Taking pictures of old photos

HappyLady Level 1

October 10, 2018, 4:56 am

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Taking pictures of old photos

I often take photos of old photos with my phone and they seem to come out fairly well, but is there any way I could improve on this. I am thinking here of what settings are best or what alternative means of photography would work well. Ideally, I want pictures that will come out in black and white in a book on family history. The original photos were taken in the 1870's. Some were done for theatre, so not such bad quality for the time.

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Youngshark

Youngshark

It is one of the effective tactics in digitalization. You can easily mend the bad parts using a repair software or even programs like photoshop. I have also done the same thing a number of times in the past.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Digitization of old photographs it very these days. You can use a scanner to scan your photo can convert it to a digital media or even take a photo of the old photo through a digital camera or even cellphone camera and convert the old photograph to a digital format. Photo restoration is also very easy if you use photo editing programs like photoshop.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Yeah I did that before. I scanned old photos and transferred it to my usb and done. You can now post it to your social media. It is easy and less complicated than we have taught.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

It's funny how we now have most of our pictures stored in USB drives. Back then they were films and negatives. The future moves so fast when it comes to upgrading technology.

I wonder how advanced digital photography will be in the ten years.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

I think it would be more advance and easier. The technology is continuously updating and many gadgets are affecting it. We might have a flying car someday. It is possible and might happen too.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That would be amazing. I think the smaller version of that now is the flying drone. We used to only see it as advanced gadgets in movies. But now they're being used not just for video and photography.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Yeah I agree but do you know that there was a news about a filipino who invented a flying car inspired by drone design? It was just very recently only and I think they did a testing already. I have not heard about it anymore.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's crazy! It's so cool to know that they're already experimenting with such an idea. I mean, if they actually succeeded, there would be a whole new kind of traffic.

Airplanes would it find much harder to escape air traffic. And then we'll have awe inducing pictures from above.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Yeah that is true. I was actually amazed when I saw it flying. It was covered by the local news in the Philippines during test. I have no idea now how that thing is doing. It is good to less traffic in the road. It would be a very good help for the commuters also.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I also just read an article that wasn't really into the idea of it. Flying cars to others seems like a bad idea. I kind of agree with their reasoning.

Can you imagine the dangers of flying vehicles crashing on random locations? That would make pictures of accidents more often.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

I agree with you. I remember Kodak where you can have the hard copies of your photos just by bringing the negative films. I wish I was able to keep some films and old cameras. But hard copies of photos from old cameras are still with us and we have four albums of pictures.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

My parents home is stuffed with old pictures and slides as my dad was an avid photographer. Oh my the memories! I think I will write a post about that. I have been thinking it is time to make them into something digital. My parents would be delighted.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

Yeeah plus there are handheld scanners which enable one to do this easily without the hassle of having to look for a cyber cafe. I myself prefer taking their pictures since it is an easier alternative and I have my smartphone with me on numerous occasions.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Scanning the photo via scanner is the best way to digitize your photo as it maintains the likeness of old photo (in terms of color and light). You can also take pictures of old photos, however, when you take photos the the end product might slightly differ from the old image in terms of light and color. These days scanner apps are also available, which more or less works like a real scanner.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

This is true my friend and i have experienced it a lot when I am digitalizing my pictures. The only thing I tend to do and have come to perfect nowadays is the best way to capture the photos. I tend to choose the lighting and position the photos well such that it comes out clearly.

6 years ago

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davedaot04

davedaot04

True, if you just take pictures using your mobile phone or any camera then the quality will not be as good as if you just scan it whether it be an app or a real scanner for me I prefer to use the physical scanner because I've been using it and compared it to the ones that is scanned through a scanner app and I notice that the ones that are scanned through a physical scanner is more defined, the quality is better than the former.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I agree with you. Digitization of old photographs is popular these days. You can use a scanner to scan old photos and convert it to a digital media.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

I do have a scanner, and have rarely used it so today is the day for experimenting and seeing what happens. The message I am getting loud and clear from this thread is it is time to learn how to use Photoshop.

