Storing life’s memories in the Digital Age

With every wave of new technology comes the question: What do I do with my “old” valuable family memories? A few years ago, it was photos and slides to scanned images, as well as film to videotape to DVD. Now it’s digital pictures and digital videos … to what?

Boxes of memories

Four generations of the author's family: mother, Vera Tirabasso; great grandmother, Libera Macchiarolo; grandmother, Felice Oliva; and toddler Claudia Jacobs, in front.
Four generations of my family: mother, Vera Tirabasso; great grandmother, Libera Macchiarolo; grandmother, Felice Oliva; and me as a toddler in front.

In the event you still have the “ancient” formats of 8mm film, VHS or camcorder tapes, photos or slides, there are companies that can convert them into a variety of newer formats. This very topic comes up in my “Staging Tips for Sellers” class: what to do with the boxes of old family photos and movies?

Fortunately, companies like MultiMedia Service Center in Walden (566-6897) have the technology to convert 8mm and 16mm films, videotapes, 35mm slides and pictures into a variety of formats. For those who wish to go with the traditional choice, your memories can be transferred onto DVDs or CDs. If you are interested in doing your own video editing or creating your own digital photo albums but don’t have the equipment to convert your materials, MMSC can transfer them into digital data files.

“The art of capturing and storing photos and videos has never been easier, thanks to advances in digital technology,” says Rich Rossi of MultiMedia Service. “It is a lot less clutter than those piles of old films, VHS and camcorder tapes, photos and slides that are gathering dust and taking up space in your attic or closet. The longer they sit, the better the chance that your treasured family memories are going to fade away.”

The Digital Age

It’s very easy to use your smartphone to capture pictures and video recordings of special moments, but if you’re not careful, it is also very easy to lose them.

The current format of digital photos and video presents a new dilemma: How do you preserve them and share them?

My father, Willy Tirabasso, and young Claudia Jacob (me) in front of our Bronx home.
My father, Willy Tirabasso, and young Claudia Jacob (me) in front of our Bronx home.

Things to consider/precautions to take:

  1. Download immediately to a computer, tablet, SD card or flash drive.
  2. Upload immediately to a cloud service such as Dropbox, Google Drive or iCloud.

That will at least preserve them in the event of a device failure. Once stored safely, those memories tend to collect digital dust. There are many free online services that will allow you to use your creativity and develop photo albums, videos and slideshows. You can also purchase programs that provide you with additional tools to add cool effects and even voice-overs. You can share them on Facebook, You Tube and other social media sites, or email them to family and friends.

Why have I not done this yet?