Ken Dawes Photography now offers scanning and photo restoration services!

  Do you have 35 mm slides or film that you need digital files made of? Old family photos that the negatives have long been misplaced?

I can help!

  Digital files are a wonderful way to save your pictures without having to worry about creases and curls or faded colors. Old photos can be restored to remove spots, scratches, blemishes, etc. Once scanned and digitized, your photos are written onto a CD and quickly returned to you, along with your originals.

  Digital files also can be sent and viewed over the internet. You can share your photos quickly and easily all over the world!

  If you need your 35 mm slides, negatives or old photos professionally scanned and returned, you have come to the right place!

  Please click here to learn about my photo restoration services.

  I scan 35 mm slides and film using a Nikon 4000LS film scanner. Photos are scanned on a flatbed scanner using a Lexmark X6170. Both scanners are able scan your material with a resolution in excess of your original. What does this mean for you?
It means that your digital copy can be as clear and as faithful as your original!

  Are you confused by all of the hype over "digital resolution"? Do all of those numbers make your head swim? Let me take a moment to try to give some practical thoughts on the subject scanning and resolution.

  Computers, digital cameras printers and scanners all use dots to make up pictures,much like the dots you see when looking closely at a magazine or newspaper picture. The more dots (i.e. resolution) the sharper the image will appear. At some point the number of dots is so great that the human eye can no longer tell that there are any dots at all!

"How much resolution do I need?"   I have to answer that with "It depends." An image file shown on a computer screen needs less resolution than one that is intended to be used to have prints made. To use some of those scarey numbers... an image you want to share on the web that is roughly 4"x6" will be about 640 pixels by 480 pixels and a resolution of 96 dpi (dots per inch.) It's jpeg file size might be as small as 40 KB. An image destined to be printed as a 4"x6" photo would measure 1200 by 1800 pixels with a resolution of approximately 300 dpi. It's tif file size will be on the order of 6.25 MB. ...Much larger! Now there are lots of variations to what I have just said. When you contact me to place your scanning order, I will ask you about how you intend to use your scanned images.. to show on the web, to have prints made, etc. This will allow me to know how to give your images their best treatment and for you to be a very satisfied customer!

  Tif files? Jpg files? What are those and why do I care? These two file formats (tif & jpg) are the most commonly used for photos. A tif file is a pixel for pixel copy of your image. It's advantage? The highest quality image. The downside? Large file sizes. A jpg file (sometimes spelled jpeg) uses a process called "lossy compression" to make the file sizes smaller... potentially much smaller. To do this, the jpg process analyzes the image and discards information that you are unlikely to be able to tell is missing. Jpg's advantage? Relatively small file sizes. The downside? Some amount of picture quality has been sacrificed.
Note: tif files may be opened and saved with no loss of quality. jpg files deteriorate a little each time they are opened and saved in a program. (they do not lose quality from just being viewed)

  When I scan slide or photo, I do so at the optimal resolution for your photo or slide, and then convert it on my computer using Adobe Photoshop to adjust it to the size and type of file that you have requested, based on your expected usage. I do this rather than scan your photo at a "lesser" resolution and just copying this to your CD. Although this method is slower and more labor intensive, I feel that it provides higher quality images for my customers.

How many pictures can I have put on one CD-R?   If all of your images are to be relatively small jpeg <jpg> files destined to be only viewed over the web (and not printed), a CD-R with a capacity of 700 M could hold at least 1000 images. If you choose to have your images saved to CD-R as high resolution tiff (tif) files, the CD-R may hold as few as 11 images. The difference is all in the the resolution. When you order your scanning, we will discuss the many options and decide on what works best for you. I want you to be a satisfied customer!

As a rough guide, here are some file size estimates for different sized files... ( You'll have to do the math! )

Approximate file sizes (300 dpi for prints)					Approximate file sizes (96 dpi for the web)
Print size	Pixel size	tif file size	jpg file size		image size in pixels	jpg file size
4"x6"	1200 x 1800	~6.25 M	~0.5 M		640 x 480	~125 K
5"x7"	1500 x 1800	~10 M	~0.7 M		800 x 600	~175 K
8"x12"	2400 x 3600	~25 M	~1.5 M		1024 x 768	~260 K
12"x17"	3600 x 5100	~53 M	~3.5 M

Ok, Ken... How do I place an order? My scanning services are handled by me personally and that includes taking your order. Call me at 831-684-0522 between the hours of 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time, Monday through Friday to discuss and place your order. Do not send your pictures without placing your order first! Be sure to include a copy of your Order Form when you send your order to me.

Scanning FAQ

Your satisfaction is guaranteed! If you are not satisfied with your scans, let me know! I will bend over backwards to ensure you are pleased with your scans... Including a full refund if necessary!

Please note that this guarantee does not apply to slides or pictures that are under-exposed, very dirty or otherwise damaged. (please visit my photo restoration area for information on restoring damaged photos)Also, if your order includes images that are underexposed and result in unusable scans, in most cases you will not be charged for them.

How should I send my order? Your precious images need to be very well packed! Do not send them in an envelope! It is far too easy for an envelope to be damaged during shipping. Use an oversized box and place plenty of padding around everything. I cannot be responsible for damage that happens in shipping. Do not send your slides in slide trays or carousels unless arrangements have been made in advance.

Be sure to include your order form with your shipment!