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HowtoArchiveFamilyPhotos
AStep-by-StepGuidetoOrganizeandShareYourPhotosDigitally
DeniseMayLevenickTheFamilyCurator
Cincinnati,Ohio
shopfamilytree.com
DEDICATIONTomymemory-makingfamily:Dan,Zack,andChristian
Contents
Introduction
PART1:Organize
Chapter1DigitalImagingBasics
Discovertheessentialtoolsandskillsforworkingwithdigitalimages.UsetheDigitalPhoto&VideoStorageWorksheetandGettingStartedChecklisttopreparefororganizingyourphotocollection.
Chapter2TransferTips
Unsurewhattodowithalltheimagesonyourvariousdigitaldevices?Thischapterfocusesonhowyoucantransferimagestoacentraldigitallibraryusinganeasy-to-rememberroutine.
Chapter3Photo-ManagementSoftware
Photo-editingandphoto-managementsoftwarecanhelpyouautomateyourdigitalphoto-organizationroutines.Learnaboutthesoftwareoptionsavailableandkeyfeaturestoconsidertohelpyoumanageyourdigitalphotocollection.
Chapter4OnlinePhotoServices
Photowebsitesforphotosharing,publishing,creatinggifts,andstoringabackupofyourdigitalimagefilesareabundant.ThischapterwillintroduceyoutosomeofthebestphotowebsitesandprovideyouwithaCloudStorageServiceComparisonWorksheettoevaluateyouronlinephoto-storageoptions.
Chapter5DigitalPhoto-ManagementWorkflow
Putalltheorganizationadviceandinformationtogether.Thischapterpresentsstep-by-stepworkflowsyoucanusetoestablishadigitalphoto-organizingroutine.
PART2:Digitize
Chapter6HeirloomPhotoCollections
Rememberthedaysof35mmfilmanddoubleprints?Inheritacollectionof1900sancestorphotos?Digitizingthoseoldfamilyphotographsisagreatwaytopreservethemforfuturegenerations.LearntipsandusetheHeirloomPhotoInventory&DigitizingChecklistfordecidingwhichimagestodigitize.
Chapter7DigitizationPreparation
Digitizingphotocollectionstakestime.Thischapterguidesyouthroughcreatingaplan,settingupyourcomputer,andchoosingdigitalstorageequipmenttoefficientlydigitizeandorganizeyourphotos.
Chapter8ScanningEquipment
Ascannerisakeypieceofequipmentfordigitizingoldfamilyphotos.Thischapterintroducesyoutotypesofscannersandkeyfeaturestoconsiderwhendecidinghowtodigitizeyourimages.
Chapter9ScanningTactics
Thischapterprovidesstep-by-stepguidancetobegindigitizingyourphotos,fromheirloomphotostomulti-photoalbumpagestonegativesandslides.UsetheHeirloomPhotoScanningChecklisttohelpyouestablishascanningworkflowplan.
Chapter10HeirloomPhotoStorage
Whatdoyoudowithyourphotosonceyou’redonescanningthem?Thischapterprovidesbasicadviceonhowbesttopreserveandstorehard-copyphotocollections.
PART3:Create
Chapter11CorePhoto-ProjectSkills
Learnthebasicskillsandterminologyyou’llneedtoknowtocompleteavarietyofphotoprojects.
Chapter12Card,Collage,andScrapbookingProjects
PROJECTS:Athank-youcard,amousepadcollage,aholidaygreetingcardcollage,anancestorcollage,acustomFacebookcoverphoto,andadigitalscrapbooktributepage.
Chapter13CalendarProjects
PROJECTS:Awallcalendar,aperpetualcelebrationcalendar,plusideasforcelebration,year-in-the-life,andfamilyfoodiecalendars.
Chapter14SmartphoneandTabletProjects
PROJECTS:Mobileappstolabelaphoto,enhancetombstonephotos,createaphotobook,developafamilyhistorytimeline,andcreateanaudiophotobook.
Chapter15FabricandHomeDécorCraftProjects
PROJECTS:Avintageholidayphotopillowandphotoquiltblock.
Chapter16Photo-BookProjects
PROJECTS:Acustomphotobook,anautofillbirthdaybook,afamilyyearbook,anheirloomreproductionbook,aphotobookforbusypeople,agrandparentandgrandchildmemorybook,andaremembranceandcelebrationbook.
AppendixPhotoOrganizingandDigitizingResources
Introduction
Thecomputerharddrivehasbecomethephotoshoeboxofthetwenty-firstcentury.Wetossdigitalfilesintoourcomputers(orsmartphonememory)muchlikeourparentstossedsnapshotsintocardboardshoeboxes.Ourcomputerandmobiledevicesaresoonclutteredwiththedigitalfolderequivalentofoldphoto-processingenvelopeslabeledwithscrawledmemoslike“Dad’s80thBirthday”or“HawaiiVacation.”Sometimesthephotosmaketheirwayintoalbumsandscrapbooks,buttoooftenthedigitalshoeboxes—liketheircardboardcousins—fillwithmorephotosandarestashedawaytobeorganized“oneday.”
Iwasfortunatetoinheritdozensofboxesofoldfamilyphotoscollectedbyseveralgenerationsonbothsidesofmyfamilytree.Althoughonlyahandfuloftintypesanddaguerreotypessurvived,eachsuccessivegenerationaddednewphotossnappedwiththetechnologyoftheirtimetocreateafamilyphototimelinethatfollowedthegrowthandpopularityofpersonalphotography,fromcartesdevisiteandcabinetcardstoBrowniesnapshots,Polaroidprints,Kodachromeslides,andhomemovies.
