Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Film Friday is still on hiatus. but will restart and continue until the end of the year. You can help get us started sooner by sending some 35mm film to review or any other film photography gear that could be used for these posts or in my YouTube videos. Mail it to: Joe Farace, PO BOX 2081, PARKER, CO 80134 and if you do, thanks for your support. It is my fervent hope that #FilmFriday will continue in 2023.
Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them. —Bob Dylan
Save Your Photos Day is typically on the last Saturday in September. This year it’s September 24 and it’s a great day to back up those digital photos and organize all those boxes of Polaroids.
As part of Save Your Photos Month, the day reminds us that all of these precious memories are perishable. Whether through natural disasters like floods, fires, or tornadoes or the human ones like spilled liquids and computer viruses, photos in any form are fragile. Backing them up and preserving them is necessary for the long haul. (#flashbackfriday shot of Mary and I in Las Vegas celebrating our 29th anniversary.)
Some of the older photographs that have made it this far may be missing some vital information. Many of our grandparents didn’t take the time to write the names of the people in the pictures, never realizing that generations later would be as fascinated by the people in the images as they were by taking them.
Take time to protect your photographs, whether you use a digital or film camera to take pictures. Attend workshops on how to preserve photographs. Scan, preserve, and share the photos with family members to be shared for future generations as well. There are several ways to create order from the chaos. Take charge of your more modern photos now. Label as you go by including names, dates, and information about the event on the picture. EXIF data can help with digital images. Back up the digital photos regularly and not just in the cloud but on physical media too, storing them in a safe, secure place. Share your favorites and display those that bring a smile.
When it comes to tracking down information on old family pictures, start with your relatives. There may be someone who knows someone that has a long memory. Take a road trip with your photographs for a visit. Connect through ancestry and family tree websites. Some of the oddest things will help connect one photo to another.
Other ways to participate include:
- Share your skills – Invite others to learn how to organize their photos, research their history, and document the stories.
- Take a class – Learn about photo preservation and editing. Bring those old photos back to life.
- Start scanning – Preserve old photos digitally to share with other family members. I’ve been using ScanMyPhotos.com, who produced many of my images that were saved as both snapshots and slides and they have lots of affordable plans for scanning prints, negatives or slides.
- Make it a habit – Document your photos with dates and names.
- Use #SaveYourPhotosDay to share on social media