You can still give your mom the best gift out there by converting her photos, movie film, negatives, video tapes, and other film formats to digital!
Be sure to check out our specials page for extra savings!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
How We Help Out On Earth Day
Here at Larsen Digital Services, we are in the business of taking your physical film memories and converting them to a digital format. There is no longer a need to take your film in to make prints, or to shoot video through a camcorder! Save the paper and plastics for your next dinner party and keep all your life's favorite moments in digital form.
Bring in your legacy of memories whether they are on photo prints, movie film reels, audio tapes, or any other film format, and we can convert it to digital! This enables you to view your memories whenever you want, wherever you want. It also limits the hassle of looking for photo albums for that "one certain picture" or pulling out projectors to view old film.
We are in the digital age, and your memories are best stored that way as well. Not only does it help the Earth by reducing the paper and plastic used, but it helps your film stick around longer. Once your slides, negatives, or other films are converted to digital, they are no longer susceptible to deterioration or degradation. The quality will not change. You also have the ability to easily share your favorites with family and friends through email or social media.
Help us help the Earth by going digital with your memories!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Be Your Mom's Favorite By Giving the Gift of Digitized Film!
Hi blog readers! My name is Christa, and I am a contributor to the Larsen Digital Blog. Let me start out by telling you that I grew up in a family with 6 kids, and I was the fifth. To make things even more interesting, the 5 oldest siblings were all girls, with our youngest sibling being the lone boy. Needless to say there was lots of drama, laughter, fighting, and joy.
I don't think I need to tell you that girls like attention, and they like being the best! Such was and still is the case in my family. It was very common (almost too common) for us each to claim that we were "the favorite" child. You want to know who truly was the favorite? I'll give you one guess... ME! Why am I the favorite you might ask? Well I'm sure that most parents can agree that different children are their favorites for different reasons. One helped around the house more then the others. Another always got straight A's and is in medical school to be a brain surgeon. Well I'm the favorite because I gave them a gift that will always be remembered and never be forgotten. Last Christmas I gave my parents a hard drive chock full of all our family photos and videos. Top that siblings!
The reason this was such a great gift and catapulted me to the top is because memories bring such emotional feelings. Who watches their old home movies and doesn't either smile or reflect on good times? No one. Ever. Time passes us but once, and after that the seconds are gone, but when you can remind people of past memories through photos and film you get to re-live those moments again.
It's not enough to make a beautiful scrapbook gluing old photos to pretty paper. What you need is to convert them to a digital form. That way they are reminded of the great life they have lived, all while allowing them to view those moments whenever, wherever. What better way is there to tell your mother you love her and how glad you are to have had her in your life, than to show you interested you are in her life and what made her who she is.
I have been apart of the Larsen Digital Memory Preserving Team for over 6 years now. Through this career I have gotten to know people and families through their photos and film, and I know that converting old film to digital can bring families closer together. I am proud to work for a company that believes in keeping all our work in the United States, rather than outsourcing them. I love that at Larsen Digital, our customers truly come first, and our lines of communication are always open to ensure that those that send in their priceless film get the information they want and the respect they deserve.
If you want to give your mother the best gift on the planet this Mother's Day, consider converting her film to digital, and remind her of the great moments that have and continue to make up her life. It is a gift that you won't regret, and one that will leave her smiling, and probably even crying!
(My mom - isn't she beautiful?!)
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Mother's Day DIY Photo Gifts:Large Photo Sign
This Large Photo Sign can be customized to any personality or to any generation of photos. While we used photos taken in the last year, this project would look great with photos from the 80's, or even a collection black and white photos from even earlier.
Large Photo Sign
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Items Needed:
- Roughly 30 4X6 photos, or 50 smaller photos. It is better to have too many than not enough.
- Large piece of wood. We used a 12" X 48" piece of particle board. You can use regular plywood but the particle board was much cheaper. We got our wood from Lowe's and cut it ourselves, but Michael's has pre-cut wood pieces that would work for this project.
- Mod Podge. We used the matte style for this project.
