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What Brought You to OPR

Started by Mhayes, April 14, 2016, 12:15:50 AM

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Mhayes

Hi Everyone,

It's been quiet around here and I thought it would be fun to start a new topic that has been done before, but is so old and a lot of those volunteers no longer with us. Plus, as often happens, old posts get buried as time marches on. I also wanted to say thanks to the Inner Team at OPR that work a lot of hours making the organization run. Without them and you the volunteers, we would never have made it to our 10 year anniversary. I would like to hear from all of you.

"I found OPR in 2007 after a flood hit Coffeyville, KS and I was hoping to repair an elderly woman's wedding pictures (50 years ago and her husband deceased). I went online to use the exercises that went with Katrin Eismann's book: Photoshop Restoration & Retouching. I saw where OPR needed volunteers to help restore damaged photos from Hurricane Katrina. I joined and a few month later organized a copy run to Coffeyville, KS. I later became a distributor and then in 2008 became president. Being part of this great organization has been a real privilege and I have met a lot of wonderful people along the way."

From the Inner Team

Jan Neil:
"My first copy run was to Biloxi, MS (Katrina) where myself and a few others kneeled on the floor each day for about 10+ hours. (No tables, I guess!)  I get to contact  the families and send the completed photos home. I also have been Margie's roommate on every copy run since we first met in Winona, MN."

Hannie Scheltema:
"Living in a country that throughout history had to fight floods and living in an area that is 5,5 meter(!) below sea level, I feel a connection to those who had to deal with flooding. 
I came across OPR shortly after Katrina hit New Orleans.
It has been a great pleasure to be able to work with so many people that care enough to want to help out others that have lost so much."

Kiska Moore:
"I joined OPR in 2006 with the intent of improving my PS skills and filling some time. Over the years and MANY restorations, improving these damaged photos and returning them to their families has superseded any selfish motivations I might have had."

Tess Cameron:

"I joined OPR after reading a post on a forum. Nearly 9 years on and I am still amazed at what we all do on a shoestring budget. Being in another country means I don't get to meet the owners of the photos but it goes to show that we can help from all around the world.
The best part of it all is reading the notes people send in after receiving their photos back."

Shujen Chen:
"Nine years ago while I was studying a book about Photoshop, I came across the information about OPR in the book website and became a volunteer. Besides restoring photos, I participated several copy runs mostly within my driving distance. On those copy runs, I got to see the devastation done by the flood and tornado. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to do something to help the owners of the damaged photos and knowing that there is something I can do to help their recovery."

Victoria Walters:
"I appreciate the enthusiasm of the new volunteers and their willingness to accept advice. When I first started in 2008 my restoration experience was limited to training in school in retouching photos and matching color in advertisements. I had no clue how to truly correct color or how to repair missing parts of a photo. The distributors were incredibly patient (I realize now) which helped keep my own enthusiasm alive. The positive attitude of our new volunteers helps them enjoy their work and expand their skills, and, best of all, will encourage them to stick around!"

Jonas Wendorf:

"When I joined OPR as a volunteer I was impressed by the skills of some of the community members. Now that I help as a distributor I can say
that this has only strengthened over time. Some photos that I deem possible non-restores turn out absolutely wonderful and it's great to
see so many good people put that much work and effort into helping others in their own limited spare time."

Pat Sluder:
"As one of the OPR volunteer coordinators I love meeting people from around the world who want to join in our efforts to restore storm damaged photos and there seems to be no age or location barrier.  Many relate an interesting personal experience regarding their own family's photos that gives them the personal drive to want to join us in helping others who have lost so much.  When I joined in 2010 as a result of trying to save some of our own family photos I had no idea how much broader and fulfilling the experience would become.  The forum turned out to be a wonderful learning environment with a phenomenal group of people who love sharing their knowledge in a friendly and helpful manner.  I've personally attended several copy runs and the depth of gratitude from those who bring their photos to us it something I will long remember and never regret."


