Save Flood Damaged Pictures | Tips for Salvaging Photographs

 

You can save the pictures! Don't give up on flood damaged pictures too quickly. Many can be saved.

My team has been working hard to help Hurricane Ian flood victims save their pictures and I wanted to share a few tips with everyone.

1. Take cell phone pictures of them. If they are snapshots or just fun memories, just get a photo of them on your phone. We found the app Photomyne is an easy way to capture groups of pictures on your cell phone. I would definitely suggest this for less important pictures that you just want to have a memory of. Nothing that you would be framing or ever want an enlargement of. Currently Chatbooks is offering free reprints for hurricane victims. This is another great opportunity to get new pictures of those old memories.

2. It's important to move quickly. Mold will start to set in fast, so get them out of the albums and frames. Then lay them out to dry.

3. Don't force them out of their album or frame. If they are sticking to the glass of a frame or the plastic get everything else away from them and then let them out to dry that way.

4. If they are irreplaceable images and you want to have them professionally restored, put them in the freezer to stop from growing mold. Then when you have time you can get them to a professional who can salvage them.

3. For most film camera images (anything from the 70's 80's and 90's) you can literally rinse them off in clean water and lay them out to dry. Once completely dried, press them under a book to get them flat again.

4. for images that were made on an at home digital printer, or I'm finding a lot of Santa pictures and things like that that were printed on site, you have to be a lot more careful. Their inks are not lasting. Definitely take a phone picture of those ASAP. Do as little handling as possible and just get them out to dry.

If you or a loved one need help with your pictures we are volunteering this week to help families. We can come to you or bring your box of pictures to us. We have piles of pictures and a team here working away. We have also lined up several photographers from around the country who are willing to volunteer to help with photo restoration. We would be happy to help your family too!

Follow us on Instagram for more tips on saving your photographs. Also be sure and check out the Impressions Photography website and pass our info along if you or somebody you know needs a destination wedding or family photographer 😀!