- Sponge Brush
- Wooden Letters. You can find these at your local craft store or even Walmart. You will want to keep the word short and sweet to ensure it will fit on the board. You can place your letters vertically or horizontally depending on your preference. You can choose a word such as love, hope, family (horizontally), etc.
- Acrylic Paint
Instructions to make this beautiful Photo Sign:
1- Lay out your photos onto the piece of wood to determine the layout you want and how many photos you will need to use.
2- After laying all your photos out where your heart desires place a good layer of mod podge on the back of the photo and place the print back in it's spot with the glued side facing down. Continue this process until all the photos have been glued on.
3- After all your photos are glued and in place, put a generous layer of mod podge over the pictures. This puts a sealing coat over all the photos. Make sure to put the layer on evenly to ensure you don't get any "gloopy" spots or bubbles.
4- Let your sign sit until the mod podge dries. while this is drying we can get your letters ready!
5- Paint your letters the color you desire. Make sure you get in the sides and in all the nooks and crannies. We needed to put two coats of paint on our letters to ensure even coverage.
6- After the letters and the mod podge on the sign have dried, superglue the letters in place where you want them to go. After the glue has dried, voila! You have a beautiful attention getting, memory ridden, sentimental photo sign that would make any mom happy.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Mother's Day DIY Photo Crafts: Tile Coasters
So you've converted all your film and photos to digital, and we say that the possibilities are endless now that they are in digital form, and this month we are going to explore some fun things you can do! Mother's Day is coming up fast, so why not make sentimental Mother's Day gifts out of your digitized memories? What better way is there to tell your Mom how much you care than showcasing photos of her and your past!
First project of the month: Photo Coaster Tiles.
These are so extremely easy and fast to make.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Dry Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Items Needed to Create these Photo Tile Coasters:
- Photos from your past - Do NOT use the originals if you haven't digitized them yet!! Make sure they are in digital form first, and then we recommend printing a second copy at your local printing shop.
- Mod Podge. We used the matte style for this project
- Sponge Brush for Mod Podge Application
- Coaster Sized Tiled. We got these ones from Lowe's. You will want 1 tile per photo.
- Cork or Foam backing circles. You know, the things that you put on the bottom of chair legs?
- Last but not least... a snack!! Who doesn't like some good old Peanut M&M's?
Steps to creating this fabulous DIY photo Mother's Day Craft:
1- Cut your photos to the correct size so they fit on the tile with a little bit of room to spare on each side of the photo. I put the tile against the back of the photo, placed it off just a bit to account for the extra room, and traced around the tile. I then cut along my traced line. Make sure that you get the focal points of your photo on the tile!
2- Using the sponge brush, apply a thick layer of the Mod Podge on the back of your photo. Make sure you cover the entire surface of the back of your photo. After you apply this layer, you will place the photo face up on top of one tile.
4- Let your tiles sit untouched for about a half an hour, and then check on them until they are dry. The photo below will show the tiles right after the top coat of Mod Podge is on the picture, so you can still see some of the glue.
5- Enjoy your mother's reaction as you give her a gift to remember! In the photo below, you will see another set of coasters we made using 70's-80's photos. You can literally use any kind of photo on these beautiful photo tile coasters and it will draw an emotional feel.
We really loved making these photo tile coasters, and hope you enjoyed reading our tutorial! It is a great, cheap, and sentimental gift that you can make yourself for Mother's Day. You might want to give a tissue along with the tiles as there might be a couple of tears shed.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Digitize Before This Happens To Your Slides!
Are your slides still sitting in carousels? Convert them to digital and never worry about Fading, Discoloration and Children every again! It's convenient and priceless.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Oh, and PS- don't forget to send your film into Larsen Digital for Conversion! Best Prices. Best Quality. Best Results.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Mother's Day is Creeping In- Convert Her Film to Digital!
Mother's Day will be here before you know it, so it's important to start planning what you are going to do now!
What better way to tell your beloved mom how much you care about her than by showing how proud you are of your past, of the way you grew up and were raised, and how fond you are of the memories you've shared with her? How do you do this? By converting her film to digital of course!