Bythetimemygrandmotherwasayoungwomanin1905,shewasalreadysnappingphotoswithaBrownieboxcameraandpastingprintsonblackalbumpages.Shoeboxesbulgingwithblack-and-whiteprintsandnegativesbearwitnesstoherfascinationwithphotography.MymomandauntfollowedGrandma’sleadwiththeirownphotos,fillingmoreshoeboxeswithajumbleofalbums,slides,movies,andlooseprintsthatIinheritedwhentheypassedaway.NowI’mlookingatmyownlifeinfadingFujicolorandrealizingthatprintedimagesareonlyahintofthedigitaldelugeheadedourway.Morethan880
billionphotosweresnappedin2014,accordingtoYahoo!,mostofthemdigitalpicturestakenbysmartphonecameras.Mygrandmotherwouldhavelovedit!
Coincidentally,thesameyearIinheritedmygrandmother’strunkfilledwithfamilytreasures,Ialsobroughthomemyfirstdigitalcamera—alittleNikonCoolpixthatsnapped1.9megapixelimagesvisiblealmostinstantlyonthecamera’stinyimageviewer.Asagenealogistandthedesignated“keeperofthestuff”formyfamily’sheirloomphotosanddocuments,mydigitalshoeboxeswerealreadyburstingwithscannedimages.Itdidn’ttakethousandsofnewphotosformetorealizethatIneededasimpleyetcomprehensiveimagemanagementsystemtokeepupwithnewdigitalsnapshotsandscannedimagesofmyfamilyphotocollection.
InmybookHowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes,Isharedmysystemforpreservingandorganizingallkindsofinheritedfamilytreasures,andbasicstepsfordigitizingheirloomphotosanddocuments.ButasIwrotethosechapters,Iknewthatscanningoldphotoswasonlypartoftheproblemfacingtoday’sfamilyhistorians.It’sagoldeneraforgenealogythatallowsusto
accessoriginalrecordsthroughdigitizededitionsavailableonline.preserveone-of-a-kindphotosanddocumentsbyscanningheirloomswithaffordablehomeequipment.sharestories,pedigrees,andresearchthroughe-mailandwebsites.createourowndigitallegacywithnewdigitalphotos,videos,andaudio.
Butallofthesedigitalfilesaremeaninglesswithoutawaytotapintothestoriestheyholdandsharethosestorieswithothers.Howmanyphotosare“somewhere”inyourdigitallibrary,waitinguntilyoucanfindthemagain?Howmanydigitalshoeboxesfilledwithfamilysnapshotsdoyouhavestashedonyoursmartphone,tablet,e-reader,andcomputerwaitingtobeorganizedandenjoyed?Isn’tittimetogetthoseimagesoutofthedigitalshoeboxandintoyourhandstobeenjoyedandsharedwithfamilyandfriends?
HOWTOUSETHISBOOK
Thisbooksharespracticalstrategiesforconqueringdigitalimageclutterandconfusionsoyoucanenjoy,preserve,andshareyourfamilyphotosandstories.Inthesamewaythatgenealogistsstartwiththepresentgenerationandworkbackwardonebranchofthefamilytreeatatime,thisbookbeginswiththepresenttohelpyoumasteryourcurrentdigitalclutterbeforeyoutacklethepreviousgenerationsofphotographs.
Youwillfindtechniquestoimportphotosfrommultipledevices,locations,andphotographers.Ifyouareworkingwithalargephotocollectionordigitizingproject,you’lldiscovertime-savingtipsforworkingwithimagebatches.Familyhistorianswilllearnwaystoorganizescannedimagesofheirloomoriginaldocumentsandphotos,anddigitizedgenealogyresearchmaterials.Andifyou’relookingforsomethingnewtodowithyourdigitalimages,you’llfindtwenty-fivecreativeprojectsfeaturingallkindsofdigitalimages.
Feelfreetousethisbookinthewaythatsuitsyourpresentneeds.Readitfromstarttofinish,orjumpinforideastohelpwithyourcurrentdigitalchallenge.
PART1:ORGANIZEincludesbasicinformationforworkingwithpresent-daydigitalphotosandheirloomscannedimages,includinghowtosetupyourcomputer,digitalstorage,andfile-namingsystem.Refertothissectionforhelpworkingwithcontemporaryorheirloomdigitalfiles.You’llalsofindanoverallstrategytohelpyouorganizeandarchivetheeverydayfamilyphotoscapturedtodaywithsmartphoneanddigitalcameras.
PART2:DIGITIZEhighlightsbestpracticesfordigitizingandpreservingheirloomoriginalphotosanddocumentsofallshapesandsizes.
PART3:CREATEoffersstep-by-stepinstructionsandprojectideastogetyoustartedusingyourdigitalimagesbycreatinguniquephotogifts,familyhistorybooks,calendars,andmore.
YOURPHOTOS,YOURWAY
Ifyou’vereadarticlesandbooksaboutorganizingjustaboutanything,you’veprobablyheardavariationonthetheme,“thebestorganizationalsystemiswhateverworksbestforyou.”Unfortunately,thatdoesn’thelpmuchwhenyou’vealreadydiscoveredthat“whatever”isnotworkingverywell,andyoureallyneedsomethingdifferent.Inthisbook,I’mnotgoingtotellyouwhatyoushoulddowithyourdigitalphotos,butIwillsharewithyouthestrategiesI’vefoundtoworkformeandforothers.Ihopeyou’lldiscoverthetoolsyouneedtobuildyourownphoto-managementsystem,onethattrulydoesworkbestforyou.
