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  • Why Is Photo Preservation So Important?

    Why Is Photo Preservation So Important?

    Why Is Photo Preservation So Important?

    How good are our memories, really? Yes, we can recall many different occasions that we’ve enjoyed throughout the years. As a result, we often tell stories as fun as the time Dad caught that huge fish at the lake or as heart-warming as the moment we fell in love with our significant others. Each time we tell these stories, however, they’re told in a slightly different way. That’s because our memories are only so good. As my mother always says “I have a good memory – but it’s short!”

    I’m such a big advocate for taking photos because there is no clearer way to recall the past than to capture it through images. I’ve long believed in the power of the camera, and, as a result, I spent a great deal of my childhood ensuring that I never left home without mine. I believe that preserving memories is an incredibly important facet of life and this is why preserving my photos – and helping others to do the same – is so important to me.person sorting photos on a table

    It helps you to hold on to precious memories.

    There are so many cherished moments in life that are remembered best because someone was there with a camera to capture the joy. Sometimes the mental images and memories of things in the past can become faded or mixed up in our minds. But, as the old saying goes, “the camera never lies”. Pictures can help you to recall special memories with pinpoint accuracy.

    Gretchen Rubin of The Huffington Post believes that photographs can act as a diary. “I’m always trying to figure out ways to keep hold of memories,” she writes, “My one-sentence journal, for instance. I try to use photographs to record the little moments that are so precious but also so easily forgotten. One thing I wish I could tell my younger self: take photos of everyday life, not special occasions; later, that’s what will be interesting to you.”

    It helps you to remember and relive cherished moments in time.

    We’re all guilty of holding on to certain possessions longer than necessary. Who among us didn’t have at least one of our stuffed animals still hanging around as we entered our thirties? Pictures also allow us to preserve the memories of particular items that we used to hold dear, and can often take the place of those cherished items themselves. Rubin points out that photos can often replace the things that are captured within the images.

    “After my friend’s beloved father died, she wanted to keep his enormous desk, as a memento-but she really didn’t have space for it,” she explains, “She took a photo of it, and then was able to let go of the desk. Strangely, too, a photograph of something can sometimes be more beautiful than the thing itself.”

    At PhotoWise, we’re dedicated to helping our clients preserve their photos because we know that it allows them to preserve their cherished memories. I would consider it an honour to help you organize your family photos so that they can be digitized and preserved in a way that will honour your memories for generations!

  • Shoeboxes Are For Storing Shoes, Not Photos

    Shoeboxes Are For Storing Shoes, Not Photos

    Shoeboxes Are For Storing Shoes, Not Photos

    I’m not exactly sure how the trend started – but shoeboxes are notoriously used to store old photos. Arguably, more popular than photo albums themselves, shoeboxes can be found in closets and basements all across Canada – filled with photographs. My own mother kept her small stash of old family photos in this way (until I found out about it… 😉 )

    Why is that? Who exactly told everyone that shoeboxes were ideal for photo storage? Although shoeboxes, based on their sizes and shapes, seem like convenient storage units for old pictures, they can be a photograph’s worst enemy.

    Why are shoeboxes poor choices for photo storage?

    First, it’s important to know that the chemicals inside the ‘cardboard’ material is dangerous to photographs.  Second let’s consider ventilation – Shoeboxes certainly don’t provide much of it. And when photos are cooped up in these rectangular prisons, they often become victim to moisture damage and mould growth. This is especially true if those shoeboxes are kept in dark, dingy basements where mould tends to find their homes. It’s important not to store photos in basements, attics or garages where temperatures and humidity fluctuate with the changing of each season.

    To be completely fair, I shouldn’t be blaming the shoebox for photo damage as much as I should be blaming the locations where shoeboxes are generally kept. As mentioned, these popular photo storage containers are most often stacked in areas of the home that make them susceptible to damage caused by temperature and humidity changes.

    “Keep in mind that shoe boxes are not water-resistant,” reminds LifeStorage.com, “Consider using them for organizing your photos, but storing them in a archival water-resistant container or in a place where you know they will never come in contact with water.”

    The site also points out that “an ideal container for storing printed pictures would have a sealed, water-resistant exterior, such as plastic, and soft but stiff dividers to separate prints on the inside.” Such a storage idea begs the question: How can you possibly enjoy your photos if they shoebox filled with old photosare locked up in sealed containers?

    I’m a firm believer that photos deserve a great deal more respect.

    Pictures are taken for a reason. The images capture special moments in the lives of the photographers and their loved ones, and because of that, should be showcased in ways that can help for family members and friends to relive those special memories. The shoebox storage approach only serves to bury those memories and deteriorate the quality of the prints. It’s a better idea to store your original photo collection in archival storage products AFTER having scanned them so that the photographs can be viewed and enjoyed – which was their intended purpose after all!

    In my opinion, a photograph is the ultimate way to capture and document the most important parts of our lives. What good are the photos if they are tucked away and kept out of sight? I founded PhotoWise, in part, because I know how overwhelming it can be for people to locate, sort and organize the countless photos they have stored in shoeboxes throughout their homes. It’s my mission to relieve my clients of that stress and I provide them with peace of mind – knowing that these disorganized and risky storing procedures can be corrected.

    Does it sound like you could use my help?

    Don’t hesitate to contact me to today to get the ball rolling on organizing all of your precious photos and doing away with the whole stuff-‘em-in-a-shoebox routine!

