Do You Have a Photo Plan?

This is a guest contribution from Shelley Murray, Executive Sales Director of Forever

 

As we prepare for the annual Save Your Photos Month, we should begin thinking about where our photos are kept. Some think of getting old family photos out of dusty boxes in the attic so they can be scanned and preserved digitally. Others, like me, may be thinking about all the digital photos that are seemingly lost in our computer or locked away across camera cards. Saving our digital photos is just as important as saving our printed photos. These days, we have huge numbers of digital photos and they are often being forgotten about because there are just too many of them filling up our phones and computers. And because of this, they are “as good as” lost in our computers. Having a photo plan in place is important so we can not only take photos of special moments, but also get them back into our lives and enjoy them.

My photo plan includes gathering all my photos into one place, organizing them, telling the stories behind them, and then creating digital albums to share with friends and family and/or creating photo books so that we can relive the special moments all over again. The end result of this plan? I have peace of mind knowing that all of my photos are stored permanently and privately in their digital home of my Forever account. No matter what – even if my computer crashes or my hard drive fails, my photos will be safe. They will also outlive me so they can be = enjoyed by future generations of my family.

I have a personal example that I would like to share with you that illustrates the importance of my photo plan. While my family and I were on vacation a few weeks ago, we went on a fishing trip. I had my son and two young nephews in my boat and we caught 11 sharks! It was a thrilling experience that we don’t ever want to forget. During the trip, I took photos on my camera, my dad took photos on his camera and many of us were taking photos on cell phones as well. When the trip was over, I put my photo plan into action.

1^st– I gathered all the photos from all the cameras and phones and brought them together into one place by uploading them into my Forever account. Once they were in my account, I had peace of mind knowing they were permanently stored in the cloud.

2^nd– I created one album that included everyone’s photos. I cleaned them up by deleting all the photos that were unneeded: such as duplicates, those that were out of focus or just unnecessary in telling the story of our fishing trip. I went from over 100 photos down to around 50. And then I used Forever’s editing tools to improve some of the photos that needed enhancement.

3^rd-When we used to print out a roll of film, it was a good practice to write the date, people’s names and the description on the back of the photo. The same thing is true with digital photos. So, my next step was to use the tools in my account to record each of these details. The description or “story” behind the photo is the most important piece because it allows the photos to go from just a photo, to a memory.

4^th-My family is always asking me to send them photos. The captain and first mate on our boat, Richard and Kevin, asked me to send them photos as well. So right from my Forever album, I was able to click the share button and email the entire album to them.

5^th-The last and certainly the most fun part of my photo plan process is creating a photo project. I can do this right in my Forever account under the Projects tab. I decided to create a simple 8×8 softbound photo book. It would be less than $20 to print and I would print one for each of the little boys on my boat. I wanted it to be a fun book with lots of photos and stories of our big day so they would be able to remember the details many years from now. It was simple because the photos were all available in one place, and I simply needed to choose a layout and add some text. I also happened to use these photos to do a live training webinar while I was on vacation on how to create a photo book. Check out the recording here: Projects Instructional Webinar (40 minutes)

We just got the photo books in the mail this week, and my son has not set his down. Being able to pull these photos out of being trapped on my computer or lost way back in my photo roll on my phone is so valuable to my family. You can see some of the pages I created in this short “Capture the Moment” video. Nick Kelsh, the photo tips guy, helps me with some great photo editing tips and I share a few pages from the photo book. Capture the Moment with Nick and Shelley

Also, I know exactly where these photos are and I can grab them at a moment’s notice. They are all together in one album and I can pull up on the web or right from my mobile app. And then finally and most importantly, I have complete peace of mind knowing that all of my photos are saved and will live on in its permanent digital home of my Forever account. To learn more about what Forever can do to help you with this process check out this 90 second video. A look at FOREVER

So, as we move through the summer and get closer to Save Your Photos Month in September, I encourage you to think of a great memory you have had with loved ones and go find those photos. Get them in your hands and tell the story behind them. Then share them with others either via a digital album or a printed treasure.

 

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Shelley Murray is an avid memory maker and memory keeper. She has always had a love for photos and scrapbook design.  As an executive with Forever, she is passionate about sharing their unique mission with others. She has worn many hats at Forever over the last three years. But, her favorite is simply helping others learn how to organize, preserve and enjoy their photos.