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Storing Photos, Video, and Digital Files

by on August 28, 2012 in Recommendations, Services

The formats for family keepsakes is constantly changing. Slides gave way to prints, which gave way to digital picture files. Home movie film reels lost to video tape, which is now losing to digital video. DVDs, which are making VHS tapes obsolete, now have competition from blu-ray. Hard drive storage is becoming ever cheaper, and the latest trend is to store your precious files somewhere in “The Cloud.” But what is the one best way to keep media memories and archive digital files?

I’ll be honest with you. There isn’t one. And by that I mean, there isn’t ONE. The best media and file storage is not so much a place or a format as a strategy. And the best strategy for protecting and enjoying your media memories involves both convenience and redundancy.

First and foremost, your media should be converted and kept in a format that you can presently enjoy and share with ease. For example, a photo book on a coffee table for guests to enjoy is preferable to a box of photos still in their store pouches. Video tapes from a broken camcorder should be transferred to a format you can play back. Digital images should be easily accessible on your viewing screen of choice, whether that be your portable ipad or the family room TV.

In addition to the ability to enjoy your pictures and video at present, a storage strategy should be mindful of protecting them for the future. Even if they are fine now, analog video tape, film reels, slides, and prints, all risk color deterioration over time. Humidity, dust, and sunlight can quickly age these formats, sometimes making them unrecoverable. In contrast, digital files do not fade over time, but are instead at risk of being lost due to failure or corruption of the hard drive or memory card. And everything, physical or digital, is at risk of loss due to fire or weather. Therefore, maintaining redundant digital copies, in multiple locations, is the best overall strategy.

A plan for redundant digital copies need not be complicated, and you don’t have to do it alone. Multimedia Memories can help you plan a strategy for protecting and enjoying your photos and videos for years to come.

 

Graduation Special

by on May 3, 2012 in Ideas, Recommendations, Services, Specials

$75

Package includes:

• Scanning of up to 50 images

• Slideshow with motion & transitions

• Title sequence with motion collage

• Background music

• Auto-play disc in repeating loop

• Upgrades & custom options available.

Perfect for Open Houses!

Sales tax not included

Offer expires May 31, 2012

Archiving, Preservation & Storage, Oh My!

by on February 23, 2012 in Musings, Recommendations, Services

Welcome to the digital age, where digital still and video cameras have completely changed the way we capture memories. With no film costs, no developing fees, and no prints to buy, it’s easier than ever to click and record away.

In high definition and high resolution, we can snap every smile, capture every coo, and digitize to our delight.

And then…..

We fill up our hard drives with the many gigabytes of our precious memories.

We can take care to archive these treasures by renaming and sorting the digital files, and we might preserve and protect them with automatic backup services.

But then….

It’s still the digital age’s equivalent of a shoebox full of slides in the attic.

A carefully labeled shoebox, I grant you.

Because the real value in our pictures and videos is not in their mere existence, no matter how carefully kept. It is in the enjoyment we receive from viewing them — and most especially when our loved ones view them together.

That’s why I love what we do at Multimedia Memories. We make your memories as fun as they are easy to watch.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t let your pictures remain silent. Call Multimedia Memories today!

 

Thankful for Memories

by on November 30, 2011 in Ideas, Musings, Recommendations

Some moments are just more memorable than others. They stick with us, coming to mind without conscious effort. They haunt us with the lingering sense of delights past.

I’ve recently had the pleasure of sharing such a moment with family and new friends. Though nothing life-altering nor even remarkable in circumstance, it was sheer joy — a bliss arising from nothing more complex than the mix of personalities.

And I barely touched the camera.

There are times for remembering and times for making memories. But when all is said and done, I’m glad I have one picture to cherish. Because as vivid as the memories itself may be, when we arouse our senses, we can feel like we’re right there all over again.

So make memories and enjoy the moments, but don’t neglect to spend a little time behind, and in front of, the camera. As time passes and memories begin to dim, you’ll be glad you did.

Then bring those treasured images to Multimedia Memories. We’ll tell the story behund those pictures with music, motion, and a style befitting the mood. We’ll bring those memories back to life.

And to Jorge, Ludwig, Frosty & Frodo – if you visit us again, I promise not to burn the bacon.

Vacations Live On

by on August 25, 2011 in Ideas, Musings, Recommendations, Services

Chances are you brought back more than memories and a tan from your recent vacation. You probably brought back lots of images of that special trip or time together as a family.

Taking pictures and video clips is a great way for those special memories to live on. And the best way to bring those memories to life is with an easy to watch, and easy to share, DVD with a dynamic moving montage of your images.

Best of all, just by hitting “Play” you can return to the relaxation, inspiration, & fun of vacation whenever you want. Let the kids enjoy a past trip taken when they were too young to remember. Feel the sun on your face when you’re cuddled inside during a snowstorm. See all their smiling faces any time you want after they’ve left for college.

So, whether your favorite vacation was a destination tour, an island paradise, camping in the woods, or even a stay-cation, there’s a story to tell. And telling stories is what Multimedia Memories is all about.

How to Take Pictures for a Moving Slideshow

by on July 11, 2010 in Recommendations

Picture-taking used to be a bit more straightforward.  The point of taking a picture was to have a fixed image worthy of framing.  The casual photographer would try to fill the frame with the point of interest and little more. And that was great.

Emphasis on the WAS.

With high resolution digital pictures, there is so much more that can be done.  Sure, if your thumb snuck into the picture, that can be cropped out.  But I’m talking about far more than that.  Pictures in a digital slideshow can move.  If you captured a sweeping vista, I can make the vantage point sweep through the picture.  If multiple people are laughing in a delightful interaction, I can focus on one at time or move the audience through the scene in an infinite number of ways. I can reveal an event, and then a child’s reaction.  Or vice versa.

But it’s a challenge to make the pictures move, when there’s no where to move them. Or to zoom in when the close-up is already close.  What makes a beautiful photo for framing only makes a great stationary image. A great image for a moving slideshow has much to be explored.

So, when you take your digital pictures, snap away without worrying about the perfect framing of your image. You’re recording your memories, so record what you see.  And when it comes time to turn those memories into a DVD, choose pictures that tell the story.  Because sometimes the story isn’t what was front and center when you snapped the picture.