Digital Imaging Project, Digitising Your Memories

It started with a simple slideshow. An elderly man, living with advanced dementia, had long since withdrawn from those around him, until familiar faces flickered onto his TV screen. As old family photos appeared, something shifted. Eyes fixed on the images, for a few brief moments, the past cut through the fog.

‘It was like a switch flipped,’ said Mike Neal, President of the Lions Club of Burnside. ‘He was captivated by the photos he hadn’t seen in years. That was a moment that really, really drove me. We thought, “We have the tools to do this, we know what needs to be done - we have to make this work.”’

‘The impact that day had will never leave me.’

That moment sparked the Digital Imaging Project; a free service offered by the Lions Club to help Burnside’s elderly residents scan and digitise old photo slides and printed pictures. The aim is simple: make it easier to preserve and share precious memories, without the stress of navigating unfamiliar technology.

‘There’s both a technological barrier and a sheer amount of photos barrier,’ Mike said. ‘This whole concept can overwhelm people. They see me do it and they say, “Oh yeah, he knows what he’s doing.” But if I can sit down with someone and show them, run them through how to do it, it becomes manageable. Once they start making progress, they can get it done.”

Mike speaks from experience. ‘When I first retired it was my ambition to get this done for myself. I had a big plastic tub full of slides. I looked at it a number of times, but I just kept pushing it back.’

To break down the barrier, the Lions provide hands-on help and lend out portable scanners - small, affordable machines residents can use at home once they’ve had a demonstration.

‘My focus is on how quick and, from a technology aspect, how easy it is,’ Mike said. ‘Modern computers are smart enough that you don’t need expertise. This is quick and easy.’

Digitising images has clear benefits including better preservation, easier sharing, and peace of mind. ‘Once people see it and fully appreciate what you can do once the photos are digitised - you’re not all limited to crowding around the photo album.’

‘You can take the smart photo frames to relatives in hospital or care homes. You can send them to people overseas. If you have the misfortune of a fire or disaster, once you get everything sorted you can get copies from family. They’re not gone forever.”

So far, only a small number of residents have accessed the program. But Mike hopes more will give it a go.

‘This is about making people aware that it’s doable, and you can do it in a reasonable amount of time. Once you’re comfortable and know what you’re doing, we let you take the machine home and do the project on your own time - just give me a call if you have any problems.’

For more information on the Digital Imaging Project contact Mike Neal on 0400 246 803.

Downloaded on to a portable USB stick, the photos can be viewed on your TV or other devices