6 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

I also did the same with my old photos. I scanned them and edited some things on Photoshop to make it look if not the best, at least better. However, I might not opt with Smartphones (personally) because there are Smartphone cameras that does not deliver good quality outputs (specially android phones) as I have done the same and was very disappointed with the result. Maybe iPhones could be usable.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

Taking pictures of old photos is good. But I believe that taking pictures of today is much better. There is nothing you can do about the past. Let us face the present and the future.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

Do you know, I have never used photoshop and it is about time I started. It would be very interesting to look at the bad parts and repair them. Some of the photos I have are probably of interest to the theatre world as my Great Grandmother actually worked and danced as part of the Royal Ilusionist, Horace Goldin's troupe. Many of the pictures are from his tour of the far east.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

Taking pictures of old photos is a good thing to do. You can keep it now in digital form. Our next generation can see those photos because of high technology.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

Yes, it's a cool thing to do. Now you won't have to worry about losing your physical copy. It's how most of us preserve the fragile old photos we have. Others even have professionals do this for them to ensure maximum quality.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

actually I have heard of companies that do this as a business. They collect old pictures from people that want them digitalized and do all the digitalization in a professional manner without neglecting all the essential repairs.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's amazing. I'm also intrigued by the idea of combined restoration and digitization. It's a meticulous process. So I'd bet that they have the very best to do it for them.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

I heard that too and I think these companies are fantastic to do the digitalization. They do high-quality restoration work. People always have the instinct to keep the old memories especially when it comes to photos. That is why these companies that offer this kind of service is such a blessing.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

The only possibility of them succeeding in such an enterprise is them having to do an excellent job at the restoration. You can imagine how treasured such pictures are and the love that one will have for anyone who rejuvenates their outlook and makes one appreciate them even more.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

I as well agree on that too. you try to use digital camera if you love to take pictures of your old photos. Or you can try also, I know there are plenty of apps that we choose from specially when it comes getting the right angle, shot and right light or shadow in a photo.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I like your idea of taking photos of old photos. It is a way to preserve those memories by capturing it again. I guess the best setting is to use a DSLR but use it without flash. You can also use photoshop or some applications that could help you edit the photo and make it seem to be like the original. I appreciate that you have thought of another way to keep those memories with the help of our technologies nowadays.

6 years ago

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jetselle

jetselle

To get rid of the glare completely and fully bring out the natural colors and contrast of your original, you have to put polarizer filters over your lights and a polarizer filter on your lens. I’d use tungsten lights (set your camera white balance for tungsten) in inexpensive metal reflector lamps that you can get at a home improvement store rather than an umbrella set-up.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

Wow! The 1870s? It does deserve to be preserved and be placed on an album or something. I am not sure, which is a better advice - to scan them or be photographed. Either way, it's fine as you can both save them digitally after and enhance them using graphics software.

6 years ago

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jpk0007

jpk0007

That's an idea I have been following to store many old family photos which are on the verge of getting torn or damaged permanently. I have stored most of my old pics in this manner. In fact I did it today also with one of my grandfathers old pic. We can make the necessary changes in these pics on our laptops and mobiles. I also am looking for a better way to save these old pics ,but till then this the best way possible

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

If you take pictures of the old photos it is very likely that the reproduction will not be the same in terms of light and color. The best way to preserve old photos is by scanning them through a scanner. When you scan and the print the photo, the duplicate photo and the original photo will be exactly same.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. Scanning would do better than taking a picture of it. It'll lessen the possibility to have a blurr part in the photo. Also, you can easily edit it with the help of some applications. It will be also a great way to keep copies as a soft copy of the photo. Scanning old photos can capture everything you would want to print and preserve.

6 years ago

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NesMarcos

NesMarcos

I would have to agree with you. I always take pictures of old photographs in our family. It brings back good memories and remembers how great family bonding we have since day 1 of my mom and dad as couple. If I may remember, I have tried to scan hundreds of photos because I have them printed to make it as a puzzle family portrait.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

If you want to convert your old pictures into a digital format or want to restore the pictures, you can either use a scanner or take pictures. Of these two options, scanning is the better option because it converts the photographs original light and color composition. If you take photos from camera, the reproduction will have different tint. You can use programs like photoshop to restore photographs and mend damages if any.

