ReZoom

A slew of new technology makes it easier than ever to hold on to family history and mementos.

We've all been there. Gathered together at the family reunion or wedding anniversary, you pull down the bulky, Naugahyde family photo books you trusted to preserve those precious memories. But underneath the sticky sheets of clear plastic your aunt's once platinum blonde hair has turned a flaxen-rust, and everyone in the Fourth of July picnic photos from 1974 is sporting an orange John Kerry tan.

Before you get too emotional, know that a photo specialist may be able to correct the damage that light inflicted on your photos.

But really, you need to step into the 21st century and digitize those snapshots. For a dependable means to archive your family photos, which, by the way, will make them a lot easier to share, you can either send them to a photo lab (the best choice) or go DIY.

Digitize This
Everyone from Target to Walgreens can digitize photos, but lab techs at places like Fox, Ritz or Wolf Camera will be better trained. Tell them you want to create a digital photo archive. Have them scan your photos and negatives, retouching where the image has degraded, and store them on CD (see storage note below).

If you choose DIY intstead, start by getting the best scanner you can afford. Forget trying to photograph your snapshots with your digital camera.

"It's really hard to take a photo of a photo," says ReZoom's photo expert, Amanda McCadams. "Buy a scanner."

According to McCadams, a good tip to follow when buying scanners is heft. If it's heavy, it's probably a better product because technology can't lessen the weight of glass, and heavy glass is good. It should be able to scan negatives and slides as well as paper. Also, better scanners, like better scotch, are not blends. Buy a dedicated scanner, not one that functions as a fax and copier, too.

If you can shell out $2,400 for an Epson Expression 10000XL, bully for you. But you don't have to. For about $140, Canon's CanoScan LiDE 600F letter-size scanner will probably serve your needs. It has retouching software to fix faded Kodachromes, and you don't have to take a photo class to use it. McCadams also likes the CanoScan 8600F.

"It's a little bigger and more expensive at $170, but you can batch-scan more negatives at once," she says.

Ultimately, McCadams says, the proof is in the software. Scanning software is just as important as the scanner, but don't try making up for buying a $100 scanner by dropping $400 on professional graphic-artist software because you'd likely need to take a photo class (which she teaches in her spare time, by the way) to use it.

"I really think the Adobe Photoshop Elements (4.0) program would be good for what most people need," she says. Adobe's industry-leading brand is a standard and is sometimes packaged with the scanner. Otherwise, the 4.0 runs about $85.

The Right Equipment
If you're still using that Nikon F-150 at family gatherings, stop. Unless you fancy yourself the next Eugene Smith, just "get digi with it."

ReZoom's gadget blogger, Ed Arnold, loves Sony's new line of high-definition camcorders.

"These things actually allow you to make home movies with the level of picture quality someone expects to see on the $3,000 flat screen they bought for Christmas," he says.

He also suggests looking into digital SLR cameras. Manufacturers have begun pricing some semi-professional models in a lower price range that has hobbyists excited.

Two to look at are the Nikon D40 (around $600) and the Canon Digital Rebel XTi (about $700).

"The Nikon takes pictures at a much higher speed than traditional digital cameras," Arnold says, "and the Canon has a lighter body and uses the stock 35mm Rebel lens that hobbyists went crazy for in the '80s."

A Few Words on Storage
A hard drive would be best, but you also want to store a backup. Gold CDs are the preferred method for long term storage. An archival recordable Gold CD-R ($45 for 25) reacts faster to the disc drive's writing laser, making the pit edges used to store data sharper and easier to read, offering the maximum resistance to the effects of light, humidity and heat. The CD's reflective layer is made with 24K gold instead of silver, which stops degradation from oxidation, or CD rot.

Next: For a guide on preserving your memories by creating a video (including a list of handy questions to ask), see our Lights, Camera, History story.

Here at ReZoom, we're exploring ways to leave behind a positive legacy. Click here to see the rest of our stories. Get inspired. It's never too late to create a legacy. More