Slideshows used to be a family treat when I was a kid.
On nights where we were all together my sisters and I would spontaneously demand a slideshow on a nostalgic whim. My dad would grumble a bit then get swept up in our enthusiasm. He would dig out a dusty old box full of these tiny card and celluloid squares which would magically appear as an image on a wall or bedsheet and instantly transport us back to another time and place. My mum would smile and make a cup of tea, we are British after all!
Our favorite slides were of our childhood days in Singapore. We were too young to remember much, which is why we loved reliving those experiences through our old slide collection. More importantly, we as a family shared these memories together with much laughter. Now I get to share these precious photos and memories with my kids as I recant the stories that my parents used to tell us as each slide appeared.
Christmas Day Singapore Style (early 70s)
Seeing old slides, the old grey projector and familiar cries of "it's upside down dad!" seem like a bygone era. Do our slide projectors even still work and where can I buy replacement bulbs these days?
This is what brings me to why it is so important to scan and digitalize your old slides.
Your slides are specially mounted film transparencies that are designed to be projected using a strong light source from a slide projector, usually to display photographs to large audiences. The most common size slides are 35mm transparencies mounted in either a plastic or card shell for projection.
Your slides are deteriorating.
You may think they will last forever but they won't, they will just fade into memories. What really impacts your slides lifespan is how and where they are stored. To be honest how many of us store our slides in acid-free binders at a constant 30-32oF with a relative humidity of 40% as recommended by Kodak. Not many!
The two greatest factors in how fast your slides deteriorate are varying temperatures and high and low humidity. Degradation of color, contrast, dynamic range are always happening depending on storage conditions. If any moisture gets into your slides storage box they will start to develop mold bacteria over time which causes permanent damage to the images. Mold spreads once it's gotten into a storage box very quickly. Light, especially any sunlight, will cause fading. Improper storage and handling can cause scratches, dust and dirt accumulation. Make sure you store your slides inside your house and avoid putting in attics and garages, a stable temperature and humidity will help them last a bit longer.
Digitalizing these precious parts of your family history will preserve them forever before the inevitable deterioration becomes an issue.
Storage becomes an issue.
Often our precious memorabilia is tucked away in some corner of the house, attic or under a bed somewhere. Storage conditions change, boxes are relocated and even lost or damaged over time. Often slides are stored in original bulky cases and boxes. When digitalizing your slides, its a great opportunity to sort and repackage more efficiently your slides.
S#!T Happens!
Pipes burst, fires and natural disasters do happen. In just recent years we've seen so many natural disasters making the news, from massive fires to floods and tornadoes. I think we all know someone who has been touched by some sort of natural devastation or accidental loss through fire and water damage. This is just one of those awful circumstances where at best there is just loss of property. But that loss of property could include your old photographs, slides, photo albums and other memorabilia. Scanning, digitalizing, sharing electronically on social media, uploading to the cloud and making additional USB flash drives to distribute your memories will safeguard these memories.
Let your history live on!
One of the greatest things about scanning and digitalizing your old photos, slides and negatives is creating the opportunity to share and talk about your own family history. It's a great way to reconnect with relatives and friends that may remember the people and places captured in your photographs. We get a candid look into the past, often with intimate detail. We get to hand down for generations to come these images without fear of loss and deterioration.
Share images and enjoy using social media in a positive way. Keep Facebook fun!
How many of us have thought about or started genealogy projects thanks to the growth in popularity of family tree websites. Being able to upload and add old photographs of past family members really bring your family trees to life.
So, start thinking about those old boxes stuffed with vintage photos, those photo albums gathering dust and especially those old slides most of us have tucked away slowly deteriorating.
Contact me at stuart@shutterscan.com if you would like to begin a discussion about how I can and would love to help you digitalize your precious memories.
