Scanning Process​

 

Q: How does the free consultation work?

A: I first visit your home for a free, no-obligation consultation. We will review the condition and volume of your collection and discuss your specific organization goals. Based on this review, I provide a clear, personalized estimate for time and cost.

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Q: What is included in the initial one-hour fee?

A: The initial fee covers my equipment setup, organization of your photo collection, and scanning time.

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Q: How do you ensure you stay within my budget?

A: You are always in control. During the consultation, we can agree on a maximum budget or set a time limit. We can also schedule a mid-project check-in to review the work completed so far and mutually agree on the remaining steps before proceeding further.

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Q: What do I need to do before you arrive? 

A: To make the most of our time, gather all your boxes, albums, and framed photos in one spot and then think about your goals for your digital photos (e.g., share with friends, create photobooks) and budget. I'll handle the process of sorting, grouping, and naming your files. If you don't have a large workspace I can use, I'll bring my own tables.

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Q: How many photos can you scan in an hour?

A: The speed depends on the variety of your photo collection. On average, I can often scan between 500 to 1,000 prints per hour. I will use your free consultation to provide a time estimate.

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Q: Do I need to be home while you are scanning?

A: You will need to be present for the initial setup and consultation, but you are not required to watch the scanning process. You just need to be reachable while I'm working in your home as questions arise. If you prefer, I also can take your photos to scan back to my studio.

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Photo & File Quality​

 

Q: What types of media can you scan?

A: I scan printed photographs, panoramic prints, and up to 8x10 large-format prints. If you have non-standard items, like negatives, newspaper clippings, or old documents, we'll review those during the consultation.

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Q: What quality are the final digital files?

A: Your digital photos will be in high-resolution JPEG (300 DPI). This resolution is suitable for making high-quality reprints. If you'd like to enlarge any images to print and framing, I can scan this for 1200 DPI.

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Q: Are the photos organized after scanning?

A: Yes. I work with you to implement a clear organization strategy agreed upon during the consultation. Files are named and grouped logically so they are immediately usable and easy to navigate. I recommend restoring your original photos in archival-safe boxes to protect them from dust and moisture. 

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Q: Do you offer photo editing or restoration?

A: During the consultation, we can discuss minor image corrections, such as removing red eye, color balancing, or cropping, as an additional service. I don't provide advanced photo restoration or colorization, but can provide referrals for you.​​

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Digital Photos

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Q: Where should I store my digital photos? 

A: I recommend storing them in the cloud, such as Google Photos, Apple Photos, DropBox — so that they're always accessible from anywhere. You can also store them on an external drive, like a thumb drive.

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Q: How do I share the digital photos with my family? 

A: I will organize and name your files to make sharing easy. You can upload the organized folders to a private family album on the cloud, or simply copy the files to a USB drive to mail to relatives. Modern digital libraries make it simple to quickly find and share photos of specific people using their built-in facial recognition feature.

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Q: What can I do with digital photos? 

A: I specialize in helping you transform your images into cherished heirlooms. Popular ideas include: family legacy storybooks, gifts like coffee mugs or calendars, and digital photo frames.​