What's new

Scanning photos? Just thinking it may be time? HINTs?

AnneofAlamo

AnneofAlamo

Slippers IN sunshine? Even better!
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
19,711
I am pondering pulling out that black trunk full of photos we call BK, Before Kids! lol
and scanning and doing some books about my hubby and I our 10 years before kids! lol the
happy carefree and totally selfish life! hahah
I have a copier/scanner, but wondering if there is something easier, or a system some of you have used to make it not as painful?
 
I have a scanner and have scanned a lot of photos but it is very time consuming. I read a thread recently (can't remember where) which recommended taking photos of the photos which is much faster. That same day I needed some photos, for a digital page, which I had never scanned but which were in an old paper scrapbook. I took pictures of every photo I thought I might need from that year's album and I was finished in a few minutes! I had to make sure there was no glare on the pictures but the quality turned out great!
 
@MrsPeel is the one who talked about taking photos of your photos.

I just put on a good movie, and scan away. I have a little photo scanner that isn't the greatest, only goes to 5x7, but it works for preserving the photos and slides. I checked the quality by scrapping with a scanned one, and printed it.

I need to pull out my Shotbox and do my paper albums, which is most of our BK time. Thanks for the reminder @AnneofAlamo.
 
I never scan anymore. I always take photos of my photos and pop them right into my computer! Have to look into this "scanmyphotos". Didn't know there was such an animal. Sounds good!!!!
 
I know I promised the blog post, you ll have it soon.... I was going to do it after the double pager one and then things got complicated here, will get on it tomorrow !!!! promise!!! oops, forgot to say... what I do is what Nancy mentioned, I take photos of the photos, you get a way better quality image....!!!!
 
I hate..well, really don't like...scanning but the idea of standing and taking photos with my iPhone doesn't appeal that much to me either. My dil has done some DSLR photographing with a tripod of heritage photos she's got.

ScanCafe has been used by a lot of people I know and the price goes from 29¢ for 500 down to 22¢ for ..LOL...5000.

I'll have to see if either of my granddaughters is interested in 20¢ a photo if their mother can show them what to do. However, ScanCafe does make adjustments free of charge and again, my friends were really happy with that part of it.

btw @AnneofAlamo that new avatar is Just Hilarious! I can see you doing it and feel I do have to make another NM trip just to see that coffee infusion time look. ;)
 
Maureen... I didn't really stand... I can't stand for longer than 3 minutes unless I take a day supply of Tramadol all at once LOL and even so, is on crutches... so I set up a kind of little studio in my kitchen.... of course, if you have someone who can do it, is great! I think that the results are even better than professional scanning.... and when I started, I started with a Nikon D40 which isn't all that by today's standards, still , every time I want to play with one of those, most are amazing images that do much better when compared to the professional scanning I had of them!
 
I save scanning for rainy days. But, I think I secretly harbor some delusion that I'm going to paper scrap them some day with my giant armoire of paper supplies I still have. :whistle
On a side note, almost all my pages BK are about our pet guinea pigs. They used to sit with me when I scrapped, but I'd have to make sure they didn't eat the paper.:giggle
 
Not @MrsPeel but someone here told me don't photograph over the photo, instead stand the photo up and photograph at the photo. With the right lighting, glare is gone!
 
Hmm. You must have one heck of a camera! LOL I have tried with my Rebel at highest quality with great lighting and they always look like a photo of a photo. I get much better quality scanning 300 dpi. What's your trick?
 
I have an app on my iPhone called Photomyne. It's a scanner! I think I paid $5 for it. I've used it several times. It's great when you're visiting someone that has some good photos that you need. The resolution, when printed is no worse than any other scanned photo.
 
djp332 said:
I have an app on my iPhone called Photomyne. It's a scanner! I think I paid $5 for it. I've used it several times. It's great when you're visiting someone that has some good photos that you need. The resolution, when printed is no worse than any other scanned photo.
Click to expand...

I am so glad you commented! Next time I go home to visit I am going to try this. My mom has tons of pics she won't give me (yet), so this could be a good alternative :)
 
@cookingmylife don't LOL about 5000 pics...lol.... I easily have that many. 3 kids, 4 nieces and nephews, various pets, etc. We didn't go digital until about the middle of 2003, and even then it wasn't completely digital. The pics from back then suck so bad. I didn't know any better and edited without saving originals. I was horrible with organization and dates. It wasn't until about 2005 that I got better at it, and now I feel I'm pretty organizes, especially with about 90% of my pics being on my camera. The quality of camera phones has so obviously gotten way better.
 
I have CamScanner (free app) but I mostly use it for receipts. I've done some photos but I don't actually find it less of a PITA than scanning and I don't see any huge difference in quality either way. I can scan at a way higher dpi than I'll ever need, and my camera's resolution is more than I need as well. It's just with scanning I have to worry about dust and fingerprints, and with photos I have to worry about glare and keeping the photo flat. Maybe all y'all have way better lighting and photos that never curl, but I seriously don't see how it's any easier except in situations where scanning is not an option (like photos that aren't yours).
 
I do think I am gonna snap pics. I am not as concerned with quality as I am getting them in albums! I am a bit addicted to the printed books!
 
Back
Top