern.
where do people go when they want to restore photo?


Sean Seah
blog.phokki.com
www.phokki.com

 

[catchlights]

yes, unless they want it very badly..
usually people will go to lab to ask for making copies of old photo, since they don't know who else is able to help them, some will ask possible to have some touch up of the photos, but will drop the idea when they know they need to pay.

I think you can tied up with labs for your service.

 

[KangS]

There is a demand for such business everyday. But its not something that most people want to do. Though money stream is very, very consistent too.

Its the funeral business.

As far as I heard, there's something like 80 funerals a day, and you almost all of them would require a restoration/ blow-up of 1 old photo for the wake. A pretty direct job, though not something everyone would be comfy with doing. :dunno:

 

[AlteredVision]

Quite frankly, I've even received job offer like that for display at funerals. Unfortunately, payment rates were literally outsource-to-third-world type.

 

[catchlights]

Quite frankly, I've even received job offer like that for display at funerals. Unfortunately, payment rates were literally outsource-to-third-world type.

after deducting the cost, is it good enough for you to buy a bowl of wan ton mee??

 

[AlteredVision]

after deducting the cost, is it good enough for you to buy a bowl of wan ton mee??

Well... maybe. :think: That person _was_ looking to outsource it to third world.

 

[catchlights]

OIC, heard touch up one photo is US$0.75 IIRC.

 

[sean seah]

a retouch at that price is really too low. 0.75 USD? maybe can only buy one wanton, not wanton mee
ok, what i mean by restore is something like the following. There are shops offering like 100 SGD for this type of restore.

honestly, i agree that funeral photo are one case, but the other type i saw is when some family members wishes to restore old grandparent photos of family photo as well.

From this

To this

 

[AlteredVision]

OIC, heard touch up one photo is US$0.75 IIRC.

The question is, what kind of touchup? And what kind of results? Have seen all sorts from "you've got to be kidding me" type to "wow". US$0.75 per photo is not impossible for me or a lot of other DI artists out there, but definitely not for anything close to the type shown by Sean above.

 

[sean seah]

yes, agree. the above is definitely going to cost alot of wanton mee
Alteredvision, where do most DI artists hang out? is there a forum or section in CS they like to go?

 

[AlteredVision]

I don't think there's a particular section in CS, but I'll PM you another forum (in case the mods come and kill me for posting here :bsmilie

 

[sean seah]

haha, ok thanks alot