(NewsNation) — Millions of Americans use their old photographs to preserve treasured memories — everything from their wedding day to the birth of their first child. But over time, these photos can degrade; it can also be difficult to share them over the internet with friends or family who may live across the country.

That’s where digitization comes in, allowing people to create electronic copies that can more easily be preserved and shared.

One way to digitize your old photos is to rely on private companies: You send pictures to them, and they will digitize them for a fee. Some communities now also have “memory labs,” which are set up by libraries and nonprofits to provide equipment and training to digitize old photos for free.

But you can also do it yourself at home. Here are some tips on how you can do that.

Decide on your equipment

Many people use scanners for the process, which, depending on the model, can be flatbed scanners, negatives scanners or allow you to scan photos quickly and in bulk. Digital copies then can be uploaded to your computer.

But the cost of acquiring one of these scanners can easily run in the hundreds of dollars.

If people are looking for a cheaper device to digitize their photographs, “probably the best camera they’ve got is their phone,” said Louis Tonsmeire, a professional photographer who runs a studio in Cartersville, Georgia.

Clean your photos and devices

Older photographs are prone to collect dust and other debris. Before you either snap a photo of them or put them in the scanner, make sure you clean them off.

“Being very careful is the main thing, just a dry soft cloth would be the best bet. … Just wipe it down softly” Tonsmeire advised.

He also suggested cleaning the scanner.

“Your flatbed scanner could have dust and other things on it that are going to show up if it’s in between the photograph and the scanner. Clean the bed of your scanner before you start any project like this,” he said.

Use proper lighting and distance

When recording a digital image of your photograph, you’ll want proper lighting.

“What you want to try and do is find some indirect light. … What will happen is, if the light’s coming from overhead, they’re going to block the light with the camera, and you want the light to come from the side,” Tonsmeire said.

As you take the actual photograph, you should be mindful of your distance from the photograph.

“You want to try and zoom in slightly. … Back up from it about a foot and a half. The closer you get to it, the more shadow you’ll create by yourself,” Tonsmeire said.