"A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep...."

Da Vinci's ever-popular "Mona Lisa" is a
living testament to Keats' stirring words,
but then, Keats lived before the invention
of photography. The following faded postcard
of Mona Lisa is anything but beauty preserved:

This guide aims to condense for the reader important expert advice on photo care without getting bogged down in technical terms and complicated measures; but rather, taking a general yet thorough approach, one most amenable to being put into practice so that your cherished pictures stay forever beautiful like Leonardo's Mona Lisa. Part One discusses "Photo Purchasing" since photo preservation actually begins "before" you even have a particular photo in your possession. Why? Because a photo is only as good as how it's made and what it's made of. Part Two addresses "Photo Care"--key do's and don'ts to preserve your photos. Finally, Part Three discusses the trade off between photo care versus photo display and offers a practical solution.

PHOTO PURCHASING

There are scores and scores of photographs available on eBay of every type and on every conceivable topic. But every advantage has it's disadvantage, and with plenty of photo vendors selling plenty of the same photos comes the problem of which of those same photos to buy? As any savvy buyer knows, a low price is no bargain when it translates to "low quality."

On the other hand, beware of a ploy used by some sellers in which they tout their wares as being "real photographs" and decry other sellers who market so-called inferior digital products. The truth is, a digital print is no less a genuine photograph than is a traditional silver-halide print. Both a digital camera and a film-based one operate on the same general principle: they capture light that, in turn, mirrors reality. In traditional photography, this is accomplished by the crystals in the film's emulsion breaking down into silver particles when the camera's shutter opens and exposes the film to light; whereas, when a digital camera's shutter opens, there's a sensor (typically a CCD) that converts light into an electrical signal. The CCD sensor, as opposed to the breaking down of emulsion on the film, exposes the light to its grid made up of tiny photodiodes that converts light intensity not into silver, but instead, into pixels. Therefore, traditional and digital photography accomplish the same task, just in different ways.

What then should you look for when purchasing a photograph? Well, the resolution of digital printers today is so high that image quality is much less of a concern. Even inexpensive inkjet printers can produce colors, tone, and detail that matches or even outdoes that of traditional film processing. However, as Dr. Ray Work, a chemist and photo preservation expert who advises many manufacturers of inkjet papers and inks, warns: "The trouble is: You can't assume that you'll automatically get the same high-quality, long-lasting results with just any off-the-shelf inks and/or papers." A photo seller may be tempted to use third party paper or ink since it often costs significantly less than a given manufacturer's recommended ink and paper set. Some photographers will disclose the brand name and specs of the printer they use to make their photos, but what you also want to know is whether they use both ink and paper designed by the manufacturer to work specifically with its printer. As Epson states in its White Paper on Print Permanence: "Products from third parties labeled as 'compatible with' or 'suitable for' are often one-size-fits-all claims that rely on the lowest common denominator. While there may be certain combinations of third party ink and paper that yield acceptable results on certain printers, there are numerous examples of prints made with combinations of ink and media that will produce poor image quality and/or lead to print fading in only a few years."

Obviously, few buyers would be willing to spend their hard-earned cash on photos they knew beforehand would last "only a few years." Fortunately, highly technical, rigorous testing is being conducted regarding print longevity by Wilhelm Imaging Research--a company whose methods have become the de facto standard for nearly all major printing companies, with Kodak being a notable exception. Wilhelm Research does accelerated testing under conditions similar to a brightly lit room (450 lux illumination for 12 hrs. per day) to forecast how long prints will last without fading, whereas Kodak does its testing at only 120 lux per 12 hours. Dr. Work argues that Kodak's testing is unrealistic since "It's hard to see a print at 120 lux." Light though is only one factor Wilhelm tests that contributes to photo fading. Humidity, temperature and ozone effects are others. What you as a photo collector should be aware of is that Wilhelm Imaging Research publishes a comparison chart that forecasts photo longevity for practically every printer on the market. According to Henry Wilhelm, the reputable, trail-blazing president of the company: "The objective of our display permanence rating system is to obtain realistic and meaningful comparisons of existing products and interpret what type of performance buyers of those products can expect under a variety of display conditions." Historically, black and white fiber-based prints have been quite resistant to fading; in fact, their reputation was so good that when color prints came on the market in the late 1950's the consumer was caught off guard by a new and widespread malady: fading. Wilhelm Display Permanence Ratings reveal a parallel with the past regarding today's digitally produced photographs as black and white digital photos have performed well as opposed to many dye-based inkjet and dye-sub prints akin to the dye-based traditional color processing that began in the 50's. Pigment-based color digital prints, on the other hand, fared best on the Wilhelm Display Permanence Ratings.

