Utah company offers free photo retouching for bereaved parents

Lehi, Utah August 30, 2002 — Hollywood FotoFix, the world leader in wholesale photo restoration based in Lehi, Utah, has begun offering free photo retouching services to the parents of stillborn babies and deceased newborns through all Utah Inkley’s stores.

Called the “AngelPics Project,” the program actually had its seminal moment several years ago, when a Hollywood FotoFix retail dealer brought in a photograph of a stillborn child, asking whether anything could be done to improve the image. The child bore all the bruises and other physical marks indicative of her brief struggle for life. Mark Long, the company president, was touched by the personal nature of the image and decided to handle it himself. “When the guy came back and saw the photo, he was just thrilled,” said Michael Waters, who has been working with the company as a Sales Consultant since 1996. “Mark put a lot of time into it, and it really came out beautifully.” “Then the guy asks Mark how much this is going to cost,” Waters added. “Mark just told him, ‘I can’t charge for that.’”

Last year, Long decided to make the service a permanent part of his business. “I realized I could do something for other people in that same horrible situation,” Long said. “It’s like my company was made for this.” The program was named the AngelPics Project. Through the AngelPics Project, Hollywood FotoFix retouches photographs of stillborn babies and deceased newborns that pass away before leaving the hospital. The service includes removing unsightly wires and tubes, eliminating bruises and other marks, and even changing the image’s background.

Hollywood FotoFix has recently reached agreements with Inkley’s Photo to handle the AngelPics Project in Utah. Anybody interested in participating in the AngelPics project should take the photograph of their child (or grandson, niece, nephew, best friend’s child, etc.) to the nearest Inkley’s store. Out of state, the nearest authorized dealer can be found using the Store Locator tool at www.hollywoodfotofix.com.

The photographic original is scanned at the retail location, and the digital image is uploaded to the Hollywood FotoFix website. The retail dealer that takes the order can track its progress, and even resubmit the photo if he is not satisfied with the result. Finally, when the project is completed, the dealer downloads and prints the photo. Digital images printed on modern printers using archival ink last as long as traditional photographs. The service includes a free professional scan and one free print.

For additional information, contact: Mark Long Hollywood FotoFix Phone: (801) 768-0624 Fax: (801) 766-1991 admin@hollywoodfotofix.com Hollywood FotoFix provides photo restoration and portrait retouching services to photo retailers across North America and around the world. Clients submit .jpeg files through an innovative, user-friendly interface at www.hollywoodfotofix.com. When the photos are finished, dealers simply download and print.

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