DeniseMayLevenick
Pasadena,California
PART1Organize
Thephenomenalgrowthofdigitalphotographyisamixedblessingforfamilymemories.There’snoextracostinsnappingmultipleimagesintheefforttocapturethe“perfectshot.”Editingtoolscaneraseblemishes,cropoutclutter,andadjustpoorexposure.Imagesareeasilysharedonlineandpublishedindigitalphotocreations.Unfortunately,organizingandbackingupphotosisn’tnearlyasfunastakingpictures.
We’retakingmorepicturesthaneverbefore,especiallywithsmartphonecamerasthathavelargelyreplacedpoint-and-shootmodels.Butunlikeourdigitalcameraswitharemovablememorycard,thepicturessnappedonourcellphonesaresavedtodevicememorywheretheyaccumulateuntilwemovethemorlosethem.
Doanyofthesesituationssoundfamiliar?
Youhavedigitalimagesonyoursmartphone,tablet,computer,flashdrives,SDcards,andexternalharddrives,butyoucan’tfindthepictureyouwant.Youhaveduplicateimagesscatteredacrossyourdevicesandarerunninglowonmemory.Yourphotosneverseemtobetherightsizeorresolutionforthephotobookyou’retryingtocreate.Youknowyoushouldbackupyourphotos,butyouaren’tsurehow.Youorganizedallyourphotosinfilefolders,butittakesforevertofindthepicturesyouwant.Youdon’tknowhowtomanageeditedandoriginalversionsofthesamephoto.
Part1ofthisbookoutlinesaplantoorganizeandmanageyourever-growingdigitalphotocollection.Theconceptswillbehelpfultoanyonewhowantsmorecontrolandconfidenceinpreservingtheirdigitalimages,whethertheimagesweresnappedlastweekorinthelastcentury.
Ifyouhavethousandsoflegacydigitalimages,eitherfromyourcameraorfromscannedheirloomfamilyphotos,Iurgeyoutopostponeaddingthesefilestoyournewdigitalmanagementschemeimmediately.Instead,setupyoursystemandworkwithituntilyouarecomfortablewiththetasksandhaverefinedanyroughspotsintheworkflow.Startbyaddingyournextsetofnewdigitalimages,whethertheyaretakenonyoursmartphone,digitalcamera,orscanner.Practiceeachstepintheworkflowandtweak
whateverisn’tworkingforyou.Asyouhavetime,gobackandaddoldimagefilestothenewcollection.Anddon’tbetoohardonyourselfifyoudon’tgettothoseoldphotosrightaway.Looktothefutureandaimtomanageyourphotocollectionforwardfromyournextdigitalimage.
I’llstartwithprovidingyouthebasicinformationyou’llneedtoknowtoassessyourdigitalstorageneeds,selectstoragedevices,setupyourcomputerfoldersystem,andestablishfilenamingandmetadatastrategies.Fromthere,I’llintroduceyoutotheworkflowI’veusedforyearsandsharetipsandtechniquestohelpyoumasteryourowndigitalphotocollection.
It’sagoodideatoreadthroughthechaptersinthissectionbeforemakinganydecisionsorchangestoyourpresentphotosystem.Creatingaplantomanageallofyourdigitalphotosmaysoundcomplicated,butitdoesn’thavetobe.Theinformationandworksheetsinthisbookwillhelpyoudevelopandpracticeyournewphotoorganizationsystemuntilit’sasnaturalasbrushingyourteeth.
1DigitalImagingBasics
Forpastgenerationsofshutterbugs,photographyalwaysinvolvedafinancialinvestment.TheinexpensiveBrownieboxcamerabroughtpersonalphotographywithinreachofmostfamilies,butfilmandprocessingwereanongoingexpense.
Oftenonerolloffilmwouldbeusedformonths,recordingspecialeventsandholidays,twoorthreephotosatatime.Eachimagehadacost,andfrugalAmericanswholivedthroughwartimerationing,theGreatDepression,andtheRecessionmadeeveryimagecount.Eventuallythefilmcounterclickedtozero,indicatingthatallthefilmhadbeenexposed,andtherollwasdroppedoffforprocessingandprintingatthelocalcamerashopordrugstore.Somepeoplesavedmoneybyorderingprocessingonlyandselectedindividualprintsdirectlyfromthenegatives.Amateurphotographersoftensetuphomedarkroomstoprocessandprinttheirownfilm.
Ourattitudetowardphotoprintsbegantochangeinthe1980sand1990swiththeintroductionoflow-cost“doubleprints”madepossiblebystandardizedautomaticphoto-printingequipment.Newtechnologybroughtpricesdowntopenniesper4x6-inchprint,andvendorcompetitionintroducedtripleandquadprintdiscounts.Forthefirsttimeinthehistoryofconsumerphotography,familyphotographersweretakingandprintingmoreandmorephotos,bothgoodandbad,andselectingthe“keepers”afterprinting.Insteadofonerolloffilmlastingweeksormonths,afamilyphotographermightuseseveralrollsoffilmtodocumentasinglebirthdayparty.Thisprintboomlastedonlyuntildigitalphotographycaughton,whenthesnap-happymindsetwasaperfectfitfordigitalcameras.
Today’sphotographerneedsonlyadigitalcameraorsmartphonetocapturethousandsofimages.Theminimalcostperimagecanmakeuscarelessaboutpreservingpricelessmemoriesuntilasmartphoneislost,acomputercrashes,orweaccidentallyhittheDeletebutton.
Inthischapter,Ipresenttheessentialtoolsandskillsforworkingwithandorganizingyourdigitalimages,includinghowtosetupyourcameraandothercapturedevicestoworkwithyourcomputerandstoragemedia.
DOYOUKNOWWHEREYOURPHOTOSARE?
