My Photography Book

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Digitizing Photos The Right Way

By Alexis Hodge


When photograph lovers want a sensible way to preserve photographs electronically, they have to use the right methods for digitizing photos. For most people, this is an essential aspect of preserving these timeless mementos. After all, digital files can be expected to last far longer than paper images.

To be sure, electronic storage devices are not built to last forever. Most hard drives can wear out over the course of years of use. With the right strategy in place, however, anyone can backup his critical photographs in electronic format and provide for safe storage that will last a lifetime.

A quality scan

Everything begins with the scanning process. Most people will take care of these scans themselves, using whatever scanner they have at home. For large volumes of photographs, it may be helpful to have the scanning done by professionals. Whichever method is chosen, the user will want to obtain the best image he can with each scan.

The quality may not matter for archiving purposes, but it will be critical if the image needs to be printed later. While smaller images may take up less room on the storage device, they seldom offer the high level of printing quality that larger files afford.

Storing the images

Once the scanning is completed, the image files must be archived on a digital storage device. Avoid the temptation to use DVDs or other media that can be easily scratched or otherwise damaged. It is better to choose a portable hard drive or external drive and place only these images on it.

As a final form of protection, select a good online backup option and store the images there as well. Then put the original photographs in a safe location. Used correctly, this method for digitizing photos can help to ensure that none of those irreplaceable photographs are ever lost.




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