Two options for preserving precious family photos and videos from previous generations
We all hold memories of the past in our minds, but nothing beats pictures or footage of bygone days spent with loved ones in terms of rekindling fond feelings and keeping dearly departed relatives alive in our hearts.
The problem is that as time passes, photos can fade and older video formats can fall out of use, making these tokens of good times surprisingly fragile and fleeting in their own right.
So what can you do to restore and preserve them, so that older generations can be remembered and engaged with by younger members of the clan? Let’s look at two options.
1) Digitizing printed photos to preserve them forever
It’s always a great feeling going through family albums and looking at old photos to relive the quality time you enjoyed together. To preserve them for posterity, it is important to digitize your printed photographs so they are safe from any damage or degradation.
Converting the physical images into digital ones ensures they will remain in perfect condition regardless of how much time has passed since you first took them.
Additionally, there are many online services available that make this process very simple. All you need is a scanner or smartphone camera!
Once the photograph has been scanned or snapped with your phone camera, simply upload it onto an image file hosting website like Google Drive for easy access anytime, anywhere. Doing so will make it shareable among friends and family members who may not have had a chance to see the photo before now.
2) Converting VHS tapes to digital videos
Videos from previous generations can be a great way to reconnect with family members who have passed away or bring back memories of happy times. However, as time goes on, these videos are often forgotten and misplaced, or you simply lose the ability to access them by upgrading your home media setup.
To prevent this from happening, consider converting VHS to digital video formats so they can last indefinitely. There are many services available that make the conversion process relatively easy, and you can simply send in your old tapes and receive the digitized footage either on DVD or as a downloadable file.
You can also handle this yourself if you’ve got the right hardware setup at home. All you need is a device capable of connecting the tape player to your computer, presuming you still have a VHS-compatible player at home. There are quite a few options on the market, some of which are very affordable.
With your VHS tapes digitized, you can then upload the video files onto online video hosting sites like YouTube for a long-term storage and playback option. You can then send the link to the videos you upload to friends and family members anywhere in the world.
If you’re feeling creative, it’s even possible to edit your home video files before you upload them, trimming out dead air and perhaps even removing any embarrassing elements that you don’t really want to be hosted elsewhere on the web.
Ready to digitize your photos and videos?
Whether you decide to take on the lion’s share of the work of digitizing your analog memories, or you outsource this to a professional service provider, it’s worth getting other family members involved in this process.
The biggest reason for this is that they might have input to add and even their own pictures and clips which would work well in combination with any that you have in your home. Making it a collaborative project, rather than forging ahead solo, will deliver the best end results.