Mike Sluder (the other half)  ::) :
"I joined OPR a couple days after I retired in 2011.  Pat & I held a mini copy run in OHIO shortly thereafter and were amazed at the gratitude of the people involved. Since that time we have gone on several copy runs.  Meeting the photo owners on the copy runs lets you know how very precious the photos are.  Nothing beats restoring a photo and then getting feedback on what you have done from the viewpoint of the photo owner.  A lot of these photos are one of a kind and of course irreplaceable.  I have seen people with tears in their eyes upon seeing the wonderful work that OPR does on these photos.  We still get some photos that are beyond restore but some of the restored photos look like miracles." 

Bambi Nicklen:
"When I first joined OPR, I had never seen photographs so badly damaged. And I had never seen such miraculous, meticulous restoration. I was too intimidated. When I finally requested my first photograph and posted my WIP on Forum, I found a wealth of patient, creative people with mad skills who were willing to help me learn. I knew Photoshop before I joined, but everything I know about restoration I learned from my friends and colleagues on Forum. Members from around the world, working together and doing good. Restoring the soul and spirit of memories that would have been lost forever." 

And now we would like to hear from you.

Margie







"carpe diem"

Margie Hayes
OPR President
[email protected]

glennab

#1
Hi OPRsters

I joined OPR shortly after it was founded in 2006.  A small write-up in Photoshop User magazine said the group was looking for volunteers, and since I love Photoshop and had been looking for a way to help other people, I decided this might be a good start.  With trepidation, I submitted my "test" restoration (I'd only done a couple before then).  I expected to be rejected, because I was sure my submission was less than remarkable.  To my surprise, I was welcomed into the fold. Since that time, I've discovered that most of our volunteers begin with the same doubts. I was very active on the forum and in working on many of the "worst of the worst" images.  It was such a great time for me.  I learned at a phenomenal rate and joyfully tried to help other volunteers who were struggling with their work. 

Katrin Eismann's books, Photoshop Restoration and Retouching  (edition four is about to be published) and Masking and Compositing were among my reference materials, as well as a book on human anatomy.  I attended NAPP courses, took webinars and studied everything I could on what we do here.  But I learned the most from my fellow "sloggers" as we tried our utmost to restore nearly impossible photos.  The most amazing experience was being on the first copy run in Biloxi.  Not only did I get to meet other volunteers, but also I saw the incredible devastation Katrina left in its wake and had an opportunity to meet and take in photos from the most amazing people I've ever met.  There was a lot of laughing and crying (some of the tears were from the troops manning - and womaning [Jan] - the copy stands on the floor), and I think all of us came away from Biloxi enriched beyond our expectations. 

After I lost my job in 2010 I decided to retire, and from there I went into a bit of a collapse and became less and less active.  Ironic, since I was so looking forward to being retired and ramping up my restoration efforts.

This past January, I had emergency surgery on my cervical spine.  I now have a titanium plate holding three of the vertebrae in my neck together.  It's been a tough haul, since I'm 70; but as I recover I think more and more about jumping back into the OPR fray.  I know it would lift my spirits, just as it did in my early years of posting several times a day and being up into the wee hours scouring dirt, dust and water stains from challenging images. 

I encourage my fellow volunteers to be brave and take on a restoration that may seem out of reach. Stretch your restoration chops. That and participating in the forum will give you an immense sense of satisfaction.  Ask for help. Others who work on restorations are struggling with their images, as well.  And my experience was that when I posted a request for help, many volunteers jumped in to give me "tips and tricks."  Interaction on the forum has always been a great morale booster, as well as a means by which to call on the expertise on some very savvy people. And many of them have wicked senses of humor. Enjoy!

It's amazing that this year will mark my 10th anniversary with OPR.  Here's hoping that in 10 years I'll be happily plugging away at a "monster" and loving every minute of it.

