1) Protect your Family’s Legacy of Memories - Photographic materials have chemical compositions that deteriorate over time. Natural elements like humidity, extreme temperature fluctuations, and moisture can contribute to a breakdown as well as how they are kept in albums where paper and glues erode. When you digitize irreplaceable images, you preserve your photos and bring them back to life with editing tools.
2) Natural Disasters - With the recent spate of fires in the west, it would be devastating to leave your home in a matter of minutes. What would you take? Certainly not 5 boxes of albums when other essentials are vital. These images are irreplaceable. If they were destroyed, how would you even assign a monetary value to something that has sentimental value? Just like fires, basements, garages, and attics are notorious spaces where water damage and other unforeseen events can occur. Your memories would be lost.
3) Where to Begin - Many families have amassed physical photos and documents over generations. Prior to the digital photography age, everyone had photos and albums. Parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents may have passed down keepsakes. When you consider this, as well as your own personal collection, it can get quite overwhelming! Having Ambrosia Archiving help you with your collection reduces stress and anxiety and the feeling of having to do it all on our own. You now have a guide on best practices to archive your collection.
4) Clear out the Clutter - Think of all the room you will have if you’re able to move out boxes, tubs in closets or albums on a shelf! Now, you can use these areas for other things or just keep it open. By digitizing, you no longer need those physical copies and the spaces that housed them.
5) Easy Location - Being able to locate your photos is an amazing benefit when you want to relive your memories. Creating a personalized and organized catalog system where folders are labeled with dates, events, celebrations, etc. will make finding that image a snap.
6) Sharing - Digitization makes it incredibly easy to share your photos with family and friends once they are placed in the cloud, an external drive, or USB/jump drive. Any of these places are available readily whenever you’d like to view.
7) Versatility - Once you have all your images at your fingertips, you can do almost anything. Design photo books, cards, even calendars as gifts for Mother’s Day, graduations, anniversaries; make slideshows for family celebrations or weddings or enlarge photos to frame. These are just a few of the endless things you’ll be able to create.
Alison Levin is a student of history, conservation and archival techniques having honed best practices working for many historical societies as well as using her personal family collection. An avid photographer, she has created scrapbooks, albums, and photo collages which she is now devoted to digitizing.
Contact Ambrosia Archiving for a complimentary consultation and see how we illuminate your memories.
