This week we have a guest blog post from Kristen Harding of Larsen Digital. Although we work primarily with still images in books, most of our clients have old reels of film lying around that they don't know what to do with. Here's why you shouldn't delay in digitizing your life! - Alison
We now live in a day and age where most everything is done electronically. Luckily eating is not one of those things, but that’s beside the point. This is the digital age. From streaming movies online to being able to upload pictures directly from your phone to Facebook, the need for physical film is becoming nonexistent. Those of you still hoarding photos in boxes and movie film reels in metal canisters are highly affected by this, because there is not much you can do with old film. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. So what do you do now? Here you will find the top ten reasons to convert your old film to digital.
1- Film can easily be destroyed! Video tapes, photos, and all other formats of film are made of materials like plastic, vinyl, and metal. These substances are hugely susceptible to damage. Fire? Gone. Flood? Warped. Kids? Let’s just say your favorite childhood photo is now covered in Sharpie. Having your memories stored solely in physical form is a liability to your precious legacy.
2- The colors and dyes literally fade away. If you were to look at a negative film strip, or a reel of movie film, you would see frames of imagery. What composes this visual? Chemicals and dyes in the film that make up the subject and scenery shot by the camera. Over time these dyes fade away from the film, leaving the once vibrant coloring dull. The sooner you submit your negatives and movie film for digital conversion, the better off your end results will be.
3- Saves on space. Scanning and transferring your memories to digital saves space! I know so many people that have nooks and crannies in their homes dedicated to past pictures and videos, when that room could be used for coat closets or play areas. After the digitizing process is complete, you can then store your personals on a DVD, hard drive, or in the cloud. (Preferably all three!) Seriously. Huge space saver.
4- Good luck finding equipment to view them on! Did you know that it’s more expensive to find and buy a VHS player than to transfer nearly 10 tapes to DVD? Have you ever tried to purchase a movie film projector? Good luck with that. The machines used to view and watch old film are pretty much nowhere to be found. You will have a much easier time locating digitized images and videos on your smart device than hooking up machinery and fiddling with settings to reminisce on past days.
5- Social freedom. Once you have converted all your photos and videos you can post them on Facebook! Isn’t that what everyone is doing these days? You will have the ability to show off what a cutie pie you were on all your favorite social media sites. You can also get social with your converted film by making books of your life to show off to family and friends. Loved ones enjoy taking a glimpse into your past (especially embarrassing photos!).
6- AMAZING holiday gift! Going from film to digital makes the decision easy when pondering what to give siblings, parents, or other family members for holidays. You can make copies of all your images or videos just like that! (Snapping fingers action inserted here) From video slideshows to a custom video compilation, it is a present sure to bring lots of smiles and even some tears. Not only is it extremely affordable, it is a gift that will always be cherished and remembered.
7- Simplifies organization. Having all your memories on your computer makes it so much easier to organize! You no longer have to worry about someone getting into your photos and ruining the perfect order you had, or putting a Video Tape in the wrong labeled sleeve. Instead, you can have digital folders and subfolders to your heart’s desire. Keeping your files organized digitally can give you peace of mind knowing that it would take some really hard work to mess it up!
8- Awesome editing options. With all the apps and free editing software offered for computers and smart devices, you can truly make your images and videos unique! The digital world is here, and the resources to make your digital files that much better are right at your fingertips. Tap into your creative side and have some fun with your photos and videos.
9- View them wherever you are! With the blessing to this world of the “cloud” you can view your digitized film anywhere, anytime. So when you go to your 30-year high school reunion and you want to show off your adorable kids or sports car, you can show them with your smart device using your preferred image or video storing service. Not only is the cloud a concept of convenience, but it is also meant to help keep your files safe. We highly recommend using a cloud service for storing your images and videos.
10- Your film is worth it. Your memories only happened once, and the ones that were captured by the beloved camera should stick around forever. Your film deserves the best, and so do you. Converting your old film to digital is incredibly necessary and logical, but it’s also just the right thing to do.
Larsen Digital Services is the top film conversion provider in the industry. With experience since 1995 backing them up, they know what it takes to elevate your memories to the next level. Not only do they convert your film to digital, but they offer so many services to enhance your legacy such as video slideshows and cloud uploads. As a family run business, Larsen Digital Services is truly invested in making sure quality and professionalism come together with every frame of film.
