Ipod Touch 4th gen stuck in a boot loop and recovery mode so iTunes only gives option to restore - important photos not backed up

My dad's ipod touch is stuck in a boot loop. The screen is black with apple logo, then goes white and grey (with logo remaining in white).

By pressing and holding the power and home button, I can get iTunes to detect the device, but it only offers the restore option which means he will lose his photos (that unfortunately he hasn't backed up to the icloud) which are of his last ever marathon in China.

I have checked online and apple suggests after detecting the device using the method above, to hold the power and volume down button until the restore or upgrade option displays on the device itself, but this doesn't work and the ipod just returns to the boot loop.

Is there a way to get it out of recovery mode, or alternatively a way to extract the data before restoring factory settings? (even if that means visiting a genius bar)?