Thefirststepinorganizingyourdigitalphotosisknowingwheretheyare.Afterall,youcan’torganizeyourdigitalfilesifyoudon’tknowwheretofindthem.Youmayhavephotosscatteredacrossdevicesandstoragemedia—fromyoursmartphoneandSDcardtoyourtabletandyourcomputer.Itwouldbeeasytomanagephotosacrossdevicesifwecouldjustdraganddropfilesfromonedevicetoanother,butAndroiddoesn’tplaywellwithApple’siOS,andyourmobiledevicesmightnotbeonspeakingtermswithyourcomputer.It’scomplicated.
Butitdoesn’thavetobedifficult.Organizingyourdigitallifewillbeeasierifyouputeverythinginonemasterlocation.Thiswillbeamasterfileforallyourdigitalimages,including:
newphotos:picturesoffamilyandfriendstakenwithyourcameraorsmartphoneoldphotos:familykeepsakephotosdigitizedwithyourscannerorcameraresearchimages:genealogyresearchdocumentsyouhavescannedorphotographed,oryouhavedownloadedfromtheInternetworkimages:businessandwork-relatedimages
Onceyou’vesetitup,you’llquicklyseethebenefitsofcollectingandmanagingyourphotosinonemasterlocation:
oneplacetoaccessimagesaconsistentfilestructurethatservesasamodelforfutureimageimportseasierbackupseasiermigrationwhenyouupgradeyourcomputerordevicesanintuitive,logicalsystemthatotherscanunderstand
Keepinmindthatthebeststoragelocationoptionmaybethesimplest.Forexample,alarge-capacityexternalharddriveyoucanusewithalaptopordesktopandeasilyusewithnewequipmentwhennecessarymaybeyourbestchoice.Mypersonaldigitalphotostoragesetupincludesthreeexternalharddrives:
PhotoLibrary:This1terabyte(TB)externalharddriveisattachedtomydesktopMaccomputeratalltimesandstoresmyworkingimagecollection—thefilesIuseonadailybasis.Ithinkofitlikealibrary(hencethename)whereI“checkout”imagesforviewingandediting.ThisismyMasterStorageLocation.ImageVault:Iattachthis1TBexternalharddrivetomycomputerattheendofaneditingsessionsoallofmyworkisbackedupfromthePhotoLibrarytotheImageVaultusingCarbonCopyClonerbackupsoftware.Idon’taccessmyimagesevery
dayandlikethesecurityofknowingthisstoragedevicecan’tbedamagedbypowersurgesifit’soff-line.PhotoArchive:This1TBexternalharddrivecomesoutofmyfireproofsafeforregularmonthlybackupsofmyentireimagecollection.Again,IuseCarbonCopyClonertohandlethebackup,andIkeepthisdriveathomesoit’seasytomaintainmybackupschedule.IalsoburnphotofolderstoarchivalDVDstomakeanarchivalpreservationset.AndIkeepacopyofmyphotosonmyDropbox<www.dropbox.com>cloudstorageaccount.Withmultiplecopies,there’slessriskofimagesbeinglost.
Yourdecisiononwheretostoreyourdigitalimages—onyourcomputerharddrive,anexternalharddrive,inthecloud,oracombinationofallthree—dependsonthreemainfactors:
thesizeofyourcurrentandoldphotocollectionthesizeofyourprojecteddigitalcollectionyouravailablecomputerharddrivespace
HowMuchStorageDoYouNeed?
Youmayalreadyhaveagoodideaofwhereyouwanttostoreyourphotos,butdeterminingyourcurrentandfuturecollection’sstoragespaceneedscanbeachallenge.Ifyouaren’tsurehowmuchstorageyou’llneed,orwanttoknowthatyou’veaccountedforalldigitalfilesbeforepurchasingequipment,usetheDigitalPhoto&VideoStorageWorksheetinthischapter.Thisworksheetprovidesaquickoverviewforassessingyourstoragespaceneedsandwillhelpyoudetermineifyourcurrentcomputercanstoreyourdigitalcollectionorwhathardwareyoumayneedtopurchase.
Ultimately,whenchoosingacentralstoragelocationforyourdigitalphotocollection,erronthesideofchoosingalocationwithtoomuchstoragespaceratherthantoolittle.Costpergigabytecontinuestodrop,makingitcost-effectivetopurchase1or2TBdrivesratherthansmallermodels.Ifyoudorunoutofspace,thegoodnewsisthatit’srelativelyeasytomigrateawell-organizedphotocollectiontonewhigher-capacityhardware.UseyouranswerstotheDigitalPhoto&VideoStorageWorksheetasaguidetoyourpresentandfutureneedsandmakeyourbestguess.
WhereShouldYouStoreYourPhotoCollection?
You’llwanttoconsiderthesestoragelocationoptionsforyourMasterStorageLocation:
DESKTOPCOMPUTER:Ifyouhaveplentyofroomonyourcomputerharddriveforyourgrowingimagelibrary,designateyourdesktopcomputerasyourMasterStorageLocation.Ifyoudorunoutofspace,youcanaddanexternalharddriveatalatertime.
LAPTOP:Ifyouusealaptopexclusively,plantopurchaseatleaseoneexternalharddrivetoholdyourimagecollection.Don’trelyonyourlaptopharddriveforlong-termphotostorage:Harddrivesfail,laptopsgetdroppedorstolen,andthestoragespaceisoftentoosmall.Instead,useexternalharddrivesorcloudserverstohelpmanagethedigitalload.
