Reproducing / preserving / archiving pictures and documents

[paddyscar]

Picking up from comments by Rab and Sheilajim in the thread ‘Archive quality photo albums - Glasgow or Edinburgh?’, I thought it may be of interest and help to discuss reproducing, preserving and archiving pictures and documents.

Like Rab, I’ve started scanning photos and plan to make DVDs for distribution to my siblings. Like many other families, whatever photos we had, there was only one copy and who ever kept a negative?

I’ve tried reproducing about a dozen professional and box camera photos from 1915 through 1950. I am amazed at the quality of picture produced from scanning a 2 ¼” x 3 ¼” box camera photo. I took them to the local photo shop for printing at $.20 Cdn or 10p for each 4”x 6” print.

I don't plan to print all of them but wanted to ensure the results were worth the effort. Those who wish to make copies can do it on their own from the DVDs, as I've a money-pinching reputation to uphold

Frances

Rab Moderator

Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:39 am

I've taken a different approach. For the last few months I've spent an eternity scanning all the photographs I can get my hands on. Together with the digital photographs from my camera I'm going to back them all up onto DVD and hand out copies to the family.

sheilajim

Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 3:05 pm

Hi Rab

That is a good idea, but you should also have hard copies. I have heard that DVDs and CDs don't last forever.

Regards

Sheila

Rab Moderator

Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:05 am Post subject:

Hopefully the DVDs will last long enough till the next storage format comes along. Maybe it's because I've worked with computers so long that I prefer this method- or maybe it's just because it's cheap.

[Rab]

It is well worth the effort in my opinion to get those photos on to a digital format. After bags upon bags of photos I've made myself pig sick scanning hours on end. It doesn't help that my scanner sometimes doesn't want to play with my laptop.

All in all I've spent a good deal of labour scanning the photos, cutting them to size and retouching where required. It was monotonous at the time and seemed like it would never end but after all the effort it has been worth it. I now have all the photos on my laptop and backups on DVD.

Via a digital camera it's easy to get new prints made which is a bonus and likewise without a digital camera photo paper copies can be quickly and relatively cheaply acquired online. This in itself makes it worthwhile if you had alot of dogeared, wrinkly, paper thin old photographs.

Using DVD software it's possible to make some wonderful presents for family too. I've done quite a few slideshows set to the preferred music of the recipient with relative ease. I can honestly say all have enjoyed their viewing.

Rab

[laineywoo]

Hi
I was reading your views and wondered if you have noticed that some of the latest models of scanners now have programmes where you can scan slides in the same way as photos. Obviously you were referring to photos in days prior to slides, but I dont know about anyone else, most of the old family photos from 60s and 70s are not seen as they were put onto slides. I thought this was a wonderful idea........I'll have to wait till I break my latest scanner before managing to purchase one myself though
Lainey