  • Personalized Photo Gifts Make For A Perfect Valentine’s Day

    Personalized Photo Gifts Make For A Perfect Valentine’s Day

    Photobooks Make For Perfect Valentine’s Day Gifts

    With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I imagine that many of you are out shopping for gifts for your significant others. My hope is that your Valentine’s Day shopping isn’t of the “scrambling for something at the last minute” variety. Certainly, I can understand having a busy schedule being a reason that finding the perfect gift can be a tough task. And that’s why I’m so excited to offer a one-of-a-kind heart-melting approach to wowing the love of your life!red hearts and a valentines day gift

    Gentlemen, I have the perfect solution to your “What do I get my lovely lady?” woes. PhotoWise offers professionally designed photobooks and photo gifts to truly showcase how special your relationship is. I probably don’t have to remind you how sentimental we often get when it comes to commemorating special occasions such as Valentine’s Day and anniversaries. Photobooks and photo gifts are excellent choices for either occasion!

    It’s the romantic and sentimental choice. 😉

    You know the old saying “it’s the thought that counts”?

    Custom photobooks and photo gifts are the epitome of putting great thought into a gift!  This is because it takes some effort on your behalf to tell the story of your relationship through pictures. I’m certainly not the only one to think so. On AskMen.com, Steph Arthur agrees that what women most want as gifts for Valentine’s Day are personalized symbols of affection that show you put thought behind the gesture.

    “If you’re going to spend on her at all, spend on something original,” she advises, “Something personal, tailored to her to make her feel special. And it doesn’t have to be big. That’s the beauty about thoughtful gifts, size and cost have nothing to do with it. It’s literally just the thought that counts.”

    The best part about photobooks and photo gifts is that I make it very easy for you! I will work together with you to select the photos that you think best capture the love shared between you and your partner. I’ll even work with you on choosing a concept.

    Happy couple enjoying a photobookThe “10 Big Reasons I Love You” Book
    Step 1: Choose ten or more photos that you love of your significant other.  Step 2:  Make a written list of ten important reasons you fell in love with her. Step 3: Contact me to discuss the various options and send me your photos and list. Step 4: Voila! I will hand deliver your special one-of-a-kind gift to you and you can choose the right moment to surprise her with it!

    The Wedding Anniversary Canvas Print

    Another gift option to consider is having us turn your favourite wedding or honeymoon photo into a large canvas print that can be displayed on a wall in your home. Nothing quite says “I love you” like a huge display of the start of your life as a couple!

    Keep in mind that photobooks and photo gifts don’t just work well as Valentine’s Day gifts. They are ideal anniversary gifts as well. I point this out, especially because of the time it takes to complete the photobook package. I recommend the collection and submission of photos two months in advance of the date you wish to offer the photobook as a gift. For next year’s Valentine’s Day orders, I suggest getting the photos to us by December 1st.

    Designing custom photo albums and personalized gifts is my specialty!  Don’t hesitate to reach out to me in order to create the perfect for your wife or significant other today!

  • A Yearbook To Celebrate Your Family

    A Yearbook To Celebrate Your Family

    Year-In-Review: One Of The Best Ways To Celebrate Your Family

    Happy New Year everyone! I would like to offer you my best wishes and hopes that it will be a year that will provide you with many wonderful new memories!

    Here at PhotoWise, we’re big on preserving memories, and that’s why we offer a number of unique and special custom services that enable you to beautifully preserve your family photos and stories. (Including the family yearbook photo book!)

    We’ve just come off another wonderful holiday season and I’m willing to bet that you posed for family and friends to take photographs – as well as took a bunch of shots yourself.  After all, the holiday seasons are the biggest “photo taking” times of the year. (Those mobile phone cameras are so darn handy aren’t they?!)

    But what happens to all of those holiday photos after they’re taken?

    In years of past, the photos would usually end up in sticky photo albums, cut and glued into scrapbooks, or stored in shoeboxes. Today, they are mainly stored digitally on computers or mobile devices – spread throughout the many smartphones of the people who took the pictures. In some cases, a few of them end up on Facebook and social media but there’s never really any tangible account of the celebrations you enjoyed in each holiday season. All too often, the memories of those happy faces, activities and traditions become hazy as the photos get lost in their respective social media timelines or dropped into a miscellaneous (and eventually misplaced) folder on your computer.

    How can we help you to preserve your cherished holiday memories?

    We recommend the creation of an annual Family Yearbook!  Each year, around this time, we help our clients to collect their favourite photos from the previous year so that they can be edited, organized and exquisitely displayed in a one-of-a-kind hardcover custom photobook.  The family ‘year-in-review’ photobook is a big favourite in our family – everyone wants to turn the pages and reminisce about ‘that time when ….’ and laugh about the ‘out-take’ page that we add at the back for laughs.

    These professionally-designed yearbooks take away the frustration that often accompanies the thought of having to find the time and energy to preserve and organize your treasured photos all by yourself. In addition, the Family Yearbooks we create for our clients are excellent ways to establish priceless family heirlooms that can be passed down from generation to generation.

    Family Yearbooks are excellent ways to preserve your family traditions!  family yearbook photobook

    With our help, you can publish a professionally-bound family heirloom on a yearly basis. Our Family Yearbooks are custom-made to showcase your families traditions and celebrations.

    At PhotoWise, we pride ourselves on relieving our clients of the stress that comes with locating, sorting and organizing all of the photos that you have collected over the years. Allow us to offer you one of the greatest ways to celebrate your family, year in and year out!