Embedded Files
I received a shoebox of negatives from my 101‑year‑old grandmother. Inside were photos dating back to the 1950s: her and my grandfather’s trips around the world, and scenes from everyday family life.
Scanning the negatives
To digitize them, I used a JJC FDA‑S1 film digitizing adapter with the Nikon Z7II. I started shooting at the full 45 MPresolution, but quickly realized I could achieve the same practical result at 26 MP. Naturally, I captured everything in RAW to keep as much information as possible.
Converting the negatives was surprisingly easy with Pixelmator. After that, most of the work came down to adjusting the white balance and overall color to bring the images back to life while still keeping their original character. I also tested converting with Affinity Photo and Luminar but got the best inital result with Pixelmator.
The negative
Converted using Pixelmator (biggest scratches removed), my grandfather enjoying the city in the 1970s
AI restoration
Many of the negatives were in rough shape—bent, scratched, or even stuck together. Fixing this in post‑processing took time. I experimented with AI restoration, including Luminar’s tools, but found the results mixed. For my taste, the AI often removed too much, making the images feel less authentic. I actually want photos from the 60s and 70s to look and feel old, so I’ve learned to accept a certain amount of grain, dust, and scratches. They’re part of the photograph’s history.
Working through this shoebox has reminded me how fragile these physical memories are. I recommend that anyone who has old negatives digitizes them before it’s too late. Nothing lasts forever, and once those images are gone, they’re gone for good. This project has been my way of making sure a small piece of our family’s story survives.
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