Finishing Touches

I am delighted to officially launch Finishing Touches.

It is an idea that came to me a couple of months ago when I was feeling particularly adrift from reality. Whilst trying to figure out why this was, I felt a strong urge to go through the thousands of snaps on my phone and hard drive in order to edit them and make them presentable. Make them a part of my life again.

It was something I enjoyed doing immensely and in the midst of it all, square eyed and nostalgic, I was reminded of the importance a photograph has in the creation of our self-image. They help to anchor us and seed future memories, reminding us of who we are.

It had been so long since I had gone through my personal photographs that it was no surprise I felt so adrift and detached from myself.

Below is the text I wrote for the About page to the Finishing Touches website:

Think back to your most vivid child hood memories and chances are they are rooted in a photograph taken at the time. An image, solid, firm and reliable in your mind’s eye around which surrounding memories are kept.To take a roll of film to be developed, to go through the photographs one at a time or to sit down in front of a slide projector – all moments of our childhoods that subsequent generations are unlikely to experience.Now images are taken and stored either on a hard drive or camera, gathering metaphorical dust or shared on social media – a ripple in time, soon passed over and replaced by another, more recent image.How will this affect our children’s memories of growing up? Or our own memories of the weekend, a first date, or a grandchild’s christening?

The irony is of course that taking photographs and sharing them has never been easier. The wonders of digital technology have made photography accessible and common place. An ever evolving part of our new, online social interaction.

The ease of using a camera now and the quality of even a camera phone is astonishing, often not far from technically perfect. And when they are not quite right, photo editing tools make it easy to adjust them.

But not everyone has the time, skills or energy to go through hundreds of holiday snaps, editing or perfecting their shots.

And this is where Finishing Touches comes in.

In the same way that you used to send a roll of film to be developed, you can send me your images from the weekend’s wedding or night out.

I will then go through them, giving them a professional sheen, so you can make them part of your life and future memories. Finishing Touches will help give you the confidence to display them proudly on social media, Apple Tv, digital photo frames, in a book or a picture frame, knowing they are looking their best.

I will not make any major changes, merely adjust the colours, deepen the blacks, clean them up, crop them (if necessary) and put a border on them.

In other words, I will add the Finishing Touches.

Please take a look at the Website or Facebook Page and help spread the word – Thank you.

Update 2015

Finishing Touches is no longer a service I am offering.