PORTSMOUTH — Geographically speaking, it wasn’t a big move at all. Yet, according to owner Emily Brackett, it was the biggest and best move she has made.

Live Free Photography opened a little over a year ago at 16 Sheafe St. This past autumn, Brackett moved her business across the street to 11 Sheafe St.

AT A GLANCE

Brackett said she looked out the window one day and saw the “for rent” sign. She walked over and found her new location.

“It was great to be able to stay in this neighborhood,” Brackett said. “I love the arty way Sheafe Street is becoming. We have a bookstore, graphic designers, book publisher and photography. It’s great.”

In fact, the past year has been so great that Brackett has not only doubled her space, she has invested in new equipment that will enable her to do all her work on the premises. She has also become business associates with Michael Winters, another photographer.

“He specializes in bands and portraits,” Brackett said. “I met him about 10 years ago, and now he’s my colleague here.”

Brackett now has room for a showroom in the front and the back room is for the equipment and studio. Brackett does movie transfers from 16mm, 8mm and VHS. The business also offers scanning services for slides, photos, film and art. Printing, photo restoration, custom framing and film supplies are available.

“I can print on fine art paper as well as all my other projects,” she said.

Brackett said people love knowing all the work is done on the premises. No fear of priceless family photos or films being lost in the mail, she explained.

“I also have all the framing equipment I need,” Brackett said. “I can chop and join. I can custom frame. My selection of frames and mats is very large.”

Brackett said that running out of space at her first location led her to revise her business plan and concentrate on exactly what she wanted for her business.

“I am finally settled enough,” Brackett said. “I have all my ducks in a row and all my resources here, on the premises.”

In other words, she explained, no more running around, using up gas and spending so much time using equipment elsewhere in the region. Brackett said jobs can now be accomplished faster and with less money spent out of the store.

“It is great to be here and to proof my own work on my own equipment,” Brackett said. “This really matters to me and to my customers.”

In the showroom, Brackett sells prints by David Mendelsohn, a local photographer who travels the world taking photos.

During the winter months, Brackett said a “by appointment” policy is working out well as the store’s regular hours are shortened until the weather gets warmer.

“All people have to do is call me and I’ll be there,” said Brackett, who lives in Portsmouth. “This location already feels like home,” Brackett said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

PORTSMOUTH — Photographer Emily Brackett said the timing was just right to open her downtown store, Live Free Photography.

“I love this space and this is what I want to do,” Brackett said. “I’m young and feel like I had to do it now or not at all. I chose now.”

Brackett originally opened her store in Newmarket, but wanted to be in Portsmouth. A native of Portsmouth, she lives in Newmarket. Originally a major in fashion design at an art school in Massachusetts, Brackett said she found it wasn’t what she was looking for in a career.

“I traveled and took my first photography class in London,” she said. “It was love at first sight. I traveled some more in Europe and came back to study photography in Massachusetts.”

She worked at a camera store in Dover, exchanged cameras at the now defunct Eagle Photo and worked in photo labs. Through these jobs and her love of photography, she knew what was needed.

“With digital cameras, people just snap away and store in their computers,” Brackett said. “Or, they take the photos to print at a mass market, computerized place.”

Such outlets do not perform a custom job, she said. The machines scan the first few photos and print the entire group of photos the same way. “Here, I print each photo separately and make certain each one is exactly right,” she said. “More people want this sort of personalized and good service. We’re talking about photographs that will last.”

Preserving family memories is what Live Free Photography is all about. Brackett recalled a story of a boy asking his mother why there weren’t any photos of him as a baby and the mother’s reply was, “My laptop crashed.”

“All the specialty printing is done by me, in my workshop,” Brackett said. “The work is not sent out to another source.”

One thing people appreciate is being able to transfer their slides and old photographs to a restored state that will survive time, she said.

Live Free Photography offers a wide range of services and supplies. Photo restoration is a big part of the business as is printing photographs on canvas. Brackett transfers home movies to DVD, 16mm, 8mm, Super 8, VHS and more. A full line of photo supplies is also available, including Kodak, Fuji and Ilford.

Another service of Live Free Photography is putting an artist’s work on note cards and/or reproducing it as prints. Already, Brackett has some clients and their art is on display. She also sells a selection of frames and supplies.

“I also carry supplies for UNH darkroom students,” Brackett said. “I put together kits for their classes and also do it for some high school classes that still have darkrooms.”

Brackett will soon offer individual and group classes on using digital cameras and the latest techniques. “I like to think of my store as a photographic resource,” she said. “Since Eagle left, there hasn’t been a shop like this in downtown Portsmouth.”

Brackett said she found a real need for her services when she had her shop in Newmarket.

“People want help in profiling their computers,” she said. “Learning how to scan and working with digital can be so easy if you have someone to help and teach you. I want to be that person.”

Brackett emphasized she wants people to feel free to walk in and talk to her and get personalized help with their digital camera.

Brackett believes people don’t print enough and some print on low quality paper that won’t stand the test of time. “It’s nice to put a photo album out and be able to look at it without standing around someone’s computer screen,” she said.

While Brackett admits to some concerns about the current economic situation, she is confident her move to Portsmouth was right.

“The people in the neighborhood and my landlords have been wonderful, very supportive,” she said. “This definitely helps me to stay positive.”

In addition to her client services, Brackett’s own work is displayed on the walls of her store. “I’m very happy to be able to put my past experience to use now,” she said.

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