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Slide pages are a convenient way to quickly and safely view your photographs. |
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Bird Photography Tips #35 by Scott Fairbairn and John Reaume |
As your photographic journey continues, you will( hopefully!), begin to amass a collection of images. A problem that arises from this collection process is how to store and file your images so that they can be easily viewed and catalogued. This month's article will discuss a few methods of storing your growing slide collection. A future article will discuss the far more daunting task of cataloguing and labeling your slides. One of the problems of amassing a collection of photographs is how to store them properly. Originals, whether slides or negatives, need to be protected from the ravages of moisture, light, dust and temperature extremes. They should also be reasonably easy to view without covering them with fingerprints! There are three major methods of storing slides. Boxes, such as the ones your processed slides come in are one method. Slide carousels could also be used so that they are always ready for projecting. Alternately, they can be stored in slide pages specially designed to be placed in 3-ring binders or "hung" like hanging folders in a file cabinet. These slide pages hold twenty 35mm slides.
A problem with the first two methods is that it is not easy to take a quick glance at your collection, as you must place each slide individually on to a light box (see tips #32). Additionally, they are easy to drop and/or get fingerprints on them. Slide carousels are bulky and expensive to store large numbers of images (not to mention a nightmare to catalogue). Slide pages, on the other hand are quick and easy to pull a sheet out, place on a light box and have a look. For this reason we recommend using plastic sheets for storing your slides. Slide sheets are about 50 cents (Cdn) a sheet for archival quality.
You must however, be wary of the composition of the sheets. Certain types of plastics produce harmful breakdown products, which can damage your slides. These tend to be pages made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Sheets that are intended for long-term storage without causing deterioration are usually labeled "archival". Three-ring binders are commonly made of PVC and therefore can also give off harmful gases and it may be wise to avoid their use. You can buy special holders that attach to the slide pages themselves, which can then be hung in a file cabinet or simply use hanging file folders. Metal file cabinets are preferable over wooden cabinets as some types of glues can give off harmful vapors. The ideal location for your cabinet is one, which is cool, out of direct sunlight, and is not going to be subjected to high humidity (basements).
Utilizing slide pages made of archival quality plastic is a safe and effective means to store your slides long term. Slide pages also lend themselves to various cataloguing methods.
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Slide pages are a convenient way to quickly and safely view your photographs. |
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Last Updated: June 1, 2002