forgotten iphone password, is there any option but to reset the whole phone?

It's an I-Phone 5s. Important photos may end up wiped out forever -- is there any workaround? Thanks in advance!

Just to be clear: you forgot the passcode for the phone itself? Or you forgot the Apple ID password?

Resetting the Apple ID password is easy. 

If you forgot the passcode to the phone itself, I don't think there's a workaround. if there were, we wouldn't have seen the whole FBI vs Apple thing after the San Bernardino shootings.

If your photos are backing up to iCloud Photo Library, or if you have them set to back up to the older iPhoto program, then restoring your phone will not delete the photos from your photo library. When you log the phone back into iCloud after the restore, your photos will still be there. 

Unfortunately, if your photos were stored solely on the iPhone, I think you're probably out of luck if you can't remember the passcode.

Before you resort to resetting, google around for "unlock iPhone 5s"  videos and see if any of them work for your phone.

restrictions password?   If so there's a software called I Phone back up extractor  $79.   Had it figured out in about 45 seconds