Photography is about preserving our memories.
Chances are, hiding in your attic, or tucked away in a dark corner of your home, is a box of old slides, film, or photos. I could get lost for days reliving the memories of my childhood and I regularly find myself fascinated by the photographic accounts of my partner's childhood in Africa within the boxes of photos in our attic. Photography for me isn't just about taking photos, it's also about preserving the ones we already have. Something I suggest everyone does.
So tell me, how do you have your photos stored and where in your home do you keep them?
Storing photos is only part of the "picture", digitizing your memories should be the goal. Roofs leak, fires happen, mice are a very real nuisance especially in these old farm houses of Nova Scotia. There are so many ways that photos can become lost or damaged. Start with keeping your items in a waterproof rubbermaids and I'll dive into the other ways you can preserve and share your photos.
When my mother and father in law passed away, I sat in the living room of their home after a full day of sorting their possessions, with my sister in laws. We found the boxes in the basement filled with a lifetime of family photos.
What do you do? How do you sort them and divide them among family members?
It was 2013, and the best solution at the time seemed to be make a slideshow on a CD. So we did, and gave copies to our family that had come to the memorial. It only really benefited the family that was local. Sure, you can mail a disc, but they get lost and damaged in the post, and now, 8 years later, good luck finding a device with a CD rom drive.
Everything is digital, hosted on clouds, and accessed by apps. Your photos should be too.
I know many people that love to create photo books at the end of each year as a way to preserve the photos they've taken on their phones. It's a great way to organize and share your photos but there's a fundamental problem still exists in tangible items like albums or even old hard drives.
What happens if it gets damaged? Where are your original photos and can you still access them?
To address this, I've started scanning, enhancing, and even restoring torn and discoloured photos. From there I catalog them into an online gallery system. This system allows me to instantly access my photos from a safe and secure app on my phone or from a direct link on my computer. I can easily share it with my family and friends so they have access to these photos too. They can even have the photos made into canvas, photo gifts, wall art, and more directly from the gallery AND have them replaced if they become lost or damaged.
I process thousands of photos a month through the studio, and have invested in industry specific software in order to do this, but I have something that can get you started if you're a DIY'er.
Check out https://www.shootproof.com/.
The free plan will allow you to store 100 photos in an online gallery, and be able to share it!
