4 Quick Tips for protecting your photo legacy!

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STEP 1: SORT
Take pictures out of albums, frames and boxes so you are working with only loose prints. Choose the photos you want to keep. Remove duplicates and poor-quality shots. Keep only the most meaningful images and toss the rest if you are working to downsize or eliminate clutter. At this point, you could stop and move on to Step #3.
organize images
STEP 2: ORGANIZE
If you want to get your photo collection truly organized, then continue sorting. Separate pictures into piles by subject, people, theme or year. Whatever makes most sense to you. Then, label those piles in chronological order. This will pay off when you move on to Step #4 and eventually share copies of your images with family members. Advanced sorting will make specific photos easy to locate on a computer or device later on.

digitize to a protected media

STEP 3: DIGITIZE

Box up your printed memorabilia and bring them to a trusted local photo preservation expert (like us!) for scanning. The keyword here is “local”. We never recommend shipping your most precious possessions across the country! Each print will be professionally digitized and saved as high-resolution JPG files. We can even create labeled folders to keep your sorting efforts intact.

 

who needs a copy

 

 

STEP 4: COPY + SHARE
At this stage, you’ll have various options for what to do with your digital image files – including how many copies to share. This is the fun part! Think about who would like a set of the scanned images – even if they may not completely appreciate them today. (IE: children and teens.) Once the images are scanned, duplicate media copies are extremely affordable – so be generous and share freely!
Your story is meant to be shared – and now is the perfect time to do it! Don’t wait until it’s too late to protect those photos of your grandparents, your high school prom and that family vacation to the Grand Canyon.

Archiving Best Practices

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save your photos

 

Does this sound familiar? “I have photos on a bunch of old CDs, thumb drives, external hard drives, in albums and then there is my Dropbox, Google Photos, and maybe I’ve backed up to iCloud…help, I am overwhelmed!” Before you can start to organize your photos, you have to get them ALL into one place. During week one we will focus on gathering your photos.
Even if you aren’t ready to physically gather them, making a list is a useful first step, and you’ll be more prepared when the time is right to embark on the organizing.

my photos are everywhere. Step 1

Locate all your photos, slides + videos.
Let’s start with a list of all the places you are storing your printed photos and slides. Include photo albums, framed photos, photos in drawers or boxes or closets, or even storage units. A written list of locations will serve as a checklist when you gather them.
Make a list of all the places you have digital photos. Include old phones, computers, memory cards, and CDs/DVDs. Add usernames and passwords to photo websites where you’ve uploaded pictures.
Home movies should be part of what you’re saving! Make a list of the types you have (Super 8, VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, etc.) so you can make a plan for converting them to digital.

capturing your family stories

Ask family members!
Get the family involved in tracking down your photos. Ask relatives where their photos are and make a plan to include them in your photo organizing project.
Estimate.
How many photos do you have: 10,000 or 100,000? Knowing the number helps you plan the scope of the project. A shoebox = 600 – 800 photos; 1 GB = about 560 JPGS; the average photo album = 200 photos.
Be selective. Keep only the best of the best!
Are you finding lots of duplicates as you go through your photos? Toss or delete doubles, blurry shots, and most scenery-only photos. Edit your collection down to a manageable size! You may end up getting rid of 50% or more.
making a photo plan 

Plan for the digitizing process.
You’ve found your photos, but now what? You need a plan. This week, we’ll explore creating a photo legacy by understanding what’s most important to you. What are your photo goals and what would success look like? Then strategize a plan to digitize and back up your photos.
Even if you’re not ready to do the actual organizing, thinking through these decisions about your photo legacy means you’ll be prepared whenever the time is right to start.
Digitize + Back up
The best backup for your printed photos is to scan them by sending them to a trusted local archiving expert. Don’t risk loss, damage or theft of your precious memories by sending them away to a big box online service.
bring your photos back to life 

Next Steps
You’ve found your photos, have a plan, and know the stories. Now it’s time to share. The options for printing photos are endless, from framed prints and photo gifts to photo books. Online galleries make it easy to share digitally. Look for ideas to bring your photos back to life by getting them into your everyday life.
Even without starting to organize your whole collection, it’s easy to bring photos back into your life…choose recent favorites from your phone and get creative!
Plan ahead for holiday giving
Get a head start on your gift planning. Digitized family moments is an excellent gift idea for anyone in your family. Surprise family members with a digitized collection of memorabilia!

Slider Settings

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PR Slide Settings

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Creatively Cute Wedding Gifts + Keepsakes

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Creatively Cute Wedding Gifts + Keepsakes

Make your day unique and personal!

Photos can make your wedding day more personal and after the event, they can live on for years after! Here are some creative ways to bring photography to your celebration and beyond!

 

home decor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please, please, please – don’t let those gorgeous professional photographs sit on your computer gathering dust. Select a few favorites and get them up on the walls of your home as canvas prints, framed decor or even a gallery wall with multiple shots.

 

wedding album

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, the bride and groom will want a wedding album filled with images and snapshots from the celebration, but professional photo books are also a great gift for parents, grandparents and the wedding party!

 

party gifts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trendy personalized gifts are always a favorite at any wedding! Bring us your ideas and we will help you design a special gift for your guests or wedding party.

 

engagement collage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gift this adorably cute heart collage to the newly engaged couple. Gather images from their social media and surprise them with the perfect engagement gift.

 

Need help on a project like this?

Join us in the design process while we create the perfect solutions for your day. Choose from hundreds of ideas for gift giving and personal storytelling. Here are just a few…

– Save the Date Cards + Magnets

– Announcements + Thank You Notes

– Guest Book

– Personalized Bridal Party Gifts

– Custom Keepsakes

– Imagery + Reception Décor

– Video Productions + Slideshows

– Prints + Memorabilia (from your wedding day photos)

– Photo Books (for yourself, the bridal party + your parents)

– Home Decor (showcasing your professional photographs)

– Passport Photos (for the honeymoon)

GRAD 2021: Celebrate your Senior!

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Graduation is 2021 here! (Well, sort of!)
Even though ceremonies and gatherings may still be limited – there’s no reason to dial back the celebration! Show your support and pride with personalized keepsakes, announcements and décor! Put those wonderful senior portraits on display with a variety of creative products and prints. Here are a few Grad Party Decor Tips that will make your event stand out!

childhood video montage

Flashback to when your grad was a baby, starting school and growing up before your eyes. Using photo prints, digital files and video clips, we can produce a show-stopping video montage that guests will love! Plus, this makes a great keepsake when it comes time to pass down her memorabilia.
picture and memorabilia table
Create a DIY display table, aka “shrine” to your graduate with certificates, the diploma, photographs, photo books, framed prints and other special keepsakes. Create depth and varying heights for visual interest. Use easels and risers to avoid simply setting everything flat on the table.

social frame

Social Selfie Frames are a great way to capture fun snapshots of your guests. Customize your frame with the grad’s name and year or in a design theme of your choice! We promise this will be a hit!
picture tree
Print images from your grad’s Instagram in 4×4″ squares for easy clipping to branches. Place them in a beautiful vase and use colorful clothespins as a design accent!

yearbooks

 

If you have an abundance of photos and keepsakes, use open areas of your home or party venue to display things like yearbooks, posters and awards.
décor elements
Let the grad choose the color scheme if you want to decorate in something other than traditional school colors. This DIY garland is something the grad can make with ease and it adds color and style to your event!

Homepage Featured Products

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