For the City Times

Faded photos, cracked at the corners, water-stained and wrinkled. Dusty film reels and neglected negatives. Video and audio cassettes stacked on shelves, with no way to play them. Boxes of memories, tucked in basements, attics and backrooms, waiting to be remembered.

Dan Smith of WinterSpring Studios can bring them to life through his video and photo service packages. He will explain how he does it and share examples of his work with participants at the Let’s Learn Together speaker series at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 24 at Hilltop Grand Village, 1400 24th St. S., Wisconsin Rapids. (Enter by Home Depot.)

The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The event will be recorded to air on the Wisconsin Rapids Community Media.

Light, magnetism, humidity and heat can damage or destroy photos, negatives, films, audio and video cassettes, flash drives, CDs and DVDs. Time can exaggerate everything that causes damage.

If you wish to keep your photos and movies usable for this and future generations, you need to store your media properly and create a backup, if you don’t have one. In the case of digital photos, make a DVD copy so if you lose data off your computer or camera card, you have a backup. Make it a habit to save your photos, including those on your phone and in the cloud.

“Even the cloud can have a rainy day sometimes,” Smith said, noting digital media companies come and go, and your “saved” memories could be at risk.

WinterSpring Studios can transfer old films and videos from many formats onto DVD or make a digital copy. Photos and slides from prints or negatives can be scanned and either saved to a DVD or set to music in a video scrapbook on DVD. Torn, faded or damaged photos can be restored.

For more information about Smith and his business, visit WinterSpring Studios at 244 W. Grand Ave., call 715-423-0085 or go to www.winterspringstudios.com. For more information about the Let’s Learn Together speaker series, call Mystique at 715-423-7400, email mystique@hilltopgrandvillage.com or visit www.hilltopgrandvillage.com.

Future Let’s Learn Together sessions include:
• When your joints hurt, you’re not at your best. Kathleen Schultz, RN, is the Joint Care coordinator at Aspirus Riverview Hospital. She will talk about joint health and arthritis treatment options available locally. You’ll have time to ask questions, too, when she presents at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 23.
• Are you intrigued by meditation but you’re not sure what is involved? Ila Jean Babcock has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years and teaching for 10. She became interested in meditation through her yoga practice. She can help you find a meditative practice that suits you – anyone can do it. Join us at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6.
• Elder law, estate and life planning, rehabilitation, rightsizing your house, medication management and more.