The first step in restoring a photograph is to create a negative of the image to be restored. Unlike wedding or portrait photography where the goal is to produce a negative that most accurately replicates the person being photographed, the goal of the restorative photographer is to produce a negative more capable of creating a print that will require a lesser amount of artwork. Careful exposure during this phase can preserve detail that will not have to be re-created during that art phase that is to follow. It seeks to enhance rather than replace the image to be restored. As much as is practical, it seeks to improve the qualities of the original photograph while at the same time diminishing the defects of the original.
Art work is labor intensive and therefore cost intensive.
Lesser amounts of artwork are the goals of the serious restorative photographer. Adhering to these goals will enable the serious restorative photographer to produce a better yet more competitively priced product. In portrait photography, proofing is the process of creating many negatives in an attempt to capture that exact composition and smile that will be accepted by a client. In restorative photography, proofing is the process of shooting the same image through a series of different filters, each of which will affect the resultant image in a different and sometimes unpredictable manner. Upon receipt of the proofing images, the restorative photographer can select the negative capable of producing the image most suitable for the application of art work.