 PHOTO CARE

DECORATION

Before you go ahead and put your newly acquired photograph on that section of the wall you've been eyeing, is the area right beneath florescent lighting or exposed directly to the sun at a certain time of the day? Strong light is a central cause of fading and should definitely be avoided. Purchasing a frame whose window has ultraviolet filtering however will help reduce the harmful effects of light. Although before you frame that picture anywhere, consider that "collection" versus "decoration" photos last longer since they usually are stored–not displayed–and thus, are not as vulnerable to light, heat and moisture fluctuations or airborne contaminants like smoke, cooking fumes or pollution.

If you're still interested in framing your photograph, attach it to a mat backboard using photo corners. Avoid anything other than an acid-free backboard made of either cotton rag (preferred for highly valued photos) or wood pulp. The mat should have a backboard and a window board. This will give the photo some space to breathe and keep it from harmfully sticking to the mandatory glass or acrylic frame window. If you're mounting a color photograph, a wooden frame is not recommended. Frames of all types are available on eBay, including uncommon ones such as those with multiple windows for framing a group of small photos together. Spring clips used to attach the frame to the wall are prone to digging into the backboard until eventually damage is done to the photo. Attaching an additional expendable backboard is recommended as a precautionary measure.

COLLECTION

Whether framing your photos for decorative display or collecting and storing them away, keep them cool and dry--an attic's too hot, a basement's too damp. The lower the temperature the better, with relative humidity kept stable--too high accelerates photo deterioration, too low can cause cracking, curling, or peeling. One can, of course, store photographs in albums, binders, scrapbooks, storage boxes and other ways. Whatever method you choose look for acid-free materials. (Lignin-free as well is even better. Lignin is a substance that will break down and eventually become acidic.) Storage products made from aluminum or steel are safe, whereas wood and cardboard contain elements that over time will harm your photos. A more economical choice is plastic, but plastic storage boxes or photo album sleeves, for example, should contain no PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Instead, an uncoated transparent polyester composition is preferred (Dupont Mylar D and ICI Melinex 516) although uncoated polypropylene or polyethylene is acceptable.

Besides affordability, photo albums and binders with transparent plastic sleeves offer other advantages as well. Scrapbooks too can be affordable, but unlike albums with sleeves, you must attach photos to a scrapbook. (Only photo corners are recommended for attachment, and archival-safe glue specified as acid-free.) Interleaves are also necessary to keep photos from coming into direct contact with each other. Binders and albums with transparent plastic sleeves have none of the above inconveniences; and moreover, have an added advantage in that photos can be viewed while still in the sleeves, eliminating handling concerns, such as bending and fingerprint smudges.

PHOTO DISPLAY

No true photo lover or connoisseur collects simply for the sake of collecting. Photography is, after all, a visual medium, and photos are meant to be seen. To simply store a collection away (unless it’s extremely delicate or valuable) brings to mind a famous line by Thomas Gray: “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” But your photos–unlike a beautiful flower in a barren desert–can be seen, it’s up to you.

As discussed previously, due to a host of environmental factors, photos fade more quickly when framed and displayed rather than when simply stored in a safe dark place. However, “decoration” versus “collection” is not an either/or proposition. Although photo albums are often, by and large, simply used for storage, there are all sorts of albums and binders on the market and you can easily find an attractive one that complements your home decor and would look great on your coffee table. Instead of buying someone else’s coffee table book, you can create your own coffee table "photo" book–even add your own captions if you’d like. If you opt for such a display, I recommend rotating the photos periodically with new ones, and doing the same for framed photos as well. Certainly you can buy a duplicate of a photo you especially value, and keep one on the wall and one in storage; however, if you find buying the same thing twice repugnant, especially at the prices some photographers charge for even a small photo, there’s another solution: rotation.

Rotating your photos from storage to display--whether on a wall or a coffee table–has an added benefit besides increasing longevity. For example, instead of looking at the same photos on the wall, month after month, and year after year, changing them every now and then adds some refreshing novelty to your home and keeps your decor–-no matter how beautiful–-from becoming monotonous. It’s invigorating and appealing not just for the eyes but for the heart and mind as well. Guests who frequent your home will appreciate seeing something new too. So, as Thomas Gray might say: “don’t keep a beautiful flower unseen.” Rotate and exhibit your photos. Everyone will be pleased.

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