There are lots of great options online that offer similar services. As I looked at options, I struggled with two things: sending my pictures off in the mail and getting high quality scans. Although I've never had an issue with my mom's albums arriving safely after traveling across the country via USPS, all it would take is one package being left in the rain or one misplaced item and suddenly we've lost those photos forever. Having local dropoff and pickup makes all of us feel more secure about the process. Plus it gives me a chance to have a consultation with you about your photos and your expectations instead of arranging everything using an online ordering form.

I also couldn't find a place that would convert to 600 DPI TIFF files at a reasonable price. Since that is what is most often recommended for archival images, I didn't want to risk digitizing all my files to 300 DPI JPEGs only to regret it years later when the quality wasn't good enough.

After spending a lot of time looking online, I couldn't find any local places that digitized photos. Only places that would require me to ship everything and hope nothing went wrong on the way there or back. I also couldn't find any online digitization services that didn't have high fees for TIFF files (some even added a charge for anything over 300 DPI). With Heritage Photo Preservation you won't have to worry about your photos being lost or damaged in the mail, archival quality images for much cheaper than anyplace online, plus an in-person 30 minute consultation so I can understand exactly what you need in order to preserve your photos. 

My mom was a diligent photo-taker and scrapbook-maker. She lovingly labeled the backs of all the photos she took with dates, names, and other important information, then made albums and scrapbooks for each of us. But as our society moved to digital photography, I realized that all of these photos would need to be converted into a digital format in order to preserve them and make them easier to share. I've also had loved ones lose precious photos to flooding and fire, so this is something I really believe is a necessity in order to preserve and protect these memories.

I started scanning my own photos about five years ago, including my old scrapbooks and the scrapbooks I made for my first two children. Then I started scanning my mom's albums, as well as some old family photos we've received from relatives. I did the same for my in-laws. After talking with friends, I realized that many people are in the same position: tons of old photos, not sure how to convert them or just don't have the time to scan hundreds or thousands of photos. Since I have the equipment, the software, and the experience, this seemed like a good way to meet a need in the community.

As far as photo repair or editing, I have been working with Lightroom and Photoshop Elements for a decade now. I dabble in photography and have had lots of experience editing photos (plus lots of practice swapping heads or transposing people into or out of photos--big family photo problems!). I also have a background in art, so the subtle methods of blending or color matching are something I've been practicing most of my life. 

TIFF files (.tif) are what archivists use when they scan old photos and documents. TIFF files retain all the details from your scanned photos (a "lossless" format). JPEGs involve some compression, which means some details are lost (a "lossy" format). Due to this, TIFF files are going to be much bigger than a JPEG of the same image (one of my JPEGs is 815 KB versus 17.3 MB [17300 kb] for a TIFF of the same image).

While this is a huge increase in size, digital storage space is pretty cheap. A 32 GB thumb drive costs $5-10 and could hold many thousands of TIFF images. But if storage space is really an issue and you really, really, really don't want TIFF files, I will convert them all to JPEG for you (but it might break my heart a little bit). Basically, if you're unsure, go for the TIFFs!

Absolutely! I have been shipping albums back and forth to my mom via USPS for years now with no issues. Because I am focusing on local business, you would be responsible for any shipping/insurance costs to Maryland. I am happy to work with whatever shipping business you prefer. Please reach out with any questions! 

I'm usually able to finish your photos within two weeks from when I receive them. Very large orders (thousands of pictures or hundreds of slides) can take up to a month to finish. It can also depend on how many project I'm currently working on and the timeframe for each of them. I'm usually able to be flexible with timing if you need something done more quickly. 

After scanning, I upload all photos to both an online server and a physical external hard drive. This ensures that I have a backup copy in case something happens. I will keep a copy of your photos in both locations for ONE YEAR. So if something happens to your files, please reach out and I can get them sent to you again!

For privacy concerns, both the server and the external hard drive are private. I am the only one with access, so no one else will be able to see your photos. And as stated above, I will delete your photos after one year from both my hard drive and my server.