LAPTOPANDDESKTOPCOMBINATION:Ifyouusebothalaptopanddesktopcomputer,chancesareyouhaveimagesonbothpiecesofequipment.Toconsolidateyourphotocollectioninoneplace,chooseeitherthedesktoporanexternalharddrive.Storeyourphotosonequipmentthatistheleastsusceptibletodamageorlosswiththelargestharddrivecapacityavailable,typicallyastationarydesktopcomputer.Anexternaldrivehasthebenefitofportabilitybetweenbothdevices.
EXTERNALHARDDRIVE:Yourlaptopordesktopcomputer’sbuilt-inharddrivehasafiniteamountofstoragespace,butanexternalharddrivecanaddterabytesofstoragewithoutupgradingyourcomputer.Ifyoualreadyuseanexternaldriveasabackupdevice,consideraddingasecondexternaldriveforphotos.
HOMESERVER:Ifyouaretech-savvy,youcouldevensetupahomeserverorNetwork-AttachedStorage(NAS)toholdimagesforeveryoneinthehousehold.
Decidenowwhereyouwillstoreyourmasterfileofyourdigitalimages.WillyoumaintainyourPhotoLibraryonyourcomputerharddrive,onanexternalharddrive,inthecloud,oracombination?Storingimagesonyourcomputerisbestforsmalltoaveragesizedigitalimagecollections;anexternalharddriveisagoodchoiceforlargeorgrowingmediacollections.
Viewatextversionofthistable
AnalyzingYourAnswers
OnceyoucompletetheDigitalPhoto&VideoStorageWorksheet,askyourself:Inwhatcolumnsdomostofyouranswersfall?
Ifmostofyouranswersareinthefirstcolumn,youhaveminimalstorageneeds.Ifmostofyouranswersareinthesecondcolumn,youhaveaveragestorageneeds.Ifmostofyouranswersareinthethirdcolumn,youhavehighstorageneeds.
DigitalStorageTipsChooseoneMasterStorageLocationforyourcollection.Storingyourmasterdigitalimagesonyourcomputerisfineforsmalltoaveragesizedigitalimagecollections;anexternalharddriveisagoodchoiceforlargeorgrowingmediacollections.
TIPProtectingYourDigitalStorage
Whenyousetupyourdigitalphotostoragehardware,makesurethosestoragedevicesarepluggedintoasurgeprotector,notjusttoaregularoutlet.
EQUIPMENTFORDIGITALPHOTOSTORAGE
Onceyoudeterminethespaceyou’llneedtostoreyourmasterdigitalimagesfile,you’llneedtopurchasethehardwareandsetupyourdevicesandstoragetoworktogethersoyourimagescanbemovedtoanewpermanentstoragelocation.
Herearetwoimportantpiecesofequipmentyoumayneed:
EXTERNALHARDDRIVE:Mostexternalharddrivesaresimpleplug-and-playdevicesthatworkwithanylaptopordesktopcomputer.Followthemanufacturer’sinstructionsforconnectingthedevicetoyourcomputer.Aboxybook-shapedexternalharddrivewithitsownpowersupplymakesthedrivestableonadesktopsurfaceandoftenoffershigher-capacitystoragethanasmallerportabledrive.Ifdeskorofficespaceisaconsiderationoryouneedportablestorage,lookatportablehigh-capacitydrives.Somemodelsincludeaprotectivesleevethatcanbehelpfulwhentraveling.
MEMORYCARDREADER:Althoughdigitalcamerasoftenincludeacamera-to-computercablewithsoftwareandinstructionsformovingimages,it’smuchfasterandeasiertouseastand-alonecardreaderoracardreaderbuiltintoyourcomputerorhomeprinter.Plus,youdon’thavetouseyourcamerapowerorworryaboutthecamerashuttingoffduringtransferwhenyouuseacardreader.Cardreadersareinexpensiveandcomeinseveralconfigurations;someaccommodatemultiplecardssuchasSD,microSD,andCompactFlashcards.LookforaUSB2.0/3.0interfaceforhigh-speedtransfer.
ManydesktopandlaptopcomputersnowofferanintegratedSDcardslot,andmanyhomeofficeprintersalsohaveabuilt-incardreaderslot.Ifyourequipmentalreadyhasabuilt-incardreader,youmaynotneedadditionalhardware.
Andremember:InadditiontostoringyourfilesinyourMasterStorageLocation,you’llneedtothinkaboutbackingupthosefilesaswell(butwe’llgettothatlaterinthischapter).
FILENAMING
ThekeytoorganizingyourPhotoLibraryisusingasimpleandlogicalsystem.Thatsystemstartswithdigitalphotofilenames.Irecommendusingshort,meaningfulfilenamesthatdon’tneedakeytoabbreviations.
UseConsistentFileNames
Long,complicatedfile-namingschemesaredifficulttomaintainandcumbersometouse.Theendofthenamemaybetruncatedorcutoffinyourcomputerfoldervieworprintout.Plus,morewordsprovidemoreopportunitiesformisspellingsandinconsistency.Asyoudevelopyourpersonalfile-namingscheme,createaFile-NamingCheatSheetasagentleremindertohelpyoumaintainconsistencybetweenworksessions.
AsyouimportphotostoyourPhotoLibrary,eithermanuallyorwiththeaidofphoto-managementsoftware,taketimetoconsistentlynamenewfiles.Usethesestandardfile-namingconventionsrecommendedbydocumentrecordsagencies:
KEEPFILENAMESSHORT.Operatingsystemsnowallowlongfilenames,butwhenfilesareuploadedtotheInternet,alongnamecanmaketheURL(akaWebaddress)evenlonger.Ifnecessary,usestandardtwo-letterabbreviationsforstatesandmonths.Beconsistentinusinganyabbreviatedfamilysurnames.
