Write as many details as possible on the back of the photo. Use only fast–drying, archival–grade pens or pencils. These supplies can be found at your local camera shop, Hobby Lobby or check with a local scrap-booking organization.

Cleaning Your Photos - To remove fingerprints, mold and any other gunk that is on the photos, use a cleaning solution or PEC-12 Photo-Wash. It’s important to read the instructions for use as this can ruin the colors if there are cracks in the emulsion (image side) of the photo.

Details, Details, Details

You never know who will be looking at these photos in the future, so early on in the process, fully identify those people that will show up over and over again. Use their full name, dates of their birth and death, and place of birth and then what you’ll be identifying them as later on. Example: Loretta Barbara Ruetten – Padavic – Broz, b. 10/14/1913, d. 8/14/2005, Sparta Wisconsin – (Mom). Later on the viewer will know a little more about Mom and you’ll save yourself some time. Pick a pattern for labeling information. List the What, Where and When across the top, then Who is in the photo along the left going down identifying the people in the photo from left to right. And finally, print neatly.

Grouping the photos

Most of the time you will probably have your photos in chronological order (earliest to latest). But, there are options. Once you’ve added all the details to the photos you can organize, view and store the photos in order within a “theme”. A “theme” is just a category of how you want to group your photos:

• vacations
• birthdays
• weddings
• anniversaries
• special events

Family Legacy Photo Slideshow from joe padavic on Vimeo.

In our next blog post we’ll talk about storing your photos. Continue your hard work and drop me a comment on your successes or any problems that you’re running into. Others will want to know that they’re not alone in this.

— Joe Padavic  - Teardrop Video – helping people preserve their visual history one image at a time.

I’m located in the Kansas City, Missouri metro area (Mission, Kansas), but I’ve helped people from the Bronx, New York to San Jose, California and from Tampa, Florida to Greenbay, Wisconsin.

Here’s a few examples of what you would be looking for: 

A 4′ x 6′ photo at 300 ppi holds 2.1 million pixels. Which means if the end result you’re looking for is good quality 4×6 photos, a 3MP camera is all that is needed.

Here’s the math: 4 x 300 ppi = 1,200, 6 x 300 ppi = 1,800, so 1,200 x 1,800 = 2,160,000

If you’re looking to capture 8×10 portraits, you’d probably be happy with an 8MP camera.

Here’s the math: 8 x 300 ppi = 2,400, 10 x 300 ppi = 3,000, so 2,400 x 3,000 = 7,200,000

Don’t expect to accomplish this all at once. Allocate some time to work with the photos on a regular basis. That will help in getting this done without getting frustrated?

How to handle your photos

How you handle your photos and negatives is very important. Oils and dirt from your fingers will cause permanent damage over time. Always hold your photos and negatives along the edges, or preferably, handle them using inexpensive cotton gloves. 

Separating the photos from the negatives

As you go through your envelopes, shoe-boxes, and other containers , remove the negatives. Identify what they are (example: Joe’s birthday party) with a general notation on archival-grade paper. Pick a place to store them in a safe location, away from the photos.

Weeding through the photos

This is a simple “yes-no” phase where you create a YES pile and a NO pile. Ask yourself, “Which photos do I really care about?” It’s a simple process of looking at your photos and making a quick decision of which snapshots you’ll keep and which ones you won’t. You’ll quickly recognize the images you like. Get rid of the “weeds:” blurry photos, damaged pictures, duplicates, too dark or too light shots, etc. You can still keep them if you want, but for your photo albums you want the best. Give duplicates to friends or family. Avoid the urge to reminisce. It makes the task heavy and adds hours to the process. You’ll have plenty of time to do that when you’re done.

Yes-No Video from joe padavic on Vimeo.

A quick note about cleaning your photos

To clean dirt, grease, and finger prints from the photo, use a product like PEC-12 Photo Wash (made by Photographic Solutions Inc.), making sure to follow the instructions. A non-water based film and print cleaner, this product will also remove ball-point pen marks and several other residues. You can find it along with inexpensive gloves, online and at your local camera shop.

Our next blog post will talk about identification. You’re making progress, so hang in there, and don’t quit now! Please leave a comment and tell us how your own photo organization project is going.

–Joe Padavic - I guarantee teardrops of happiness. Teardrop Video is here to preserve family memories for Kansas City area residents. Whether photo or film, we can do it.

Your film transfer service in the greater Kansas City metro area.

Thanks, Joe

1. Find a place where you can set up shop.

It should be:

• an area that won’t require you to pack things up and move. You should be able to leave everything in place until the job is done.
• in plain view where you’ll pass by it every day. This will keep the task in front of you and bug you every day until you’re done.
• an area away from doors, windows and heavy foot traffic. You don’t want your pictures to go flying from a sudden gust of wind, or get knocked off the table from family members and pets rushing by.

2. Start out with the right materials.

You’ll need three things:

• a comfortable chair
• a worktable large enough to spread things out
• a good source of light

3. Bring out your photos.

Find all the boxes, envelopes, albums, binders and any other container that has your photographs. Think of all the places those snapshots could be hiding. Be sure to check:

• attic
• basement
• cedar chest
• under the beds
• coffee tables
• file cabinets
• closets
• garage
• dresser drawers
• desks
• under the stairwell
• bookshelves
• off-site storage facilities

Depending on your project, you might even call family and friends to see what they can add to your photo collection. Take all of your photos and place them in your work area.

Our next blog post will talk about how to weed out the bad photos from the good. Until then, keep convincing yourself this needs to be done.

Joe Padavic – Whether photo or film, Teardrop Video preserves family memories for Kansas City area residents.