About Me

Hi, my name is Anthony (Tony) Stringer — founder of Past and Present Pixels, photo restoration specialist, and lifelong problem-solver.

I retired from public service after 37 years. Since retiring I have shifted my focus to something more personal: helping families preserve their visual history. Whether it’s a faded portrait of your grandparents or a water-damaged wedding photo, I treat every image with the care it deserves—restoring not just pixels, but the stories behind them.

I have always been interested in photography. I have loved taking photographs ever since I can remember. I became interested in photo restoration in the late 1990’s. I bought a cheap scanner and got all of my parents’ photographs that they had. I scanned them all to .jpg images. At first I was happy just having them digitized. But then one day I decided I wanted to learn how to restore them for future generations.

I went to MicroCenter and purchased Adobe Photoshop Elements and installed it on my PC. I did some research through Google and YouTube and learned the basics of restoring the photos. I restored several hundred of my parents’ photos. I then got my Aunt Nova Dean’s photos and scanned them for her. Hers were in much better condition than my parents’ because she only had three children where my parents had nine.

Years later I decided to purchase a DSLR camera and start taking better photographs. With that camera, I decided to get the full version of Photoshop to use to edit my photographs. After several months of using Photoshop and Lightroom to edit photos, I decided to try restoration using Photoshop. It was much easier than Photoshop Elements.

My approach blends technical precision with a deep respect for memory. I don’t believe in over-editing or artificial gloss. Instead, I aim for subtle, faithful restorations that honor the original moment. I also offer natural-light photography for families and local events, capturing honest, heartfelt images that feel like home.

Based in the Kansas City metro, I work with clients across the region who value clarity, craftsmanship, and transparency. I am building this business on the same principles that guided my tech career: accessibility, maintainability, and empowering others through thoughtful design.

If you’re looking to restore a treasured photo, digitize your prints, or capture a new memory, I’d be honored to help.

Let’s preserve what matters—one pixel at a time.