As a personal portrait photography company, it’s no secret that we emphasize the importance of preserving memories. But, did you know we believe this so strongly that we keep negatives of every Gittings portrait dating back to the very first one captured in 1928? Our founder, Paul Gittings, began this practice as part of his commitment to protecting his clients’ investments.
Continuing a Tradition of Excellence
Gittings CEO Greg Lorfing upholds the same dedication today: “We strongly believe in the tradition of keeping our clients’ memories safe. The negatives we’ve acquired throughout our 90 years in business are stored in two climate-controlled vaults, and we take pride in these efforts to preserve pieces of the past.”
This tradition—a rarity among personal portrait companies today—allows us to offer warranties on every finished Gittings product. That faded portrait of your family members from decades ago? We can restore that. Our expert archivist uses all available information to locate the negatives, giving you and your loved ones access to a brand new portrait.
In other cases, a Gittings portrait could be in fantastic condition, but the problem lies in the fact that there’s only one. We recently encountered this situation with siblings that couldn’t agree on who deserved to keep their family’s treasured Gittings portrait from several years prior. Thanks to our collection of negatives, we were able to develop as many additional portraits as the siblings wanted.
Cherishing Memories, Old and New
No matter how old the negatives are, our team is equipped to restore portraits to pristine condition. “Sometimes older negatives, despite our careful storage of them, begin to chemically decompose,” explains Rick Bettinger, President of Gittings North Texas. “This is where our incredibly talented artists come in. Using state-of-the-art-equipment, they’re able to digitize the image and restore the colors to the original state, if not better.”
If you’re interested in locating, restoring or reprinting your Gittings portraits, contact one of our studios. We’re here to help ensure your memories are cherished and your Gittings treasures remain timeless.
