A Few Photo Tips
Teresa's Top Ten
Do not lay photos on top of a lamp or a dashboard of a car in any season. The heat makes hot spots, burns, warps, and ruins photos! When hanging pictures on your walls, avoid direct sunlight. Indirect lighting is always safer. Over time, photographs will fade. Humidity or extreme dampness is dangerous for your photos as well. Please avoid storage buildings!
2. Open containers are hazardous!
Spilled water or spit is hazardous to photos. Immediately pick up the photos, shake off the excess liquid, rub plain petroleum jelly (Vaseline) with your finger onto the surface of the photo, and lay it flat to dry. Do not try to "blot" the photo. When the photo is completely dry, buff it with a soft cloth. Coke, coffee, etc., may stain photos, but you can rinse off the excess liquid with cool water.
3. Clean that glass!
Do not spray glass cleaner directly to glass because, over time, the moisture will "seep" to the edges, and the photo will adhere to the glass. That spells disaster! Spray a cloth lightly with cleaner, and then clean the glass. (I use Sprayway Glass Cleaner. It is in a blue and white can.)
4. Framing preserves pictures!
Use mats because they keep your picture off the glass! I have discovered a great adhesive remover called Un-Du. It is acid free and photo safe. Sometimes you can salvage a stuck photo if you use extreme care!
5. Ziploc bags damage pictures!
Photos stored in Ziploc bags will turn yellow over time! Acid free and lignin free storage boxes placed in dark, dry places are the best way to store and preserve your precious memories.
6. Share your photos!
Give your extra pictures away immediately instead of storing them because you never know when you might need to replace a treasured photo. Take the opportunity today to deliver extra photos to a loved one or send a note with your photo in it. You will make someone's day a little brighter!
7. Don't touch photos!
Fingerprints have acid and will eventually destroy pictures. I know it is hard, but try to keep your hands off the surface of the photo! Handle the edges with care, and your photos will look new for years to come! A 100% cotton pad or photo cleaning cloth will polish your pictures and keep them looking nice!
8. Empty those pockets!
Swimming, water rides, and washing machines are not friends to your photos. However, sometimes they can be salvaged if you immediately and carefully pull them out and lay them flat to dry. Then follow the directions in #2!
9. Write if you must!
Never write on the back of a photo with a ballpoint pen. When you stack photos that have writing on the back, the next photo may be imprinted, and it is not a pretty sight. If you want to write on your photos, I recommend using Creative Memories' "photo labeling pencil" which is safe for documenting on the back of photos.
10. Making copies is NOT right!
I, as well as other photographers, work hard to make your memories special. Avoid embarrassing moments by calling me first if you are interested in duplicates. Then we can discuss your options.
Preserving Priceless Moments for the next generation…
©Images by Teresa
"Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
Thanks for the tips. Some of these I knew and some I didn't and some I had forgotten
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