6 years ago

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NesMarcos

NesMarcos

This is absolutely right. Scanning of pictures is better than taking photos using a camera. If you are looking for quality, scanning is a better option. However, if you do not own a scanner then expects that this is pricey indeed.

6 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

If its physical copy photos, you can scanned it for better quality than taking a picture of an old photo of yours. It is more clear and not blurry if you scanned it so you can edit it easily in editing software such as Photoshop or Corel.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

It is a great idea to take a picture of old photos and I never tried this before since I just keep my old photos on our Album. Scanning the old photos is the only thing that I know. The result is exactly the same as the old photo but the photo gets better.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

Having a photos which was taken a long long time ago is very awesome since it is very rare now to have those old pictures since some of them could have been damage already. I agree that scanning the old photos could be a good idea so that it will look as a new photos and it will improve its quality for a clearer look.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Taking photos of other photos is a hobby if mine too. I use this technique to turn them into digital images. It is succesful.

I also want to know how to create black and white images out of colored images. I think editing will do. A photo editor does it fine.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Whenever I need to digitized old photos, I would scan it. Scanning would give you better quality. Also you can easily edit a scanned copy. Taking photos of old photos has also it's uses, like if an old photo is available for only a short period of time, the best and fastest way is to snap away some new photos of the old photos.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

That's true. Scanned photos have better quality than the photos created by taking pictures. You can preserve the light and color when you scan, however, when you take pictures of old phot, light and color will be altered,

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

If your phone camera Pixel is of high quality, then it's very possible that the pictures will be very clear in your phone.

I would suggest scanning the photos as well because scanning increases the quality of the pictures.

6 years ago

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kammy143

kammy143

True. I like scanning photos, but if there are no scanners, one of the best option is to take a photo of it.

6 years ago

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MomoStarr16

MomoStarr16

Scanning it is the first idea that pop out of my mind when I read this post. In that way it will be more clearer than taking it with the camera. But some people can make it look cool by taking pictures of old picture. They add some element like taking the picture holding in a nice background.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

This is old but gold, I have many of my old photos and taking picture of it sounds interesting, because there's no social media before, so people tend to take pictures of it as their throwback photo and posted it on social medias.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Well if you don't have a scanner or if you're short on time the best way to have a copy of a photo is by taking a clear photo of it using your difital device or the camera on your smartphone.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I find that when I scan my old photos, the quality comes out better than the alternative of taking photos of them. I do find that taking photos can be okay - depending on the light and the glare and so forth - but personally I think the best option is scanning if you have that available to you.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

I also use scanner to create a copy of old photos and be able to reprint them. I find the quality better than taking photos of it where I will worry of the lighting and shadows that can affect the result. Once you scanned them, you can easily adjust and edit the photo to revive it to look like its original print.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I can see how that's helpful. Most of us worry about the surroundings not being good for taking photos. So we end up with a less than ideal quality. It's better to scan them than to risk getting inferior results.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I do that too and I agree with you. You can easily adjust the brightness of the old photo to achieve an even more satisfying result.

6 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

There are budget printers out there that have scanning functionalities. I also use the scanners to have a softcopy of older photo albums. I use it often to scan ID pictures because these types of pictures are almost always a requirement for online applications.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Sometimes when I need to post some photos in social media, I would just take a screenshot and edit it and post it in Facebook. I've also done this with my old photos and it came out okay after I've done some editing.

6 years ago

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limberg

limberg

When I was in college, there were mobile phones but no smartphones. The mobile phone market was dominated by Nokia and phones with cameras were very expensive at the time. Cameras with film were pretty common. I had plenty of pictures but most of them were on film. Today, the young generation find it very easy to post a "throwback" picture of themselves, 5 years or 10 years back. Whenever I like to post a throwback picture, I would go to my cabinet, open my treasure trove of pictures and take a picture of my old photos using my smartphone and post in on Facebook.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

The smartphone camera quality is the most essential feature that would make the old picture taken to look good.If your smartphone camera mega Pixel is low, no matter how much you edit the pictures, it's never going to look good. So, look for good phones with with good camera and use it to snap your old pictures.

