Week # 4 of Save Your Photos Month - Converting Obsolete Media
How many of you still have a working VCR? or slide projector?
no? neither do I - which makes watching home videos from the 80s and 90s quite difficult.
But don't throw them out just yet!
VHS / Video Conversions
There is a solution though! You can have your VHS tapes, reel tapes, 8mm & 16mm converted into a digital format. This will allow you to enjoy them on most digital devices, share them with family and friends, create a back up copy and most importantly - ENJOY them again!
When dealing with any media conversions, I always recommend searching for a local business that is able to do this for you. There are a lot of online services but most require you to mail away your memories, and sadly there is a possibility they could become lost or damaged in the process.
By finding someone local to take care of your media conversions, you can have peace of mind knowing they will be safe as you will hand them over directly and in person. You will also be able to ask questions to get reassurance!
Slide & Negative Conversion & Storage
Do you have a lot of slides or negatives but can't quite tell what is on them? Making a digital copy is an easy way to find out! Negatives and Slides are the original capture of the photograph and often provide the best digital reproduction - better than the print. Slide and negative scanning can be done easily done at home with the right scanner. I recommend the Epson V600. If you have a large quantity of negatives or slides, it might be easier and faster to hand them off to a photo organizer or business that specializes in scanning.
Once your negatives and slides have been digitized, it is important they are stored in proper containers for the long term. I recommend using archival safe museum quality boxes OR sleeves in a binder. Either option will help prevent damage and ensure they stay preserved for future generations.
Letters, Medals & Other Sentimental Items
Physical items can have just as much of a story behind them as photographs do, which is why they are the perfect compliement to a family photo collection and shouldn't be forgotten.
Old love letters and greeting cards between grandparents might have secrets to how they met, or what one may have experienced during the war. Medals and jewelry can tell the story of how brave a relative was during a war, or show how loved someone was. Maybe you had a grandparent with a strange collection (such as salt and pepper shakers). If you know the story behind the collection or specific pieces, it would be great to add that to your collection of stories.
Scanning or photographing these items, allows you to easily add the photograph of the item (and its story) to the rest of your collection. If you have old letters or flat objects such as medals, you can easily use a scanner to make a digital image. If you have large, heavy, or just awkward shaped items photographing on against a plain background would be best.
Would you like to have your old VHS tapes, reel tapes, negatives or slides converted to a digital format?
I can help you find a service, and take care of pickup and delivery for you.