Preserving our Photos

In another thread: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/what-to-do-with-a-photographers-life-work.180545/ a surviving spouse asks what to do with a photographer's life work.

To those of reading this who are photographers, we should read that thread and consider that we have a duty to help answer this question for our survivors.

I think Mike Johnston has some good ideas here:

https://theonlinephotographer.typep.../06/eight-ways-to-preserve-your-pictures.html

I'm 61, starting to feel that I'm no longer immortal, so I need to think very hard, AND ACT ON those thoughts about what I would like my survivors will do with my photos. My thoughts are to put together a *small* collection that is manageable and good enough that they'll want to keep. Action on that thought? not so much.

Thoughts??

As somebody who goes on eBay a lot to buy old negatives, slides and amateur films to digitize and present online... much pre-WWII, I may be able to give some advice.

Make sure your archive is orderly.
With digital files, make sure the names are reasonable. Preferably, store on multiple different formats (Magnetic disc, optical disc, printed format.)
Add metadata such as date, location, subject, people in it.

As to picture formats no longer being supported... don't worry. I was able with a bunch of enthusiasts to decode my 1970s NASA mainframe tape reels. Pioneer 10/11 pictures on them, fun project!
We were only able to decode the 1970s data tape because it had a label with METADATA and CONTEX that gave us the info we needed. The data itself also had metadata.


For negatives or slides, pack them orderly. Have same metadata was digital.

What also really helps, is short notes written for individual photos of sets.

All of this will create interest in the collection because it adds C O N T E X.


To much I see auctions of just 100-500 random Kodachrome slides thrown on a heap and sold as-is.
Or people sell individual slides, removing all context that may have been there when it was in a set.

Everything. Weddings, kids, family reunions, parades, cars, fiancé. Grandparents. Pets.
Very sad.
Must have been cherished and important moments at one point.
I can't save them all ):

I agree documenting is important. I have family photos in albums, debating whether to mark those w a Stabilo 8046 pencil on the versos, and in Lightroom add identifying metadata to digital files. Or like dutchsteammachine suggests, info or metadata for sets of photos. A little at a time.

Pencil: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...aB9TXQ_DLs65tXu7YWdwFAauowuYKtrYaAgRdEALw_wcB

Also getting rid of the MANY 4x6 non-keeper commercially developed prints - just toss? Hard to do, if a loved one is in it, even if it's not the one you'd chose to keep. I'm an amateur photographer, only have a few framed prints.

mrosenlof said:

In another thread: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/what-to-do-with-a-photographers-life-work.180545/ a surviving spouse asks what to do with a photographer's life work.

To those of reading this who are photographers, we should read that thread and consider that we have a duty to help answer this question for our survivors.

I think Mike Johnston has some good ideas here:

https://theonlinephotographer.typep.../06/eight-ways-to-preserve-your-pictures.html

I'm 61, starting to feel that I'm no longer immortal, so I need to think very hard, AND ACT ON those thoughts about what I would like my survivors will do with my photos. My thoughts are to put together a *small* collection that is manageable and good enough that they'll want to keep. Action on that thought? not so much.

Thoughts??

Click to expand...

mrosenlof said:

In another thread: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/what-to-do-with-a-photographers-life-work.180545/ a surviving spouse asks what to do with a photographer's life work.

To those of reading this who are photographers, we should read that thread and consider that we have a duty to help answer this question for our survivors.

I think Mike Johnston has some good ideas here:

https://theonlinephotographer.typep.../06/eight-ways-to-preserve-your-pictures.html

I'm 61, starting to feel that I'm no longer immortal, so I need to think very hard, AND ACT ON those thoughts about what I would like my survivors will do with my photos. My thoughts are to put together a *small* collection that is manageable and good enough that they'll want to keep. Action on that thought? not so much.

Thoughts??

Click to expand...

good idea. I had photo books prited on the ones I liked the most;They are easy to keep, store and show around.

I am one of four children. Anytime we visit my Mother we fire up the slide projector and run through a selection of slides. This is a great way to pass these family memories on to the younger generations. Not to mention my elderly Mother likes to relive those times. Most of the "family photos" I take are E6. I spend time mounting them in slide mounts and putting them in slide trays. I have shown my oldest son the ins and outs of projecting my slide collection. I just want something physical to hand down to future generations. My hard drive may die tomorrow or my negatives may never be scanned and pass on but, those slides can be passed on for many years.