Skilled technician gives old photos new life

To provide better service to his customers, Gong began to study the technology used in photo restoration. With his years of experience as a professional photographer, he could see the lighting positions and techniques of the original photographers.

When he restores a photo, he tries not to change the original. He wants to avoid affecting the owner's memory, which is bound with the image.

"I have restored all sorts of old photos — cracked, discolored and waterlogged," he said. "Most of them were taken decades ago, and some were nearly 100 years old."

Gong usually spends several hours to days restoring photos.

"To better reconstruct scenes or people of the past, I usually try to immerse myself in the old time," he said. "When my customers send me a photo, I know it's not just about their acknowledgement of my skills. They are trusting me with their sweet memories."