Frequently Asked Questions

Never. Everything is digitized by hand in my Colwood workshop. No mail-in, no third-party warehouse.

VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV, Hi8, Video8, Digital8, audio cassettes, 35mm slides, negatives, prints, film reels, CDs and DVDs. Not sure what you have? Bring it in — I will identify everything at no charge.

I give you an itemized estimate before any work begins. You approve first — no obligation, no surprises on the final bill.

A private link the whole family can stream from any phone, TV, or laptop. Ask me for a USB drive to keep and I'll load one.

Depends on the size of your collection. I give you a timeline with your estimate. Rush options available for gatherings or memorials.

Yes. I personally handle every project from start to finish.

I believe family memories deserve care and patience. Many of the items people bring me are irreplaceable.

Yes. I treat your memories the way I treat my own. Everything stays organized in my Colwood workshop, gets digitized carefully, and comes back to you in the same condition it arrived. Albums are scanned page by page with the album still bound, and nothing is taken apart without your approval. The digital copies are a backup, not a replacement. You keep everything.

Not at all. I explain everything simply and can provide your memories in an easy-to-use format.

No. All work is done locally in my home studio in Colwood. Your items are never mailed away.

That’s very common. I can help you identify what you have and decide where to start.

You’re working with a real local person. Your items stay with me, and you can always speak to me directly.

Digital files are very safe when stored in more than one place. I can help you back them up so your memories are protected for generations.

Your files are handled privately and shared only with you. Any cloud links I provide are secure and not publicly searchable.

Yes. Digital files are easy to copy and share with children, grandchildren, or other loved ones.

If an item can’t be safely or successfully transferred, I’ll let you know before proceeding and explain why. Nothing is damaged or lost.

Yes. A small test is a great way to feel comfortable before doing a full collection. A job starts at $49, which is about 50 photos, or a tape and a few prints.

Yes. Many people start with the most important items and continue over time.

Yes, and there is no size you have to reach first. I come to you, and I look at what you have actually got, not what fits in a box. If it is a manageable pile, I price it there and then, and take it with me if you are happy. If it is a large collection, boxes and bins and albums and tapes, I load it up and bring it back to the workshop. Counting a collection properly takes a day or two, and I would rather do it right than guess at your kitchen table. Either way you get an itemized price with every single thing on it. A job I come out for starts at $99. Bring it to me in Colwood instead and it starts at $49. Wednesdays are the days I keep for the road, at 10am, 1pm or 6pm. Pick one at savethis.ca/start-here?do=pickup and I will email you to confirm before I set off.

No preparation is required. I’ll take care of organizing and labeling.

You bring your items to me by appointment, or I come to you and pick them up. I digitize them carefully and return everything to you.

Most projects take about a week. Larger collections may take longer.

Home videos, audio recordings, and film reels are usually most time-sensitive. I can help you prioritize so the most precious memories are preserved first.

You don’t need to label anything unless you want to. I organize and number everything to match your digital files, making it easy to find each item.

Negative scanning is $1.50 per frame, and the price drops to $1.25 a frame once your collection passes 100. Each frame is inverted to a true-colour image and corrected by hand — colour, exposure, and dust are worked frame by frame. Every job starts with a free estimate, so you will know the full cost up front.

Slides are $1.25 each, including dust removal and exposure correction, and the price drops to $1 a slide once your collection passes 200. If the handwritten labels on the mounts matter to you, I photograph those for 50 cents each so the captions stay with the pictures. Every job starts with a free estimate, so you will know the full cost before I scan a single slide.

Film transfer is $35 per 50-foot reel, which is the small 3-inch reel most families have, captured frame by frame. For 10 reels or more, it's $30 a reel. Larger reels are priced by their length in 50-foot units. Every job starts with a free estimate, so you will know the full cost before any film is touched.

I inspect every reel before transfer. Reels that show signs of brittleness or vinegar syndrome are handled with extra care. I will tell you what I find before I start.

Yes, always. Your albums come back to you in the same condition they arrived, usually within a week or two. They never leave my Colwood workshop, nothing is mailed away, and nothing is thrown out. At pickup you get your albums plus your digital files on a private download link, or on a USB drive if you would rather have one.

No. Bring the carousel as it is. I remove the slides, scan them in sequence, and reload them in order.

