tyler6•1d ago

My parents' old photo albums took me a full weekend to scan, not an afternoon

I thought I could digitize their wedding and baby pictures in about 4 hours. I was wrong. It took me two full days, maybe 14 hours total, because I had to ask about every single person and date. My dad would stop me for 20 minutes to tell a story about his cousin. It's that clash of just wanting the file saved versus them needing the whole memory kept. Has anyone else found a good way to handle this without rushing your family?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucaslee1d ago

Oh man, that "clash of just wanting the file saved versus them needing the whole memory kept" is so real. I learned to just schedule it as story time, not a scanning job. I'd put the scanner right at the kitchen table and let the stories happen while I worked. Trying to rush it only made me frustrated and made them feel bad. The digital copy can wait, but those conversations are the real point.

juliag1019h ago

Let the stories happen while I worked" is a good idea, but I found I missed too much that way. You have to actually stop and listen, not just be in the same room. The scanner can wait, but your full attention shouldn't.

davidt926h ago

Two full days? I almost fell out of my chair. You spent 14 hours on this? I figured it was a long afternoon, not a whole weekend marathon. That's a serious project, not just a quick scan job. Your dad stopping for 20 minute stories about each cousin is both sweet and a huge time sink. I guess you really can't rush it without missing the whole point.