Marching Forward with Your Family Reunion Photo Scanning Project

My father was very giving. I remember watching him give back to his family, community, basically everyone around him. If you came to our home, you had to eat, there was no way you would leave without a meal. He gave back in so many ways. Even though he only had a high school education, he managed to start his own company. While managing that company, he instilled in us the importance of family, being there for each other and providing support no matter what. As a kid, I remember my father telling us to “always respect your elders, even if you think they are wrong.” He also told us to never embarrass him or the Burns family name, “you are a Burns, don’t forget it.”

As we begin the third month of 2023, it is a good time to evaluate how we are doing with our personal resolutions and our family reunion planning goals. Hopefully by now you have already started planning for your photo scanning event at your reunion. If not, don’t worry. There is still time to jumpstart the process in time for your big event.

Plan To Scan Recap

In my article “Recipes, Reminiscing and Reunions,” (Reunions magazine, Volume 31 Number 4 Virtual Edition December 2022), I outlined six steps for planning and executing a successful photo scanning project for your family. Here is a quick recap (Click on the link above to download a copy of the article for further reference).

1. Purchase a Vivid-Pix Memory Station. The Memory Station is a combination of a Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 + Vivid-Pix RESTORE

By Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A.

software. Photos can automatically be backed up to the cloud where you can also add voice recordings to the memory using FileShadow.

2. Involve Family. Emails from the reunion organizer or committee lead should include scanned photographs of favorite family memories to generate interest in the scanning event.

3. Make it Personal. Family gatherings in person at the holidays or virtually through Zoom help the family look at favorite photographs and reminisce about special times.

4. Include Individuals Unable to Attend. Zoom or Facetime can be used to connect with those in the family unable to attend the reunion. Ask them to send their photos by mail or scan and share them through a shared folder on FileShadow. This way everyone can enjoy the photographs and memories.

5. Designate a Reunion Space. Hopefully you have your reunion venue selected and reserved. If it is a place you have been to before, then it will be easy create a blueprint of your “scanning space.”

6. Create a Conversation Circle. Consider designated a place at the reunion where people can sit and talk informally about the photos being scanned.

NEXT STEPS: YOUR 3-MONTH MARK

Bring your memories together – read Reunion Photo Memory Planning articles: https://reunionsmag.com/category/familyreunions/family-history-geneology/

Building off the fun and connection from the holidays, it is time to reach out again to family members to plan the next steps for the reunion photo scanning event.

STEP 1: GATHER THE PHOTOS

The first step in organizing a photo scanning project is to gather all the family photos you want to preserve. This can include old prints, negatives, and slides. Ask family members to go through their attics, closets, and storage boxes to find photos you want to include in the project.

STEP 2: SORT AND ORGANIZE THE PHOTOS

Send out instructions asking family members to sort and organize their photos into categories. This can include grouping them by event, family member, or date. This will make the scanning process easier and more efficient. If the reunion budget allows, consider purchasing some high-quality photo storage boxes to give or send to family members.

STEP 3: PRACTICE YOUR SCANNING TECHNIQUE

Consider the quantity and quality of the photos you will be scanning and do some test runs well in advance of the reunion. Working through the setup process for the scanning station will help ensure things will go smoothly at the reunion. Follow the instructions for the setting up the MemoryStation at www. vivid-pix.com/memorystation. Learn how to troubleshoot any issues with lighting, placement of the photos, connecting the scanner to the laptop, etc. The Memory Station makes it easy to scan large numbers of photographs – press 1 blue button and it scans up to 10 images (be sure to separate photos by ¾ inch).

I practiced using photos from various ALAFFFA reunions taken in different decades (the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s). I selected images that were faded or had other flaws. The Vivid-Pix Restore software worked its magic to bring back the colors and contrast.

STEP 4: SCAN THE PHOTOS

While onsite at your reunion, set up the scanner and determine the order for processing the photographs. Take care to handle the photos gently to avoid damage. With the ScanSnap scanner you can scan up to 10 photos /documents at one time--creating individual images. Scan photos or documents at 600 dpi JPEG or PDF. Use Vivid-Pix Restore www.vivid-pix.com/restore to breathe new life into faded or damaged photos.

STEP 5: RESTORE YOUR PHOTOS

Get acquainted with Vivid-Pix Restore software by editing a selection of photos that you scanned for your test run. Vivid-Pix has various tutorials: www.vivid-pix.com/learn-support/restoretutorials/

The software is simple to use to restore scanned prints, slides, negatives, digital camera/phone photos and documents with 1-click. You can also fine-tune and improve the fix. The software works with JPEG, TIFF, PNG, DNG, BMP and RAW images and creates high resolution JPEG and/or TIF images upon output without affecting the original. It will also automatically create sharing file size for posting on genealogy sites and emailing. You can perform other functions such as cropping and viewing and editing metadata to add searchable tags. Be sure to create folders to organize the improved images (for example: Alzo Family,

Scanning Tips

T Be sure to clean the photos before scanning to avoid any dirt, dust or scratches showing up in the digital version.

T Scan at a high resolution to ensure the best quality images.

T Take note of the physical condition of the photos and try to handle them as little as possible, to avoid any further damage.

T Organize and label the photos as you scan them, to make it easier to find specific photos later.

Organizing a photo scanning project can be a fun and rewarding experience for your family. It allows you to preserve precious memories and share them with others. With a little planning and care, your family’s history can be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

STEP 6: BACKUP AND STORE THE SCANNED PHOTOS

After the photos have been scanned, it’s important to backup and store them properly. This can include saving them to a hard drive or cloud storage service such as FileShadow www.file shadow.com/?afid=13. FileShadow automatically archives files from multiple storage accounts (Windows and Mac Desktops, iOS, and Android) into one secure, searchable cloud vault accessible from any device or virtual desktop. You can try FileShadow free for 30 days. Learn how to use the service at www.vivid-pix.com/fileshadow. Paid plans start at $7 per month.

STEP 7: SHARE THE SCANNED PHOTOS

Finally, share the scanned photos with your family and friends. Create passwordprotected shareable links on your FileShadow account so family members can view and can even record a voice memory on these photos. It’s nice to create collections for a digital album or create slideshows to share online. Use Vivid-Pix Prints to create digital prints or photo albums family members can display at home: www.vivid-pix-prints.com

By following these steps, you can successfully organize a photo scanning project and preserve your family’s memories for generations to come.

A stroll down memory lane conjures up stories from the past to be shared with future generations.