No. Most albums are scanned page by page with the album still bound, so nothing is disturbed and the layout and handwriting come with the photos. Lifting the photos out is only worth considering when an album is already failing, it costs less when it is the right call, and I never do it without asking you first.

I scan at high resolution with multiple exposure passes, which captures detail in both highlights and shadows. The resulting files are suitable for large-format printing.

A standard 3-inch 8mm reel runs about 3 to 4 minutes at 18fps. A 5-inch reel runs 8 to 12 minutes. Super 8 runs similarly. I will log the estimated duration for each reel in your estimate.

Yes, with caveats. I can often improve faded or shifted slides in processing, but some color loss is permanent. I will note the condition of each batch in your estimate.

Sometimes yes. I can often recover footage from partially damaged reels. I will tell you honestly what is and is not recoverable before starting.

No. A scan is a photograph of your photograph. Nothing is cut, trimmed, peeled, or altered, and the digital copy does not replace the original. Your album stays yours and goes back on the shelf. The pictures inside it are simply safe now from the album itself.

You will get MP4 files that play on any device. They come on a private download link, and I can put them on a USB drive for you to keep.

Turnaround depends on the quantity. A carousel of 80 slides is typically part of a 1 to 2 week project. Larger collections take longer.

Scanning pages right in the album is $5 per page ($4.50 at 100 or more), and everything on the page comes with it — captions, layouts, handwriting. If the album is coming apart anyway, I can take it apart and scan the photos individually at $3.50 per page ($3 at 100 or more) — taking an album apart always costs less than scanning it whole. Oversized scrapbook pages are $10 per page, and for 50 cents a photo I can crop each picture off its page into its own file. Every job starts with a free estimate, so you will know the exact cost before I touch a single page.

High-resolution TIFF or JPEG files, your choice. Delivered on a private download link, or on a USB drive if you want one.

Your original reels come back to you in the same condition they arrived. Nothing is kept or discarded without your permission.

Yes. Both Side A and Side B are transferred as part of the standard service. You'll get separate files for each side.

I accept CDs and DVDs of all types: photo CDs from film labs, home movie DVDs, data backup discs, music CDs, and mini CDs and DVDs from older cameras. If you're not sure what you have, bring it along.

Most tribute videos run 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the number of photos and the music you choose. I can discuss length with you during the first conversation.

Yes. I work by appointment so I'm fully available when you arrive. Booking takes about two minutes using the form on the Start Here page. If you would rather I came to you and picked your collection up, there is a card on that same page for it, and Wednesdays are the days I keep for the road.

No. Bring them as they are. I inspect every tape before playback and handle any cleaning or conditioning needed here.

No. I work from a high-resolution digital copy. Your original photo comes back to you exactly as it arrived.

Only if the album is already failing, and only with your approval. Every photo comes back to you with the album. Most albums are better scanned page by page with the album still bound, and I'll tell you which yours is and why.

No. Bring them as they are. I handle the removal and return them to their sleeves.

I can repair rips, tears, creases, water stains, spots, and fading. Severe structural damage or missing image areas may limit what's possible. I'll give you an honest assessment upfront.

MP3 files suitable for phones, speakers, and streaming. If you need WAV files for archiving or editing, I can provide those too.

I'll tell you what I find before starting any work. Some tapes have recoverable footage even when they look damaged. Others may have sections that are gone. I'll always give you an honest assessment before we proceed.

I use recovery-focused equipment that can often read discs that consumer drives can't. I'll tell you upfront if a disc appears too damaged to recover.

Yes. If you have home video on VHS, Hi8, or MiniDV, I can digitize it and include clips in the tribute video. That's often the most powerful part.

Bring everything in. I will identify what you have and tell you what each item will cost to digitize.

I can work with them. These are the trickiest to handle and I won't rush them. I'll let you know what's possible before starting.

Hiss reduction is included with every transfer. I can also boost low-volume recordings. I can't recover audio that was never recorded, but I can often improve what is there.

Yes. Page-by-page scanning captures everything on the page, including handwritten labels, dates, and decorations, exactly as it appears in the album.

It depends on what's on the disc. Photo files come back as JPEGs or TIFFs. Video comes back as MP4. Data comes back as the original files. I'll describe the output in your estimate.