USEUNIQUEFILENAMES.Itisessentialtomaintainindividualuniquenamesforphotofiles.Yourcameraassignsauniquenumbertoeachimagethatremainspermanentlyembedded,evenifyourenamethevisiblefilename.Butthatwon’thelpyouselectbetweentwophotoswiththeidenticalname:davidbirthday2013.Don’trelyonfoldernamestohelpidentifyfiles,either.Forexample:Ifyousetupfoldersnamed2013Thanksgivingand2014Thanksgiving,buteachincludesaphotonamedgrandpa-carving-turkey.jpg,thefilenamedoesn’tprovideacluetowhenorwhere.It’smuchbettertousefilenamessuchas2013_grandpa-turkey.jpgand2014_grandpa-turkey.jpg.
FILE-NAMINGCHEATSHEETFIVEFILE-NAMINGCONVENTIONSTOREMEMBER1. Short2. Unique3. Nospecialcharacters4. Underscoresanddashes5. Consistentlyformatteddates
MYFILE-NAMINGSTYLE
Fordates
Forfamilyphotos
Forheirloomphotos
Forscannedimages
AVOIDSPECIALCHARACTERS.Specialcharacterscreateconfusinganddifficult-to-readfilenames.Andmostcomputeroperatingsystemsdonotpermitcertaincharactersinfilenames,including\/|{}()<>:;*%@and#.
USEUNDERSCORESANDDASHES.Punctuationandspaceshaveaspecialpurposewhenusedinafilename.Periodsidentifythebeginningofafileextension.Spacesbecome%20whenuploadedtoawebsite.Slashesdividefilefolderlocations.Insteadofslashes,periods,andspaces,useunderscoresanddashestoseparateinformationinyourfilenames.
FORMATDATESCONSISTENTLY.Chooseadateschemeandstickwithit.YYYY_MM_DDwillsortfilesinyear,month,anddateorder.MM_DD_YYYYsortsbymonth,date,andyear.
ConsiderDifferentFileFormatandDocumentTypes
Genealogistsworkwithmanydifferentkindsoffiles:photos,scannedimages,documents,PDFreferencefiles,andmore.I’velearnedthatIdon’tnecessarilyneedthesamefilenamestructureforeachdocument,butIdotrybeconsistentwitheachkindoffile.
SCANNEDDIGITALIMAGESANDIMPORTEDDIGITALIMAGES:ThesefilesaretypicallyTIFFscannedfiles,PDFs,orJPGimagesdownloadedfromtheInternetorphotographedforresearch.You’llwanttofindthesefilesquicklyandeasily.Mygeneralfile-namingschemehasfourparts—name,date,place,anditem—eachseparatedbyanunderscore,plusthefileextension.Iuseadashtoseparatewordswithineachpartsuchassmith-john_19240315_co-pueblo_theater_edit.jpg.Thisfilenamehasthefollowingparts:
surname-firstname
date(YYYYMMDD)place(fromlargesttosmallestwithtwo-letterabbreviationusedforstates)item
Iprefertousealllowercasecharactersandaddversioninformationattheendofthefilename.Ikeepfilenamesshortandconsistent.Thisfile-namingschemeisechoedinallmycomputerfiles,althoughImaynotuseeachpartofthefilename.
FAMILYSNAPSHOTSANDVIDEOS:Ienjoysnappingphotosandvideosoffamilyandfriendsathomeandonmytravels.Thesephotosdon’tneedextensiveinformationalfilenames.Itakeadvantageofthebatch-namingfunctionofmyAdobeLightroomandiPhotosoftwaretorenamethephotosastheyareimportedtomycomputer.Thesoftwaregiveseachfileanewnameandsequentialnumber:
2010_david_bday-01.jpg2010_david_bday-02.jpg
NOTESANDREPORTDOCUMENTS:Thistypeofdocumentmightincludespreadsheets,charts,genealogyresearchnotes,ortimelines.Idon’tneedthefulldateandlocationinformationusedinotherfiles,somyfilenamesforthesedocumentslooklikethis:
smith-john_research-notes.docsmith-john_military-timeline.doc
HEIRLOOMORIGINALPHOTOSANDDOCUMENTS:Iwasfortunatetoinheritalargecollectionofphotos,documents,andcorrespondencefrommymaternalgrandmother.Insteadofindividuallynamingeachfile,I’vechosentomanagethecollectionusingalabelthatindicatestheseriesanditemnumber.Myscannerprovidestheuniquefilename,andwhenItranscribeorexaminetheitemfurther,Ienteridentifyinginformationinthemetadatafieldsfortitle,caption,keywords,andsoon.Thesefilenamesmayappearas:
AAK_P00012.tifAAK_OP0009.tif
Thissystemencouragesmetomoveforwardscanningandarchivingtheoriginalmaterialwithouttheneedtostopandtranscribeinformationforafilename.Icanworkdirectlyfromthescannedimagetostudythesource,andtheoriginalsaresafelypreservedinarchivalstoragefoldersandboxes.MybookHowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakesincludesmorepopularfile-namingstrategiesforgenealogists.
HowtoManageFileVariations
Photoimagefilesarelikelytocreatemoreversionsandderivativesthantypicaldocumentfiles.Withdocumentsit’scommontousev01,v02,orv03toindicaterevisededitions.Fordigitalimages,youcanusetheSaveAscommandtocreateanewfileaftereditingorchangingaJPGphoto.Avoidusingvaguenamessuchasold,new,orrevised.Youmayhaveseveralnewversionsbythetimeyou’refinishedediting.Insteaduseeditv01,editv02,editv03toshowtheversionnumber.Savetheshortlabeleditforthefinalversionanddeleteothercopiesifyouwish.
