Tips for capturing great photos on your phone!

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How large can I print this mobile image?

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Digital image storage tips + best practices.

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Celebrate a life with photos + memorabilia!

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Celebrate a life with photos + memorabilia! Reminisce and remember loved ones – we’re here to help.

Nostalgic memories make for a meaningful memorial celebration!

Planning a memorial service can be emotional and overwhelming, however, the silver lining can often be found in reminiscing over photographs, memorabilia, and even home movies.

For a truly personal and custom celebration of life event – consider creating a collection of keepsakes for family members or honoring the deceased in more unique ways. This can happen during a memorial service or afterward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAVORITE MEMORIAL PRODUCT: A PHOTO BOOK

Photo books are one of the most popular ways to memorialize a loved one. Gather a few of your favorite images or drop off a box full – we’d be happy to digitize the photos and help you create a stunning book.

Believe it or not, we often see customers creating their own “life story” photo books that will eventually be gifted to family and friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREATE A “LIFE HISTORY” VIDEO MONTAGE

Old home tapes and movies can be combined into a moving video production. We’ll add music, text, and any other special touches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISPLAYS AND KEEPSAKES

Photographs are often displayed on poster boards and easels during a memorial. Instead, consider building a printed collage or enlarging a few extra special images.

Send special guests and close family a keepsake featuring a favorite photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHARE A PRINT OR TWO

Printed photos can be fun to flip through and even easy to send guests home with. After we digitize your vintage photographs, we can make prints in any size or quantity to share

Gifting family memories

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Turn home videos and vintage family photos into modern-day digital files that can be viewed on TVs, computers, and devices! Host a holiday viewing party and reminisce with the entire family!

 

Digitize your analog memories are safely preserved long-term.
GIFTING TIP: Get digital copies for grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins and your own children. Additional copies of your files are extremely affordable and great for gift giving!
Surprise your family with this meaningful gift! We can digitize nearly any analog media type including photographs, VHS tapes, home movie reels, slides, negatives, documents, scrapbook pages and so much more!
IMPORTANT: Plan ahead for this meaningful gift idea! We need a few weeks to complete this service in time for the holidays!
KEEP YOUR MEMORIES SAFE + LOCAL!
Never ship away your precious memories and irreplaceable home movies; because it’s just too risky! Use a local professional photo + video archiving expert for the best possible result.
STOP-IN OR SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT!
Collaborate with a professional consultant, in-store or virtually, to discuss your project!

Fun with FILM Photography!

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Fun with FILM Photography! Trust your local professional lab (that’s us) for film processing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE CAMERAS:

The new generation of film photographers are using disposable cameras, SLRs inherited from relatives and newly purchased used models. There is very little in the way of new film cameras being manufactured or innovated, so we are left with almost a “complete” range to choose from. There will be nothing new to look forward to, so the concentration moves from gear to simply producing the best work with that gear as you can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE IMAGES:

Film images are known for having their own “look”. Photographers are embracing the diversity of what a particular film can offer depending on the way it is shot, developed, and printed — it’s far beyond the recommended ISO or development chemicals. Many of the factors involved in exposing, developing, and printing are subjective when compared to certain digital manipulation techniques, including most Photoshop uses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRUST YOUR LOCAL PRO LAB:

The new photo consumers not only want prints, but they also want their files delivered on digital media AND stored in the cloud. There are lots of processing options for today’s film photographer! Your local photo lab (that’s us) is the perfect destination to learn and experiment with your photography. Not to mention, you’ll have confidence in knowing your film is developed in an authentic lab environment.

DEVELOPING THE FILM:

We love film photography – in fact, it’s where we got our start! When we process a roll of film, each and every negative, slide and film strip is individually analyzed to optimize color, density and sharpness. We even look for and remove dust and debris before printing or scanning. Our experienced production team personally inspects every photo for quality so your prints from film will last a lifetime and beyond. In fact, our archival quality papers will last at least 80 years without fading and discoloration.

IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS:

Film photographers are hungry for knowledge and love stopping in to chat with our team. We’ll help you understand your equipment, expand your skillset and experiment with various processing methods.

 

What Happened to my film? Troubleshooting Tips.

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WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FILM?
You asked, and we found the answers. We’ve assembled this list of common film photography problems and solutions to help you take better pictures. Enjoy!

BLANK FILM
If a roll is not loaded correctly or does not transport through the camera, it will be blank. A broken shutter can also lead to blank film. Be sure to use correct loading techniques for manual wind cameras.

OLD FADED FILM
Storage conditions play a large part in the life of the exposed film, as well as the original processing. Store film in a waterproof bin, away from excessive sunlight, damp locations, or in a basement.

 

X-RAY EFFECTS ON FILM
A single airport x-ray won’t cause noticeable damage, but multiple trips can fog your film. When traveling, keep your film in your carry-on bag in a clear, plastic zip-lock bag and ask for hand inspection.
WRONG FLASH SETTING
The wrong setting can lead to part of the photo being lighter than the other part. Your camera will have one shutter speed that is a different color from the others. Use that speed or a slower one to keep the shutter and flash in sync.