The moment you sit down with your mom to reminisce over your family's favorite moments will bring laughter, smiles, and probably even some tears.
When you convert all her film to digital, not only will she feel the love you have for her, but since the digital images can last forever, you will always have a piece of your mom to hold on to, through thick and thin.
Your mother is important to you, so give her a gift that truly matter. Give her the gift of memories!
What better way to tell your beloved mom how much you care about her than by showing how proud you are of your past, of the way you grew up and were raised, and how fond you are of the memories you've shared with her? How do you do this? By converting her film to digital of course!
The moment you sit down with your mom to reminisce over your family's favorite moments will bring laughter, smiles, and probably even some tears.
When you convert all her film to digital, not only will she feel the love you have for her, but since the digital images can last forever, you will always have a piece of your mom to hold on to, through thick and thin.
Your mother is important to you, so give her a gift that truly matter. Give her the gift of memories!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
I Value My Old Home Movies and Video Tapes!
We all know about the boxes full of old VHS tapes and
Super 8 movie film hiding in our storage- but what’s the value in it? You might be amazed once you take a closer
look…
In 1977 I was so ecstatic when I bought my first “movie”
camera. It was a ‘sound only’ Super 8
camera which I paid $400 for ($1495 in 2012 dollars). In order to capture anything I needed to
purchase a single film cartridge which cost $11.00 ($41.00 in 2012 dollars) - and
it only held about 3 minutes of film! At
this time my wife and I were raising two kids both under age 2. There was no way I could shoot everything
that the little kids did every day (like we tend to do today with the modern
digital technology). Heck, I couldn't even afford a projector to watch the film on! In order to watch our recorded footage we
would take our film to the local camera bar where it was developed, and then we
would head to my parents’ home to watch the 3 minutes of our movies. That’s what makes this old film so valuable
beyond the enormous cost associated with shooting those memories in the first
place. Every roll of film contained a
very special event. Whether it was
capturing Christmas, a birthday, or those precious first steps it was always
something really special.
In 1986 I bought my first VHS camcorder. It was about the size of a modern computer
monitor and required that it be shoulder mounted to shoot the video. It was terrible in low light situations, but
compared to the cost and limited filming length of Super 8 it was all the rage
for the home movie buff. I paid $1400
for this behemoth ($2885 in 2012 dollars) and I would readily plop down another
$24.95 ($51.42 in 2012 dollars) for a blank VHS tape because “Hey- it costs far
less per minute than Super 8 film!”
I love today’s digital video technology. In this digital age I shoot more video in one
year than I shot in the 20 years of the old analog world combined. Sometimes I
think that the younger generation who only knows the digital age fails to
appreciate the value, cost, and effort that went into capturing all of those
old memories that your parents and grandparents have tucked away in a corner of
the basement. While I make my business
of bringing those old videos and home movies into this new age, I will always
have a special place in my heart for the good old methods of capturing the
moment.
Here’s my personal estimate of my investment:
Super 8 Movie Film including camera: ~$3600 in 2012 dollars
VHS & Hi8 tapes including cameras: ~$2450 in 2012 dollars.
-Brent Larsen, President of Larsen Digital Services
How much investment do you have in your old vintage films?
Send us your estimate!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Photo Calendar Review: Picaboo
After my first failed attempt at making a calendar I was a little wary at trying again. I tried Picaboo.com because it was referred to me by a friend. I was able to quickly and easily upload my photos and loved the fact that it would hide photos in my gallery after I had added them to my calendar, it was simple to know which photos I still needed to add. This really helped me keep my head on straight and stay organized. The software was very user friendly and intuitive (but a little slow at times). I really liked that I could have preset designs because I didn't have a lot of spare time to create a calendar. I really liked that I could zoom into my picture and then adjust it left, right, up or down. This allowed me to focus on the exact spot of my photo.
The only downside is that it lacked decorative accents and I really wish it had offered some. I am not creative, I can't come up with fun catch phrases on my own and I would have appreciated some help. If it hadn't been midnight I would have called my sister-in-law, she can always come up with something creative.