Bless
GK



What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

Tori803

Hi GK! Nice to see you back on the Forum! Hope you find some restores you'd like to tackle!
Tori
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." -Calvin Coolidge

Lynnya

I'm retired living in Florida and love photoshop.. being messing with it for 15 years (or more lol).
I first started with "All Hands" and then after a short break I found OPR. It gives me great pleasure to be able to put any skills I've learned to good use for other people who have lost so much.  Sometimes when I finish a restore it brings tears to my eyes, especially if it's a child.. I know how I would feel if I'd lost everything and this image was all I had left.  I'm grateful to OPR  to not only give me work that I am passionate about but also the ability to help others. I know we all work on our restores with a lot of the same feelings... I think I can safely say that love is one of them  :)
It's fantastic to think of all the people sitting at their computers in different States and Countries all working on the same page so to speak. It's a great thing.
Lynn

never giving up......learning from others as I go...

Pat

Lynnya,, I hope you will someday get to attend a copy run.  You will find it an extremely rewarding experience that you will always hold dear to your heart.

GK it was a real treat to see you posting again!

Pat
Pat

"Take a deep breath and think of the three things you are grateful for, right in this moment."  -MJ Ryan Author

glennab

Hi Tori and Pat.  Thanks for the "welcome back" messages.  It was wonderful to post again after so long.  I see my runaway keyboard still has me with an embarrassment of posts.  I could go on- and on, which is why I joined on and on anon. Lynn, where do you live in Florida?  I'm in Gulfport, at the southern tip of St. Petersburg.  Have been here most of my adult life.  I hope you love FLAUSA as much as I do! Ditto OPR.
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

susanccr

First of all, thank you so much for the email!  I am thrilled to be back at OPR again!  People here were far too efficient when I was here before - quite a bit of time went by when there was nothing in the queue and I got out of the habit of checking.  Getting Margie's email today was all I needed to come running back.  :)

I very much look forward to working you all again!

Jo Ann Snover

I became a volunteer at the end of 2012 as a result of an article at NAPP about OPR's work. I worked through late 2013 - my mother died and I went back to England for her funeral. After that, life got in the way a bit :)

I saw the e-mail request for volunteers and felt bad that so much time had passed. My original reasons for joining - that I feel such an emotional tug from old family photos that I am moved to try and help people whose photo memories have been damaged - are still there. I have an opportunity to spend some time on restorations at the moment, so here I am.
Jo Ann

Pat

susanccr and jsnover, it great to see both of you again! 

With so many devastating storms around the country recently, we are not only swamped with photos to restore but also with calls asking for more copy runs.

Don't hesitate to ask for help if you run into a restoration problem that seems too difficult.  Everyone here loves to share tips and techniques in a friendly and helpful manner.

Pat 
Pat

"Take a deep breath and think of the three things you are grateful for, right in this moment."  -MJ Ryan Author

Mhayes

So great to hear from GK (hope you and IM start to feeling better), Lynna, Susanccr, and Jsnover. It has been great to see volunteers we haven't heard from in awhile. Hope to see more of you on the Forum and don't feel discouraged if the photos in the 3 galleries may be harder than you want to tackle. We have plenty more, but we don't want to flood--bad choice of words--them all out at once, because families would be waiting forever if they had photos that everyone wanted to pass on.

Welcome Back!

Margie
"carpe diem"

Margie Hayes
OPR President
[email protected]

Hannie

It is so good to hear from all of you and to read what made you join OPR.  Glenna, it is great to hear from you again, I hope you will keep coming back to the forum so I can learn more new words.  ("on and anon" was a new one for me) ;)


Hannie
Hannie Scheltema
Distribution Coordinator
[email protected]

battleaxe

I joined in 2008.  Found the OPR site while  surfing the net and saw that volunteers were wanted.   During the time with OPR , I have learnt a lot and have enjoyed the fun, and sharing on the site.

Mhayes

Battleaxe, great to hear from you and like your new avatar.

Margie
"carpe diem"

Margie Hayes
OPR President
[email protected]

Candice

#13
I came to OPR with a call put out by Retouch Pro, right after Katrina happened.  I was new at restoration,  but the cause was great so I volunteered.  I lost count a long time ago how many restorations I've done.  But it's been many, many, many.  Margie can attest to that.

My hands don't work like they use to, so I've slowed down but I still read and come here and sometimes I pick up a picture/s to work on.

Great people have been involved with giving families back their precious memories!  I'm proud to be one of them.

Hugs,
Candy
Candice