You'll get your videos as MP4 files, which play on every device, phone, tablet, smart TV, and laptop. They come on a private download link, and I can put them on a USB stick for you to keep. A big pile of tapes will not fit a stick, so those come on a portable hard drive instead, and I will tell you which one yours needs.

Usually yes. Scanning the original negative captures more detail and color range than any print. You may see detail in highlights and shadows that never made it onto the printed photo.

It depends on the size and type of collection. A small batch of photos or 5 to 10 tapes is often ready in a week. Larger collections take longer. I'll give you a realistic timeline at drop-off.

We can use a song that was meaningful to them, or I can suggest instrumental options. I'll walk through the options with you.

A standard restoration is typically ready in 1 to 2 weeks. Complex repairs take longer. I'll give you a realistic timeline with your estimate.

I can, though most families find a USB drive or a download more practical these days. A DVD player is getting as hard to find as a VHS player. That said, if you want DVDs, I'll make them.

Often yes. The older and more faded a photo, the less detail there is to work with, but I can usually improve it meaningfully. Bring it in and I'll show you what's there before committing to anything.

A standard album of 40-60 pages is typically part of a 1-2 week project. I'll give you a timeline at drop-off.

A standard stack of 10 to 20 discs is typically ready within a week. I'll give you a timeline at drop-off.

A standard tribute video with 50 to 100 photos takes about 1 to 2 weeks from drop-off to delivery. I can discuss timeline if you have a service date in mind.

I scan at high resolution for detail suitable for large-format reprints. The exact DPI depends on the film format.

A typical batch of 5 to 10 cassettes is ready within a week. I'll give you a timeline at drop-off.

Loose photos are $1 each, and the price drops to 90 cents a photo once your collection passes 500. Album pages are $5 per page ($4.50 at 100 or more), scanned right in the album so your captions and layouts are preserved. Delicate or antique photos that need individual flatbed handling are $3.50 each, and oversized pieces are $10 per page. Every job starts with a free estimate, so you will know the full cost before I scan a single photo.

Yes. Just let me know who to expect. The estimate and updates will go to you directly.

In two places. While I work on your collection, everything stays on my equipment here in Victoria. When your files are ready, I put a copy in secure online storage (the cloud) so your page works and you can reach everything from anywhere. If you would rather keep everything off the internet, just say so. I will deliver on a USB stick, or a portable hard drive if your collection is a big one, and store nothing online.

No. Bring the box exactly as it is. I'll sort and handle everything here. Some families have neatly organized albums; others have decades of photos jumbled in a shoebox. Either way is fine.

A typical shoebox of 200-300 loose prints is ready within a week. Larger collections or album projects take a bit longer. I'll give you a realistic timeline when you drop off.

Drop off your collection and I'll sort through it and send you an itemized estimate by email, usually within 24 hours. You decide whether to proceed. I can also come to you and pick it up, which starts a job at $99 instead of $49. If you'd rather not drop off sight-unseen, send me a description or a photo and I can give you a ballpark.

MP4 files that play on any TV, phone, or tablet. Delivered on a private download link, with a USB drive to keep if you want one. You can share the link with family anywhere.

Your originals come back to you. Nothing is kept or discarded without your permission.

Your originals come back to you in the same condition they arrived. Everything stays in my Colwood workshop from start to finish. Nothing is ever shipped away. At pickup you get your prints back plus your digital files on a private download link, or on a USB drive if you want one.

A small collection of 5 to 10 tapes is typically ready in 1 to 2 weeks. Larger batches take longer. I'll give you a realistic estimate at drop-off.

Every job is guaranteed. If the quality of any scan, transfer, or restore isn't what I said it would be, I'll redo it at no charge. No arguments, no fine print.

Your original tapes come back to you. Nothing is kept, erased, or discarded without your permission. If you want me to responsibly dispose of tapes you no longer need, I can arrange that too.

A job starts at $49 when you bring your collection to me in Colwood. That is a starting price, not a fee, and most collections come in well above it. About 50 photos, or 40 slides, or a tape or a reel. If you would rather not make the trip, it is $99 and I come to you. I pick the collection up, take a proper look at everything you have, and bring your originals back when the work is done. And if your count lands just under a volume price, I bill you at the volume price, so you never pay more for bringing more.