When I received my calendar I was really impressed with how fast it arrived & that it was such great quality. Each page is on thick card stock instead of flimsy paper. The pictures on the pages look great, the printing was very high quality. It also passed the kid test. Both my 4 year old & my 1 year old have taken it from me to look at their pictures and the calendar survived! My 1 year old loves to rip pages out of books and thankfully the card stock was so thick he wasn't able to destroy my new calendar.
I was very happy with my experience with Picaboo and will definitely use them again.
4/5 stars
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
$7 Video Tape to DVD Transfers!
You can get a coupon code to get all your video tapes transferred to digital for only $7 a piece!
All you have to do to get the code is:
-Watch the video below
-Figure out what color hair the doll has
-Leave your answer in a comment on this blog post along with your email address
-The coupon code will be emailed to you within 24 hours
-You have until Today (02.27.13) Midnight Mountain Time to submit your answer!
-Coupon Code will expire 03.08.13
ENJOY!
Find out more information on our video tape transfer service and process!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Making Video Memories Stand Out
 | 8mm Vintage Camera Review8mm Vintage Camera allows you to shoot vintage video in real time. You can take existing video on your iPhone or iPad and add a vintage overlay to it, or you can shoot live video.There are many vintage themes to choose from, such as, the 20's, 60's, 50's, Noir, Indigo and now Tuscan. |
Our Review
Reviewer: Kristin Harding November 17, 2012
I love old film, old pictures, anything that feels dated & classic. I am a fan of any app that will take my digital photos and apply an antiqued effect to it. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across the 8mm vintage app. I love video, I am constantly taking videos of my kids doing the most mundane daily things. The 8mm Vintage app takes video clips and adds an antiqued effect to it, the options range from 60's & 70's warm glow, 1920's Black & White, a dark dirty noir theme, down to professional blue hues. Whatever theme you want to go with, this app probably will meet your needs.
After playing around with it for a while I had two complaints, 1) I wish I didn't have to record live video, I wish I could grab video from my camera roll & 2) I wish I could mute my current audio & add a flicker background which is classic to old movie film. After playing around a while I thought that I would hit the little "i" button and was amazed that my two little complaints were actually features they had included. I admit that I rarely read instructions first, I always jump right into a project and then when I am stuck, I go back & read instructions. I was very happy when I was able to pull videos saved on my phone since and even happier when it allowed me to add the flicker background noise to my video.
One thing that I think would really make this app great is to add some additional audio tracks reminiscent to earlier times, such as a 1920's flapper vibe, or 1940's noir theme.
Reviewer: Christa Larsen November 15, 2012
Working so hard to convert old 8mm film to a digital format, I found it ironic to be so fond of an app that is counteractive. With 8mm Vintage Camera, the ability is given to add an old feel to video being shot straight from your phone. You also have the opportunity to take videos that have been recorded in the past, and add fun effects to them. There are several themes to choose from including a 1920 black and white effect, and a 70s faded look. The app also contains options to have the frames "jitter" giving it a old school feeling, and it also gives you the choice to have the audio recorded or not, or even if you want a vintage movie film noise instead of sound, giving it an authentic feel. 8mm Vintage Camera can upload your finished products to Facebook and Youtube, and also allows you to save the videos to your camera roll, or email them to friends and family. This app is extremely fun for a unique touch to your memories, and as long as you read the info under the "I" button within the app, it is very user friendly.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What Photos Are Hiding in Your Closet?
We all have photos from important moments in our lives. What memories are hiding in your closet? Are they:
Tradtions
Just Plain Cute
Goofy
Adventurous
Posed
Touristy
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Or a family heirloom?
Don't let any of your memories like these fade away. Send them in to Larsen Digital to be scanned to digital form so they can stick around for generations to come. They may not be an heirloom now, but they have the potential to be!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Photo Calendar Review: TinyPrints
We are on a journey to find you the best photo products to show off your digital images. The latest: a photo calendar created through Tiny Prints by Shutterfly.
There were a lot of things I loved about this calendar, and some things I didn't so much like. Overall creating and ordering this photo calendar through Tiny Prints was a good experience, and I would probably rate the product I received a 7 out of 10.
