Today, I want to talk about something important: digitizing your memories—and what that really means.
Let me ask you a few questions:
Do you have any slides lying around the house? I just found a bunch of mine while cleaning out a closet—slides I hadn’t seen in years.
What about regular printed photos? I have boxes of pictures that I’d love to digitize—turn into JPEGs and store in the cloud so they’ll be preserved long after I’m gone.
And here’s another one: videotapes. I’ve got VHS tapes from long ago—videos I made of my kids, and even one really cool tape from MGM Studios in Orlando. My two oldest sons and I paid $25 to be part of a “Star Trek” video experience. They put us in uniforms, gave us scripts to read, and handed us a VHS tape afterward. We couldn’t even watch it until we got home—but there we were in a mini episode of “Star Trek,” alongside William Shatner, Gene Roddenberry, and the original cast. It was awesome!
So, how do you digitize all this stuff?
Start by Gathering Your Media
Photos, slides, VHS tapes—get everything together in one place. Sorting and labeling them now will make the digitizing process much easier.
Scanning Printed Photos
Printed photos are the easiest to digitize—if time-consuming. If you’ve got a printer with a built-in scanner, you’re halfway there. Enlist help! Kids (especially kids who want something) can be great for this kind of task.
Use a Mobile App
There are great apps that turn your phone into a scanner. One I’ve heard good things about is called Photopea You can use it to digitize both printed photos and slides.
A friend of mine used his iPad as a lightbox—he set a white screen on the iPad, laid the slides on top, then used the Photopea app on his phone to capture and digitize them. Pretty clever!
Scanning in Bulk
You can lay out several printed photos, take a single picture of them using your phone, and then crop/edit each one using apps like Photopea or free desktop programs like GIMP or PhotoScape. It’s fast and works surprisingly well.
Organize Your Files
Set up folders on your computer and name them clearly (e.g., Christmas_1992 or Vacation_California_1987). File organization will save you hours later on, and it makes sharing with family a breeze.
Digitizing VHS Tapes
Here’s the tricky part—and one I’m especially interested in. Did you know VHS tapes degrade over time? Some even grow mold and become unusable.
You’ll need a working VCR—which are getting harder to find. I recently discovered one in my closet (it belongs to my daughter, who was hiding it here!).
Once you’ve got that, use a device like the Elgato Video Capture or ClearClick to convert VHS tapes to digital files. Then you can upload them to YouTube, edit them with free software, or store them on a USB drive or external hard drive.
MiniDV, 8mm & Camcorder Tapes
These also require a capture device and possibly FireWire or USB adapters. Again, Elgato makes a good option for this. Just be aware: compatibility with modern computers can be a hurdle.
Should You Hire a Pro?
You can outsource digitizing, but it can get pricey. Photos may cost $1 each, and VHS transfers range from $15 to $30 per tape. Plus, you risk not getting your originals back—which is a real concern for irreplaceable items.
Use What You Already Have
You don’t need to spend a fortune. If you already have a printer/scanner, you’re ready to go. For video, find a used VCR, get a capture device, and use free editing software. You’d be amazed what you can do on a budget.
Club Update: We Want to Help
At TBTC, we used to have digitizing equipment and a volunteer who helped with this. Unfortunately, we no longer have that gear, but we’re looking into options.
Community Resource: Clearwater Library
I’ve heard the Clearwater Public Library has digitizing equipment available for public use—and they’ll show you how to use it. You can bring your photos, slides, and VHS tapes and do it all there. That’s worth checking out!
Final Thought
Digitizing your memories ensures they’ll be around for generations. Whether you do it yourself or find help, take the time to preserve what matters.
Thanks for reading—and we’ll see you next Wednesday!