If photos from your family history have been passed down to you from previous generations, or if you love to take family photos on summer holidays, you'll want to make sure that you preserve your photos so they're kept in the best possible condition. Unfortunately, this isn't as simple as keeping a stack of photo albums underneath your bed. Here are a few tips to ensure that your photographs look incredible in the decades to come.

Take them out of their albums. If you currently keep photographs in photo albums, the material of those photo albums could destroy your photos over time. Those magnetic or sticky pages can make them deteriorate, so it's better to find a photo album made of cardboard that is clearly labelled as "acid free". You can also separate the photos in an album by creating your own album made from thin cloth, such as muslin, or acid -free paper. If you have film negatives, don't store them in the same album because photographic negatives release acidic gases that interfere with photos over time. Keep them sealed in a separate box or photo album.

Other foreign objects to avoid. Objects to avoid include things like rubber bands, staples, and paper clips. These objects all have different chemical properties, and those properties can interfere with the chemistry of your photographs, meaning that the pigment could be altered, light spots could occur, or they could fade more quickly than they should.

Pack them in safe boxes. If you have multiple photo albums you wish to put in boxes, again you should choose cardboard that is acid-free. It is important that you don't try to put too many photos inside one box because the weight and pressure could cause some of the photos to bend, putting stress on the physical integrity of the photos and compromising their visual integrity as well.

Choose a storage unit. It's actually a better idea to store photos in a self storage unit than at home or in the garage. This is because many storage units are climate controlled, and maintaining an optimal temperature and level of humidity is ideal when you want to keep your photos. Considering that Australia can have very extreme weather, particularly in the summer months, a storage unit could actually be considered essential. Make sure that the storage unit you choose is cool, dark, and can be maintained at an appropriate humidity level. 

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