One things that I particularly liked was the sturdiness of the calendar and the thickness of the pages. When you schedule something on the calendar it does not indent onto the next page, which is a plus. The print quality was also great. The colors were vibrant and the contrast was just right.
I liked that you can customize the calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events. I also find their design choices and styles right up my alley. They had great modern simplistic designs, as well as templates that are aimed for the crafty and traditional. The website was great to work with, and the upload speeds were fast.
The only negative I had after receiving the final product was that the pages got dirty really easily. Unfortunately I have this issue because I opened the calendar in front of my kids, who were eating a snack, and wanted to oogle all over the photos of themselves. I admit some fault, but I wish that at least SOME of the remnants left on the pages would have cleaned off. Instead, it is stuck there for good unless I want to ruin the cuteness.
I would definitely order from TinyPrints again, and I would recommend them to a friend. Their prices are fantastic, and I can always find a coupon to work with. The shipping speed was optimal, and the website was very user friendly.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Photo Calendar Review: Snapfish
We are on a journey to
find you the best photo products to show off your digital images. The
latest: a photo calendar created through Snapfish.
Using digitized images to make this calendar, it truly was a
blast from the past! The top reason we
loved this product from Snapfish: The
pages were so thick and sturdy. It would
be really hard to rip or damage the pages.
Next reason the calendar was a great buy: The print quality was
fantastic. I liked the slight sheen of
the photos, but not too glossy that every speck of light shines off of it,
hiding the imagery.
Another reason Snapfish was a great vendor: Turnaround time was
super fast. We also liked their design
options. You could choose a theme to fit
your personality whether it has a scrapbook feel, modern flair, or traditional
touch- the options were great. With
Snapfish, you have the ability to personalize your calendar not just with the
main photo for the month, but for holidays and birthdays. Insert your favorite photos onto important
dates to make this product complete.
We would recommend Snapfish for your next photo calendar. The quality was superb and the look truly
captured the feel we were going for. It
made old family photos shine, and was “awed” by all who saw it.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Capturing the Moment: iPhone vs Digital Camera
With so much new technology occurring in the convenience of your phone,
it’s no wonder why some might ask, “Is it better to capture the moment through
a digital camera or my smartphone?”
Well, as with most things, to each their own, but let’s go over some of
the pros and cons to help those that are undecided. For this article we are comparing the iPhone
5 with one of the best point and shoot digital cameras on the market, the Canon
Powershot SX260 HS.
Digital Camera:
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
|
Higher Megapixels on the market
|
Over Twice as Heavy
|
|
20x Lens
|
Lower Frames Per Second
|
|
Depending on the iPhone you choose, the
digital camera can be less expensive
|
Smaller LCD Screen Size
|
|
Unlimited Continuous Shot Mode
|
|
|
Image Stabilization
|
|
|
Predefined Shooting Options
|
|
iPhone
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
|
Much lighter than a digital camera
|
Lower Megapixels Offered
|
|
Easier to take traveling
|
Lens’ must be purchased separately
|
|
Same HD Video Quality as a Digital
Camera
|
|
|
Higher Frames Per Second
|
|
|
Bigger LCD Screen Size
|
|
It may seem that there are many more pros for the Digital Camera, but
the iPhone is definitely a competitive option.
With so many of their specs being similar to that of a Point and Shoot,
and considering the convenience of the camera being a part of your phone (which
most take everywhere with them no matter what), the iPhone is a great candidate
to become your new digital camera. It is
there to capture the moment at all times and in all places that you carry your phone
with you
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How to Copy Digital Images From a Disc to Your Computer
Getting files from a disc to your computer is easy!
Step 1
First, you want to put the disc in your computer. Once your computer has loaded the disc you should see a pop up asking what you want to do with the disc. Scroll down to "Open Folder View Files". This will allow you to see all the data files on your disc.
Step 2
You will want to select all the files on your disc. To do this, click once on the first file while holding down the SHIFT key and then click on the last file while still holding the shift key. Now all your files should be highlighted.
Right click with your mouse & select "COPY"
Step 3
Now you just need to locate where you will be saving your files.
