From: 27 July 2013.
After my first onsite Flip-Pal scanning experience, here are a few suggestions:
- Have plenty of batteries. Have twice what you think you will need (and maybe more).
- Scan the backs of pictures if names are written on them. It’s faster than taking notes, gets information accurately, and gives you time for something else. The handwriting can help you determine who identified the picture.
- Consider taking a scanning buddy with you. The scanner is not difficult to use or learn to use. My mother scanned the smaller pictures for me that did not need any stitching, upside down scanning, etc.and that could be scanned by simply laying the picture on the Flip-Pal and hitting scan. I scanned the larger items and the ones that required later stitching. This freed me up to discuss pictures and other ephemera with the relative whose pictures were being scanned.
- Practice more than you think you need to if you’ve never done “onsite scanning” before. Practice one more time than that if you don’t have any idea if you will ever get back to the person’s home again.
- Encourage the person to locate and review the pictures before you get there. This will get their mind “running” and give them extra time to remember and organize materials. If you have to do it “cold,” that’s the way to go, but if they’ve looked over things a few times they are liable to “remember more” when you actually are there for the actual scanning.
- Back up your scans before you perform any stitching, cropping, etc. You want to make certain you actually have scans when you get home.
- Offer to share what you have or send them scans that you make.
3 Responses
I knew that I would be scanning for a couple of days. When I stopped for the day, that evening I checked what I had scanned, and the ones that needed to be stitched, I went ahead and stitched. If I had a problem then I could try again the next day. Did have a few I needed to rescan, but is that better than getting home and not being able to stitch because I had missed an area.
I checked the next scan number on the computer, using that number to write down something about the picture to jog my memory. Then when I was relabeling I had a reference for the picture. It was very helpful.
I was very fortunate that that 85 – 90% of them were labeled and came home with about 250 photos and photo scans of a number of family members I only knew by name, in addition some new ones. One of the photo scan is of my great grandmother, who was born in Germany, after her first husband died she remarried. They brought her two young sons to the US, and the boys were raised by the stepfather. That son was my grandfather born in Germany in 1865, he died in Montana in 1936.
I have found the Flip-Pal very useful. The more it used the more comfortable I am with it.
I bought some rechargeable batteries and a charger. It’s more expensive to start, but I don’t have to continually buy more. I love the FlipPal!
I like to photocopy the whole page of a old photo album and also do pics with flip pal – to verify locations and exact info around them..eg folks/time period.
Can later page copy again and make notes – of family comments/info.
GJ