As
you know from previous #familyhistoryfriday articles, {accumulating a stockpile of photos isn’t really the goal}.
Having gigabytes upon gigabytes of photos that remain untouched and
unappreciated don’t do the heart and soul good– seeing those photos does. The whole point of taking a picture is to
see it, not to store it.
We’ve all mastered Step 1: how to take a digital
picture. Now let’s conquer Step 2: how to see those pictures from our
phones and cameras.
Decide
on a Home for Your Photos First
Where
you want your photos and memories to live will determine the right way for you
to get your photos off your phone. While a traditional photo album from a
local store is certainly one method for preserving your pictures and the
stories that go with them, there are a lot of options.
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heirloom-quality digital books, scrap pages, and other digital products {available here} |
In
March, we explored four additional ways here at #familyhistoryfriday which can help you decide, plus I
have two more bonus options to share with you. These vary by style, cost,
creativity, and time. I suggest looking at each
of these six methods to see what works for you. In most
of these links, I actually give recommendations on who would like each method.
- My favorite method, digital scrap pages.
- Digital Storybooking, which– like digital scrap pages –allow you to skip the extra step of printing digital photos before putting them in an album, and the books are heirloom quality
- Yearbooks which are a simplified version of heirloom-quality digital storybooking, complete with a method to help you really pare down and get a handle on all. those. pictures. (I love this method and recommend it to anyone who is overwhelmed with their photos!)
- Traditional Paper Scrapbooking, great for those who like hands-on memory-keeping
- Simple Digital Photo Books–and I recommend this company because the quality of the products is much higher than the run-of-the-mill online photobook company (like options 3 & 4) but with a cleaner and more simple look, plus the ability to click a button and "auto-fill" pages in your book
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Memory-keeping is cathartic and is an excellent method of self-care!
There are additional benefits to it, too, like increased
happiness and a greater sense of purpose!
Did You Choose a Printed
Photograph or Digital Photo Product?
You
may have noticed that each of those six options, along with the regular photo album
from a local store, all fall into one of two categories: a product that
you’ll put printed photos into, or an all-in-one (a digital product that is
printed with your digital pictures already in it).
If
you choose pocket pages or traditional
scrapbooking as the home for your photos and memories, you will first need to print your photos so you’ll have physical
pictures in your hands. If you choose digital
storybooking, simple digital photo books, or digital scrap pages, you will already be printing your photos in a product. So I’ll show you how to print your photos both ways.
If you also want to save your photos onto your computer–which I recommend–be sure you don’t miss the #familyhistoryfriday post from two weeks ago, {How to Get Your Pictures Off Your Phone}.
To save them offsite (outside your house, for safety), the best online photo and video storage I've ever seen is right here--and I call it "best" because it's private (some storage services reserve rights to sell your photos) and permanent (some storage services reserve rights to delete your photos).
How to Print (Physical) Photo Prints
Various big box stores and drug stores have photo processing centers, and all of them allow you to upload photos online.
Or use Forever (which is that "best photo and video storage" I just mentioned--print them in a snap at the same place your storing them). You can even Order Photo Prints from your Phone. With Forever, you can even edit your photos once they're uploaded in your Forever account. I made a little video about that for you here:
Once your photos are printed, you can put your photo prints in albums, pocket pages, or traditional scrapbooking.
How
to Print Photos in a Digital Product Instead
If
your preferred method isn’t a hands-on memory-keeping one, you get to skip a
step! Printing your digital photos IN a digital product is a pretty cool and simple way to do things.
If you choose to preserve your photos in the digital storybook or digital scrap pages I suggested (options 2, 3, and 4), Photo & Story Treasures recommends these four impressive heirloom-quality options. Look around and see what you love--I love that there's something for everyone.
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| Digital storybooking (left) and digital scrap pages (right) are wonderful options for preserving photos and memories, and both are available in multiple sizes {here}. |
If you chose this
digital method because you will love it, then you’ll have a great time
doing it! I always say, "If you don't love it, you won't do it." Choose a method you will love!
Why
It’s Important
Getting
your photos off your phone is really important! In a world without as
much face-to-face contact as we once had, connecting
with your own life experiences is a way to {stay emotionally healthy}.
Every
picture you’ve taken means something. You felt that THAT moment should be
captured. You wanted to remember the experience, the view, the person,
the occasion. So letting the picture rot on
your phone like yesterday’s garbage doesn’t do it the justice it deserves.
It doesn’t honor your desire to preserve that moment of your life.
Seeing
your photos is what makes them matter.
#dontletyourbabiesgrowuptobejpegs
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This
post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on May 25, 2018, by Jennifer
Wise. Find more #familyhistoryfriday posts about memories, photos, stories, connections, and family by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.
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