Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Will California wildfires convince people of the need to archive their photos?


The California wildfires and National Public Radio interviews with people who have escaped disasters finally drove me to add a posting to this blog.



All the people interviewed said the first things they grabbed when they were forced to leave their homes with short notice were their photographs. And yet, here we are with options out the wazoo for protecting our family photographs and home movies (particularly when it could free up the time and space to save other precious items) and still people will wait until the last moment (if there is even a last moment) to keeping their images from destruction.



I grew up in a household that had lost so many family photographs in a storage fire. As my profile shows, I never had the opportunity to see the faces of many relatives who had died before I was born. So, the photographs would have been a wonderful way to see the characteristics that family members always love to compare: whose eyes do I have or did great-grandfather Perry have curly hair like I have?



Understandably, there are challenges to archiving these images. So, here are some guidelines for choosing a site for your photos and movies:



  • Find a company that has solid financial backing, particularly if there is a company that is diversified and draws financial support from other types of services.


  • Look for a company that will allow you to make a modest payment in return for a promise to retain your photographs for many years to come. A number of companies will keep your photographs online so long as you buy something annually. If you miss the email reminder from the company, your photos will be gone.


  • Look for a company that will also archive your home movies so these will be available with sight and sound for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.


  • Make certain the company will allow you to access your photo collection online so that you can still enjoy and share your images while they are safely protected.

In making a full disclosure, I have joined a company that provides everything I thought was important to people (and to my family) to protect these images. It also allows me to help them do what needs to be done to keep those memories safe and give them peace of mind.

And when those images are safe, the people associated with them will live forever. What a better legacy to leave to future generations

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