6 years ago

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nrnlss

nrnlss

I use scanner to first rather than taking a picture of it. Also, if you want to enhance the beauty of the photo download a great editor and practice on making old pictures looking new.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. It just takes a scanner and a photo editor to make your old photos looks great again.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

This is the great thing to do especially when you want to make some throwback on some of your photos before.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

Wow. I am blown away by the number of replies and useful advice on this thread. I hope it will help more than me. My main take-away is to bit the bullet and learn Photoshop. I am also going to have a go at the scanner idea and a good look at my smartphone settings. Hopefully, I can add some results to the thread at a later date, or start a new one showing them. Thank you to all who replied and my apologies I have not been able to answer every one of them, but have read them all.

6 years ago

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MomoStarr16

MomoStarr16

You can easily scan it and post it on any social media. But if you are a big one creative person taking pic with a camera is better to add some design like holding it with your hands. But if you will going to edit the whole old pic choose to scan it to see the large details of it.

6 years ago

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cmoneyspinner

cmoneyspinner

Believe or not there is a Wiki for just about everything, including how to photos of old photos. Who knew? LOL.
www.wikihow.com/Photograph-Old-Photos

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

That is interesting. Yes there does seem to be one about everything. I typed in my cat's online name and ended up discovering her double was the ex cat of the Lord Chancellor, George Osbourne. Anyway, I digress. I will have a look at this. All information is useful. Thank You.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I always check on wikiHow when I need something that's step by step in process. I am always glad that it helps a lot of people like me.

6 years ago

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cmoneyspinner

cmoneyspinner

WikiHow is an excellent resource. But my daughter always checks YouTube to see if somebody made a video. Between WikiHow and YouTube people can learn almost anything!

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I cherish old photos. They rekindle past memories and bring smile to my face. I take pictures of old photos through my phone. I save them in a flash drive. I edit and crop them as needed. I categorize them according to time. I have some of them printed for safekeeping. I feel that this is becoming one of my hobbies.

6 years ago

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allyn2017

allyn2017

Use editing apps and tools to improve your photo, but you can directly scan the old photo for best results.

6 years ago

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astraherondale

astraherondale

I know how you feel! I'm so tempted to make a virtual copy of all my old family photos so I could store them on the cloud. The best way to do this is to scan the photo, making sure the resolution is not too low, then repair damages, if any, via Photoshop. Scanning is very easy to do, and it will get you closest to the actual photo compared to taking a picture via smartphone or camera.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

It's great if you can maintain the quality of the old photo through your camera. But some phone cameras for ordinary people don't serve them well. So the best way would be scanning them. If you don't have scanners at home, you can go to printing shops, I'm sure that they offer that service to.

6 years ago

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Wenkx03

Wenkx03

I prefer scanning than taking photo of it. Well if you want to keep it you can always save a soft copy of it. Then you can edit the damage part of the picture on some programs like Photoshop. Then you can print it as clear as it was.

6 years ago

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agbuyarashel

agbuyarashel

I took photos of my old pictures before because what if I lost it or something might happen to it atleast I already have a copy of it.

What I did is I took pictures of it and also scanned it so I'll have more options. The scanned photos are also great. I used HP deskjet scanner and the photos look amazing.

6 years ago

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koki12346

koki12346

Yeah, have done this before, and I have done it a lot of times, who hasn't? There are some photos from the 90's that I photographed.

6 years ago

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mhingnhormz

mhingnhormz

Taking pictures of old photos: I cherish the memories behind those old photos and yeah i did took pictures of our old photos to have an exrta copy of it because almost of the old photos of us starting to fade. I want to maintain those photo and i am planning it to send to the professional who know this.

6 years ago

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