I have a photograph that was taken in the mid-80s that is framed.  Part of the photo is stuck to the glass.  Are there any services that can restore this photo or create a decent digital copy of it?  This picture is important to me because it was the last family picture taken before my dad passed away.

 

I also have albums full of old photos that I would like to have digital copies instead.  Are there services where I could bring in a lot of  photos and have them converted to digital copies?  I know I can scan them myself, but there are so many pictures that it would take me a long time.

 

Any recommendations of businesses in or near Cincinnati or appreciated. 

I do photograph restorations on a case-by-case basis, but don't really have the time anymore to do bulk scanning. If you want to bring the photo to my place in DT Cinci, I can see what I can do with the photograph.

 

What part of the photo is stuck to the glass? A corner?

Chilling the glass with a freon spray might release the photo.

What part of the photo is stuck to the glass? A corner?

 

Unfortunately, it's about 1/4 of the photo.

You could scan it through the glass first, then put it back together in photoshop if it rips. 

I hadn't heard of the freon-spray trick, but if it works, good.

 

You can also try scanning it through the glass first, and then put the photo and glass into a pan or tray of water and let it soak and it probably will come loose without damage; just don't hurry it. Most older photos were processed with chemicals dissolved in water anyway, and the backing is either fiber-based or synthetic; water won't destroy the backing. What's stuck to the glass is probably the gelatin coating that they used to create the gloss, and while the glossy finish may be lost, it's not likely that the photo itself will be damaged or degraded.

 

Sometimes people have stacks or boxes of old photos that get wet and stuck together. They can almost always be salvaged by soaking in cool water until they come unstuck.