 

LIGHT FOG
If the back of the camera is opened, even for a second, light will fog, or expose, the film. This will be seen as dark areas on the negatives or light areas on slides.
You could say we’re familiar with film processing. In fact, it’s how we got our start back in the pre-digital photography era. Needless to say, we know what we’re doing when it comes to turning your analog shots into stunning images

4 Quick Tips for protecting your photo legacy!

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STEP 1: SORT
Take pictures out of albums, frames and boxes so you are working with only loose prints. Choose the photos you want to keep. Remove duplicates and poor-quality shots. Keep only the most meaningful images and toss the rest if you are working to downsize or eliminate clutter. At this point, you could stop and move on to Step #3.

STEP 2: ORGANIZE
If you want to get your photo collection truly organized, then continue sorting. Separate pictures into piles by subject, people, theme or year. Whatever makes most sense to you. Then, label those piles in chronological order. This will pay off when you move on to Step #4 and eventually share copies of your images with family members. Advanced sorting will make specific photos easy to locate on a computer or device later on.

STEP 3: DIGITIZE

Box up your printed memorabilia and bring them to a trusted local photo preservation expert (like us!) for scanning. The keyword here is “local”. We never recommend shipping your most precious possessions across the country! Each print will be professionally digitized and saved as high-resolution JPG files. We can even create labeled folders to keep your sorting efforts intact.

 

 

 

STEP 4: COPY + SHARE
At this stage, you’ll have various options for what to do with your digital image files – including how many copies to share. This is the fun part! Think about who would like a set of the scanned images – even if they may not completely appreciate them today. (IE: children and teens.) Once the images are scanned, duplicate media copies are extremely affordable – so be generous and share freely!
Your story is meant to be shared – and now is the perfect time to do it! Don’t wait until it’s too late to protect those photos of your grandparents, your high school prom and that family vacation to the Grand Canyon.

Tips for selecting the perfect Wall Art for any space!

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The right imagery and materials can turn your space into a conversation-starting environment in no time! Here are some tips for selecting the right décor solutions for any environment.
PRO TIP: Mix complementary media like framed prints, canvas, and metal for an eclectic and varied aesthetic!

Canvas = Classic
  • Printed on artist-grade cotton canvas media
  • Finished for durability and longevity
  • Lightweight and ready-to-hang (No need for framing.)
  • Dozens of size options
  • Ideal for a traditional home or office setting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metal Prints = Impact
  • Your image is sublimated onto sturdy brushed aluminum
  • Images look vibrant, bold, and sharp
  • Dozens of size options
  • Ideal for a contemporary home, a commercial location, or modern office setting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Prints = Natural
  • Your image is printed directly on a natural wood panel
  • Photos look sharp, yet soft and natural
  • Woodgrain shows through the lighter areas of the image
  • Ideal for a shabby chic or farmhouse styled space

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acrylic Prints = Pizzazz!
  • Your image is flush-mounted underneath a clear piece of acrylic
  • Images look bright, dimensional, and sharp
  • Extremely durable and easy to clean
  • Ideal in a contemporary home or a commercial space

Archiving Best Practices

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Does this sound familiar? “I have photos on a bunch of old CDs, thumb drives, external hard drives, in albums and then there is my Dropbox, Google Photos, and maybe I’ve backed up to iCloud…help, I am overwhelmed!” Before you can start to organize your photos, you have to get them ALL into one place. During week one we will focus on gathering your photos.
Even if you aren’t ready to physically gather them, making a list is a useful first step, and you’ll be more prepared when the time is right to embark on the organizing.

Locate all your photos, slides + videos.
Let’s start with a list of all the places you are storing your printed photos and slides. Include photo albums, framed photos, photos in drawers or boxes or closets, or even storage units. A written list of locations will serve as a checklist when you gather them.
Make a list of all the places you have digital photos. Include old phones, computers, memory cards, and CDs/DVDs. Add usernames and passwords to photo websites where you’ve uploaded pictures.
Home movies should be part of what you’re saving! Make a list of the types you have (Super 8, VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, etc.) so you can make a plan for converting them to digital.

Ask family members!
Get the family involved in tracking down your photos. Ask relatives where their photos are and make a plan to include them in your photo organizing project.
Estimate.
How many photos do you have: 10,000 or 100,000? Knowing the number helps you plan the scope of the project. A shoebox = 600 – 800 photos; 1 GB = about 560 JPGS; the average photo album = 200 photos.
Be selective. Keep only the best of the best!
Are you finding lots of duplicates as you go through your photos? Toss or delete doubles, blurry shots, and most scenery-only photos. Edit your collection down to a manageable size! You may end up getting rid of 50% or more.
Plan for the digitizing process.
You’ve found your photos, but now what? You need a plan. This week, we’ll explore creating a photo legacy by understanding what’s most important to you. What are your photo goals and what would success look like? Then strategize a plan to digitize and back up your photos.
Even if you’re not ready to do the actual organizing, thinking through these decisions about your photo legacy means you’ll be prepared whenever the time is right to start.
Digitize + Back up
The best backup for your printed photos is to scan them by sending them to a trusted local archiving expert. Don’t risk loss, damage or theft of your precious memories by sending them away to a big box online service.

Next Steps
You’ve found your photos, have a plan, and know the stories. Now it’s time to share. The options for printing photos are endless, from framed prints and photo gifts to photo books. Online galleries make it easy to share digitally. Look for ideas to bring your photos back to life by getting them into your everyday life.
Even without starting to organize your whole collection, it’s easy to bring photos back into your life…choose recent favorites from your phone and get creative!
Plan ahead for holiday giving
Get a head start on your gift planning. Digitized family moments is an excellent gift idea for anyone in your family. Surprise family members with a digitized collection of memorabilia!