The last article on photography that I wrote talked about labeling the pictures. Especially important is to label them as you take more pictures. A fact I quickly found out when trying to label pictures that were only 5 years old. So, I would say this is definitely the first step towards preservation.
The next step is to take inventory of your negatives and slides. They have a longer life than the pictures themselves. So, protecting them is a priority. Fortunately, archival sleeves for them are inexpensive.
Two good online shopping sites for these items Get Smart Products: Print File archival photo storage supplies and Light Impressions Direct. The best bargains can be found at Get Smart. However, Light Impressions has a wider range of products, although harder to navigate through. While at Light Impressions, take a look at their link to technical support. Their FAQ includes some valuable information.
There are a number of things to consider when storing your negatives and slides. First are sleeves which you place your negatives in before putting them in plastic storage pages. This is an additional protection when handling them, and keeping them from sticking to the storage pages in humid climates. If you can only afford one thing right now, I suggest getting them first. Then, decide where you will store your negatives and slides- in an archival box or binder, and what kind of binder. This decision will effect what type of pages you will buy. These products can be found at both sites. Including, lights for viewing - a great convenience.
Once you have all your negatives and slides safely in one place, you can begin to make duplicates of your photographs. One photo for displaying, one photo stored in a safe, archival manner. But, that is the subject of a whole other article.
To recap so far:
1. Label your photographs before you forget who is in them and what event they represent.
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