Ifyou’reoptimizingyourimagesforuseonmultipleplatforms,useanabbreviationattheendofthefilenametoindicatethepurpose:Web,print,ore-mail.Forexample:2013_grandpa-turkey-web.jpgor2013_grandpa-turkey-print.jpg.
AlwaysusestandardfileextensionssuchasTIFF,JPG,orPSDwhensavingfiles.Thesefileextensionshelpdifferentiatearchivalandworkingfiles.Forexample,keepthescannedTIFFarchivefileandphotobook-readyJPGtogetherinafolderwheretheyareeasytoorganizeandlocatewhenyouneedthem.
FOLDERORGANIZATIONSCHEMES
Youdon’tneedacomplicatedfolderstructuretoorganizeandlocateyourphotos.Ifindthatsimpleisdefinitelybetterwhenitcomestoimagemanagement.Ifphotosareburiedthreeormorefoldersdeep,ittakeslongertodrilldownandfindthatfile.System-widesearchesarefaster,too,iffilesareorganizedinfewerfolders.
It’slikelyyouareworkingwithatleasttwokindsofimagefiles:
everydaysnapshotsofyourhome,family,andfriendsgenealogyimagesofscannedphotosanddocuments,sourcedocumentsphotographedonresearchtrips,cemeteryandtombstoneimages,snapshotsfromfamilyreunions,andphotosofheirloomsandfamilykeepsakes
Genealogistsoftengetboggeddowntryingtoforceallphotosintoonegiantorganizingsystem,butwhatworksforonekindofphotomaynotbeagoodsolutionforanotherkindofphoto.Iusedifferentfile-namingschemesfordifferenttypesofphotos,anddifferentfoldersystems,too.
TIPPhotoSearching
Whenyourphotosareorganizedwellandhavedescriptivefilenames,itmakesiteasiertosearchyourcomputerforthefilesyouneed.OnaMac,searchforfilesbytypinginasearchtermintheSearchboxatthetoprightofanyFinderwindow.OnaPC,clicktheStartbuttonandtypeyoursearchtermintheSearchboxtolocateafile.
HowtoCreateYourFolderSystem
Whencreatingyourfoldersystem,Irecommendavoidingcomplicatedmultilevelfolderschemesthatcreatemanyplacestolookforfilesandphotos.Instead,takeadvantageofafile’smetadata(identifyinginformationembeddedintotheimagefile)tolabelphotoswithkeywords,location,event,andtagsthatwillassistyouinsearchingandfindingimages.Andmakeitahabittoimport,organize,andtagimagesshortlyaftereachphotoshootorscanningsession.
Followthesesteps:
STEP1:Onyourmainstoragedevice(eitheryourcomputerharddriveoryourexternalharddrive),createafolderlabeledPHOTOLIBRARY.Ifyoulike,personalizethefoldernamebyaddingyourinitialssuchasDMLPHOTOLIBRARY(replaceDMLwithyourinitials).
STEP2:InsidethePHOTOLIBRARYfolder,createafewannualfolderstoholdimagesforeachyearbeginningwiththecurrentyear.Remember,youwillbeorganizinggoingforwardandaddingoldfilesastimeallows.
STEP3:Insideeachyear,createfoldersforeachbatchofimages.Thesecanbeorganizedbymonth,date,orevent—howeveryouwish.
STEP4:Importimagesfromyourmemorycardandmobiledevicesintothefolders.(LearnmoreaboutthisinChapter2.)
WaystoOrganizeYourPhotoFolders
SomeresearcherskeepallpersonalandgenealogyphotostogetherinonePhotoLibrary,whileothersprefertomaintaintwodistinctphotocollections:personalphotosandgenealogyimages.Iliketokeepnewfamilysnapshotstogetherinfolderslabeledbyevent
oroccasioninsideafolderforeachyearandmonth,andgenealogyfilesinonebiggenealogyfolder.
Formypersonalphotos,IuseafoldernamedFAMILYPHOTOStoholdallcurrentfamilyphotos.Insidethisfolderareannualfoldersthatholdthefoldersforeachyearandmonth(seeImageA).
Forgenealogyfiles,I’vefoundthatitisdifficulttoorganizethosefilesinfoldersbydate.Wemaynotknowaphoto’sdate,location,orevent,forexample.Andhowwouldyouorganizeaphotoofacemeterytombstonetakenonatripin1998?Doyoufileitina1998folder,bythedateonthetombstone,orinasurnamefolder?
Genealogistswillneedtodecidewhatmethodworksbestfortheirpersonalworkstyleandtechnologyexpertise.Ultimatelyyou’llneedtodecidewhatworksbestforyou.Herearetwooptionstoconsider.
1.ONEBIGGENEALOGYFOLDER:Harnessthepowerofthecomputertosearchandlocatefiles.Usefairlybroadsubfoldersinsidethemainfolderstoorganizedigitalfiles.CreateamainGENEALOGYfolderinsideyourcomputer’sDocumentsfolder(seeImageB).Keepresearchnotesanddocumentsinsidethisfolderorganizedbysurname,locality,orothersystem.InsidethisbigGENEALOGYfolder,createafoldernamedGENEALOGYPHOTOS.Fileallofyourgenealogy-relatedimagesinsidetheGENEALOGYPHOTOSfolder.Formorefile-organizingideasforgenealogydocuments,seemybookHowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes.
2.ONEPHOTOLIBRARY:ThesimplestfolderschemeofallistoplaceallyourimagesinsideamasterPHOTOLIBRARYfolder(seeImageC).Thisisthecentrallocationforfamilyphotos,scannedimages,genealogyimages,andanyimagehandledbyphoto-managementsoftware.CreatesubfolderswithinthePHOTOLIBRARYfoldertoholdyourfiles.AsImentioned,IhavesubfoldersinmyPHOTOLIBRARYfolderlabeledFAMILYPHOTOSandGENEALOGYPHOTOS.Usingthisscheme,you’llcontinuetostoreandmanagePDFanddocumentfilesinyourbigGENEALOGYfolder,butallyourimageswillbestoredinthePHOTOLIBRARY.
