Across the miles, alumni give images new life
Volunteers have restored more than 1,500 photos
This feature appears in the fall/winter issue of Ohio Today as part of "The Common Thread," a series celebrating relationships that had Ohio University as their starting point. In the coming days, we’ll share vignettes from this collection.
By Erin Roberts
At home in Syracuse, N.Y., Becky Sell answers an e-mail from fellow alumna Liz Condo, in Baton Rouge, La., as the two coordinate an upcoming trip to collect photos in need of restoration.
Just months later, digital copies of the photos find their way to Oakhurst, Calif., where yet another alumna, Susan Seiling, BSJ ’95, and her husband, Rich, print them and ship them back to Operation Photo Rescue headquarters in Fredericksburg, Va.
This is just one example of how the complex network of Operation Photo Rescue works.
The nonprofit depends on volunteers all over the globe to achieve one goal: digitally restore family photos damaged by natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and ship high-quality prints of them to their owners.
And this network -- which today spans the world and dozens of Ohio University alumni -- owes its inspiration in part to a photograph taken by Sell, BSVC '05.
It all started while Sell was working her first full-time job out of college as a staff photographer at the Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va.
Back from a trip to Louisiana, she returned to the newsroom with a photo of a woman throwing out damaged family photos while cleaning up after Katrina destroyed her house.
Sell's photo editor at the time, Dave Ellis, took one look at the photo and decided to help. He knew he -- and other photographers like him -- had the skills needed to salvage those photos.
A couple of brainstorms later, the two came up with the vision for OPR and set up shop about 70 miles northeast of New Orleans. During an initial four-day visit in early 2006, they collected, photographed and digitally restored the first few images.
Now, some 18 months later, the organization unites more than 1,200 people representing 49 states and 37 countries. OPR is responsible for the restoration of more than 1,500 photos belonging not only to victims of Katrina but also those who have survived other natural disasters and house fires.
For Rich Seiling, who studied at VisCom from 1991 to 1994, the work has been rewarding. The photos he and his wife, who co-own West Coast Imaging, print for OPR are quite different from the exhibition and art photos that come through their studio on any given day.
"Many of them are the typical photos we all have of babies, weddings and other special moments," Seiling says. "But when you see these everyday images, they are that much more precious. These are the only photographic memories (the families) have left, and it's great to give these people back their memories."
Examples of the volunteers' restoration work are posted on the OPR Web site, and the results can be stunning. A flawless black-and-white photo of a couple in formal attire was recreated from a yellowed original riddled with creases and even holes.
"The thank-you notes make it worth it," Sell says, recalling a note from a man losing his sight, who was grateful to have his photos restored while he could still enjoy them.
She acknowledges that there are days she feels exhausted by the work of coordinating OPR. But the kindness of the volunteers, such as the Seilings, keeps her going. Their initial donation of 1,000 prints became 2,000 when they heard OPR was struggling to make ends meet. "I don't think I can put into words what the people at West Coast Imaging have done for OPR," Sell says.
It's all about the Ohio University connection, says Rich, whose company also employs custom printmaker Terrance Reimer, BFA '92, another OPR volunteer. "If you see a fellow alumnus of the visual communication program out there, you root for them. We contacted Operation Photo Rescue and said 'Hey, we're OU alums and would love the chance to help out.'"
To learn more about Operation Photo Rescue or make a donation, please visit www.operationphotorescue.com.
Erin Roberts, BSJ '00 and BA '00, is the external relations coordinator for the Scripps College of Communication.
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Posted 11-05-2007
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