Open Windows Explorer or go to "My Computer" you will want to select a spot on your hard drive to save your files. See below for instructions to create a new folder
To paste your files onto your computer you right click & select "PASTE".
Your files will start to copy to your computer. This may take some time depending on the size of the files & the speed of your computer.
Creating a Folder to save your files
You don't want to just "dump" your files onto your hard drive. You will want to have them saved in a folder with a title.
Step 1
Inside Windows Explorer or "My Computer" you will want to select a drive where you want the files saved. Once you have selected your drive, you will right click & select "NEW" & then select "FOLDER"
Step 2
Next you will want to name your folder - use a name that applies, don't leave the default title of "New Folder (1)". If you accidentally set the folder name and want to change it, click once on the folder & right click & select "RENAME". This will allow you to rename your folder.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Photo Book Review: Mixbook
We are on a journey to find you the best photo products to show off your digital images. The latest: a photo book done through Mixbook.
We really didn't have any cons working with this company. They had great templates, as well as fun designs and embellishments. The print quality was awesome, and the pages were nice and sturdy. The binding on this photo book was the best we've seen. You couldn't even see the strings for the binding in the front and back of the book, but it had a seamless, professional look. We were able to find a coupon as well, making this deal even sweeter.
If you are looking to create a photo book of your memories, we highly recommend Mixbook because of it's overall high quality, template and design choices, and their website's ease of use. We are extremely happy with this product and look forward to doing more business with Mixbook.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Photo Book Review: Lulu
We are on a journey to find you the best photo products to show off your digital images. The latest: a photo book done through Lulu.
Lets start with the cons: The upload time was fairly slow. Maybe it's because I had high resolution photos, and a lot of them, but I got a little impatient waiting. That's about the only con I have with this experience.
Pros: The designs were simple and perfect for the traditional minded. When I received the photo book in the mail, I was so happy with the finished product! The pages were extremely durable, and the print quality looked fantastic. My three year old has loved looking through the book, and has yet to wrinkle a page after her rough page turning, proving the good construction of the book. The hardback was well made and I loved the slight shimmer of the cover.
Overall I would recommend lulu for your photo book needs. I was able to find a coupon to make the price amazing, and the design options and quality were superb.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Taking Pictures: Film vs Digital
Isn't this the truth...
Make sure you convert all your photos memories to digital! Not only will you be preserving your memories, but you can have your images on your phone or computer to show off on your lunch break!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Our Favorite Newborn Photo Poses
Seems like Spring is a popular time for babies to be born, and the trend is to take photos of your newborn days after their birth. The best photos are those that showcase just how precious and tiny your itty bitty baby is. Here are our favorite newborn poses that you might want to consider when planning your photo shoot.
Put your baby in something! We love the crocheted slings that you can find on etsy. Other cute ideas include a treasure chest (the child would lay on blankets within the chest of course), a football helmet if you are avid sports fans, pumpkin, Christmas stocking, or basket. Posing your baby inside of something captures their small and precious size. It's hard not to let out an "ohhh" when looking at one of these poses because they are just so cute.
We also like the poses that show love and family. The ones where mom and dad hold the baby against their chest, or even holding the bundle of joy in their hands. We've seen many photos where the parents are dressed all in black, but their hands are uncovered. The reason they do this is so that their hands are the only objects the camera captures- giving the photo a magical feeling. Another family pose we love? Sibling poses! Capturing the way older children feel about your new addition not only shows emotion, but it helps the brothers and sister feel involved and important as well.
Another pose we love when it comes to looking at newborn pictures- the fetal position, bum in the air pose. Doesn't that just wreak of adorable? Baby bodies are so delicate, small, and innocent that the photo capitalizes on the preciousness of your child.
The last photos being highlighted in this post are hospital pictures. Hire someone to come to the hospital and freeze that moment in time with you. There is nothing more intense than those first moments right after an infant is brought into the world.
Whatever poses you decide to implement in your photo shoot, just make sure you take pictures! They grow so fast, and the moments of newborn innocence will be over before you know it. Capture your new baby before those first months are gone.
