Chaos to Memories

Tears or folds in old photos are some of the most common types of damage we see every week in our studio. These are some restorations we completed this week, and the before and after comparisons are stunning! Regardless of the damage your photos have sustained or the condition they are in, we’d love to take a look and provide you with a free estimate on your Family Photo Archive!

We're working with a lot of restorations this week! If you're familiar with older printed photos then you know exactly the kind of damage that can be caused by age, weather, or many hands.

We can restore your precious memories back to their original glory! If you have printed photos that have suffered tears, scratches, water damage, or fading, your photos are not lost, and we can help. Bring in your photos to our studio for a free estimate on your Family Photo Archive, we'd love to meet you!

We take photos to preserve our memories and tell our stories, so we want to keep them safe for future generations! In my new blog post I detail eight ways to keep your photos safe today and for future generations.

• Organize by Date
• Scan the Photos
• Use Standard File Formats
• Add Searchable Metadata
• Keep Originals in Archival Storage
• Make Digital Backups
• Document the Project
• Print the Best

Read the rest of my blog post here:
https://chaostomemories.com/keep-photos-safe/

Do you have printed photos that are damaged like this one?Over time, photos can suffer many kinds of damage and decay, as seen in this example from our studio. Thankfully, most photos can be restored and reprinted to be as good as new!

Our proven process includes starting every restoration project with archival scanning so we’re working with the best possible source image. Then we use the latest digital restoration techniques to bring your photo memories back to life.

Typical damage we restore includes mold, stains, tears, fading, yellowing, water damage, and discoloration. If you bring your damaged photo to our studio we’re happy to offer a free assessment.

4 years ago I signed a lease to bring Chaos to Memories to life in Downtown Wheaton! What started as a hobby in the living room of my house has turned into my full-time job with an amazing team who loves what they do.

Today we continue to take in projects with tens of thousands of photos and LOVE creating Family Photo Archives for our clients. We appreciate your continued trust in us to care for and preserve your precious family memories, and we're excited to see how Chaos to Memories will continue to evolve in the years to come!

What should I do with silvered photos?

Vintage black and white photos used silver particles to make old photo papers sensitive to light. Unfortunately, multiple factors including the developing process, age, and storage can cause the silver particles to oxidize and create a silver or blue iridescent haze over the photo.

If you scan silvered photos on a conventional flatbed scanner you can only capture the silvered image, without the missing details. However, at Chaos to Memories we use a special camera scanning technique you’ll find in leading archives and museums around the world that captures all the original details of the print but without any damage to the original.

You can't organize your own photos!

People love taking photos, but most people never take the time to organize and enjoy their memories. At Chaos to Memories, we organize millions of photos every year for our clients and these are the top reasons why you can’t organize your own photos.

1. You take too many photos. Our average client brings us more than 100,000 digital files, and while we love large projects, most people are overwhelmed by their own photo collections.

2. You’re too attached to your photos. Did you know that many professional photographers delete 50% or more of the photos they take? If the best photographers delete half their photos, then why are you keeping all of yours?

Click the link below to read the rest of my reasons why you can't organize your own photos!

https://chaostomemories.com/organize-your-photos/

At Chaos to Memories we treat every Family Photo Archive project as if it was our own! Every single photo is given the same level of care and attention, and our staff truly loves what they do.

We would love to meet you and provide you with a free estimate on your project. Come by our downtown Wheaton studio any weekday from 10-5, or reach out to us to schedule a drop-off!

Happy Independence Day!

I wanted to find some pictures of my oldest son's first time seeing fireworks. Because my Family Photo Archive is complete, searchable, and shareable, I was able to locate and share these pictures in seconds.

If you have precious family memories you want to experience again, let us know how we can help!

If you take a photo with a digital camera in 2026, the digital date in the file will be 2026, and sort in chronological order as expected.

However, if you scan a printed photo from 1986 in the year 2026, the digital capture date will be off by forty years! If somebody in the future looks at those files they might think the scanned photo was taken in 2026, which could be confusing.

I address this and more in my newest blog post "Redating Scanned Photos" which you can read here:

https://chaostomemories.com/redating-scanned-photos/