Am I in them?
I’m really passionate about this one. I hope you pass your camera to someone else from time-to-time. So many people (men and women alike) are unhappy with their weight or the way they look, etcetera, etcetera... and avoid cameras like the plague. As a result, there may not be very many photos of you or the one you love and some day you or someone else may be wishing there were more.
For the sake of your family’s memories, promise me you’ll let go of any insecurities you may have and get in the frame with your family! And avoid the temptation to delete unflattering photos. No excuses! Your friends and family love you just the way you are and want pictures of you. I swear.
Nowadays, photos primarily exist in digital form: on our phones, computers, in the cloud, on social media. But eventually things will change again, and these photos will not be accessible. Social media apps come and go (remember myspace, google +, vine) or crash like Facebook has been known to do. Accounts get hacked or blocked (this has happened to several people I know). People forget to back up their photos, don’t have enough space in the cloud, drop their phones in the toilet, have their phone stolen or damaged… years of photos, gone in an instant. It's heart wrenching, itellyouwhat.
Or photos on USBs, CDs, floppy disks, external hard drives… can slowly, unknowingly degrade and corrupt over time. Not to mention, technology changes at an alarming rate. Are you looking at your photos on that CD or Thumb drive?? How's that Shutterfly book holding up? Do you finally have the time to make photo projects with your photos on that CD, but now can't access your pictures as our computers no longer have the capability to read said CDs?
Moral of the story? Make it a point to print your favorite photos, avoid home printing and one-hour developing at all costs (those photos fade after a few years and truly...the quality of your print depends on the person working the machine that day). Try to splurge on some professional photos at least yearly. Most of the photos from our childhoods are super faded and have a strange orange tone to them, with the exception being those that were printed by a professional. Be sure to store prints and albums smartly. Shoot for a temperature- controlled, dry spot, away from direct sunlight. And be sure to invest in UV resistant glass for your framed photos and the highest quality albums you can afford.
As mentioned above, most photos these days are in digital form. Ever try searching for a photo on an unlabeled external hard drive with a bajillion photos on it? How about a CD, which most computers can’t even access anymore? What about searching for a photo from a few years back on Facebook? What happened to the timeline? Anyone remember that feature? That was great. I’ve seen people and done it myself - scroll for what seemed like DAYS trying to find a picture from a few years back. Only to wave the white flag in defeat. And please don't think you can print Facebook photos! The quality is less than terrible. (There is a reason and I can tell you all about it when we talk!) Printed photos can easily get out of hand as well if you don’t have a system of organization.
At a bare minimum, print your photos regularly (don’t go crazy and print them all, just print a few of your favorites). Set a reminder to do it every month. Then find a box for each year and throw all photos from the year in it. (We offer a beautiful photo keepsake box!) Or have envelopes for each event or month. Or make an album for each year (design it month by month so it’s not overwhelming). Find something that works for you and stick with it. You will thank yourself. So will your family.
I recommend, at a minimum, writing the date and full names of those in the picture. Have you ever looked through boxes of old photographs with your parents or grandparents? If not, try it! Want an even bigger challenge?? Look through them without your relatives’ fading memory!! In my experience, pictures that aren't labeled is a giant, NOT FUN guessing game as to who’s in each picture, what year it was, and what the hell is going on. I recently was handed an envelope of old photographs and there was a young girl riding on a hog circa late 1800's. Like, I need to know more about this event that they took the time to get out the camera to snap a photo!
Do your family a favor, at least with your most treasured photos, and label them!! I challenge you to go even further with some and add a small handwritten story and/or details on the back to help you and your family remember, and any others who may stumble upon your photographs understand. I always feel sad when old photos end up in a cemetery of forgotten pictures. These people were parents, had lives, loved people and places...had names and a story. And now they are in a heap, tossed out, cast aside...and forgotten.
Do you have framed photos hanging on your walls that bring a smile to your face no matter what kind of day you’re having? Are your albums displayed so that friends and family can easily grab them to look through? Don’t want to forget the best days of your lives? Make sure to keep the photos from them accessible so you can relive your memories. Research has shown that reviewing pictures as a family strengthens our memories and relationships! So make sure you’re displaying your photos in your home!!
I always found hanging photos to be a bit of a nightmare until I discovered the genius of hanging framed photos with velcro command strips. It's so much easier!
If something happened to me, would my family have access to the pictures?
It is crucial that you not only keep backups of your pictures, but that someone is able to access them. And if your partner for some reason is not available to access them, how will your kids? Photo books, albums, and prints are tangible keepsakes that your family can have at their fingertips, even if technology gives them a hard time.
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If you are in need of additional assistance, MJCollins Photography is here to help! Learn how to organize photos and manage your memories (no matter the format), at your own pace, in a like-minded community. No more trying to figure this out on your own, or thinking you already should know how to do it.
Plus, you’ll have access to MJCP support whenever you’re stuck!
Links to further explore:
MJCollins Photography | FOREVER Photo Solutions
MJCollins Photography | Snappy Hour
MJCollins Photography | photoorganization - we are working on getting this class online to work at your own pace. Until then, watch our calendar for in-person classes or come early for Snappy Hour and get a crash course so you can work on your photos and memories immediately afterwards!