Ifyouplantousephoto-managementsoftwaresuchasAdobeLightroomorPicasatomanageyourphotocollection,keepinmindthatstoringallyourimagesinasinglelocationisessential.That’sbecausewhenyousetupyoursoftware,itwilllookforyourphotosinacertainfolder.Whenimagesaremovedoutsidethesoftware,thelinkislostandmustbereconnectedmanually.Andifyoucreateaseparatefoldertostorephotos,thesoftwarewon’tbeabletofindthatadditionalfolder.Asaresult,youcan’ttakeadvantageofmanysoftwarefeatures.
IMAGEDATA
Haveyoueverviewedtheinformationforadigitalphotoandwonderedwhereitcamefromandwhatitmeans?Thatinformationiscalledmetadata.Tounderstandhowmetadataworks,it’shelpfultounderstandhowcamerasandmobiledevicesorganizeimagesinternallyoronamemorycard.
Everyimagecanincludetwodifferentkindsofdata:Exchangeableimagefileformat(Exif)andInternationalPressTelecommunicationsCouncil(IPTC).Somedataareautomaticallyrecordedbythecamera,andothersareavailableforyourinput.Thedataareusedtosortandorganizeimagesinthecameraandwhentransferredtoyourcomputer.
TheExifandIPTCdataprovideinformationaboutyourdigitalimage.ThedataareembeddedinthedigitalfileforJPGandTIFFformatimagesorsavedinacompanion“sidecar”fileforRAWimages.Thereissomeoverlapbetweenthetwosetsofdata.
EXIFISDEVICEDATA:TypicalExifinformation(seeImageD)includesinformationaboutthecameramakeandmodel,resolution,exposure,location,andothersettings,butmostimportantlyfororganizingfiles,Exifdatarecordthedateandtimeofcapturewithauniquefilenameforeachimage.Thedateandtimeisusedtoorganizeimagefilesintofolders,andtheuniquefilenameidentifiesindividualimagefiles.
IPTCISSUBJECTDATA:TheIPTCdata(seeImageE)areusuallyaddedbytheuserintheformoftitle,caption,subject,photographer,copyright,andsoon.Originallydesignedtohelpnewsproviderslocateandcreditphotosources,IPTCdataareagenealogist’sfriendwhenitcomestoaddinginformationaboutthepeople,places,andeventsshowninanimage.YoucansetsomeIPTCdataautomatically,butmostinformationmustbeindividuallyrecorded.
ToaddIPTCmetadatatoindividualphotos,you’llneedtousethePropertiespanelonyourPCortheGetInfooptiononyourMac.
OnaPC,right-clickontheimageandselectProperties.Renamethefileinthemainwindow.ClicktheDetailstabtoaddtagsandkeywords(seeImageF).
OnaMac,selectanimageandopentheInformationwindowwithCommand-I.RenamethefileandaddtagsandkeywordsintheGetInfowindow(seeImageG).
Whenorganizinglargecollectionsofimages,however,it’smoreefficientandfastertoaddtags,keywords,andcaptionstothemetadatausingbatchfunctionsinaphoto-
managementprogramsuchasiPhoto,AdobePhotoshopElements,AdobeLightroom,orPicasathanaddingittophotosindividually.
SetUpYourCamera
Dependingonthekindofcamerayouuse,youmaynotbeabletocustomizeeachmetadataoption,butthedateandtimesettingshouldbeavailableonallcameras.ThismetadataisallrecordedintheExifdatafortheimage.Whenyougetanewcameraormobiledevice,usethesestepstoensureitissetupproperly.
STEP1:SETTHEDATEANDTIME.Oneofthefirststepswithanynewcameraorsmartphoneshouldbetosetthecorrectdateandtime,andconfirmtheregularsettingsarecorrect.It’seasytomistakenlyadvancetheyearwhenadjustingforDaylightSavingTime.Yourcameramenumaylookdifferentfromtheoneshown,solookfortheMenuoptionandselectSettingstofindDATEANDTIME.Usethenavigationarrowstosetthecorrectinformation.MakeitahabittochangeyourcameraclockwhenyouadjustyourhouseholdclocksforDaylightSavingTime.
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STEP2:TURNDATEIMPRINTOFF.ConfirmthatyourcameraissettocaptureimageswiththedateimprintsettoOff.
STEP3:CONFIRMCONTINUOUSFILENUMBERING.Somecamerasoffertheoptiontoresetfilenumbers,butcheckingthisoptionmaygiveyouduplicatenumbersandcreatehavocinyourorganizingsystem.Optforcontinuousfilenumberingfromonememorycardtothenexttoavoidconfusionandconflicts.
STEP4:SELECTTHERESOLUTION.Mostcamerashaveanoptiontosettheresolutionfrommaximummegapixelstosmallersizes.Togetthebestimagequalitypossibleforallphotos,keepthissetatmaximum.Purchaselargermemorycardsifneededtoaccommodatemorephotosonalongvacationorresearchtrip.
STEP5:INPUTPHOTOGRAPHERANDCOPYRIGHTINFORMATION.Somecamerasnowofferanoptionforthephotographertoincludeanameandcopyrightinformation.Ifyouliketoshootphotosandpostthemdirectlytosocialmediaviain-cameraWi-Fioraftertransfertoyoursmartphone,youmaywanttopersonalizethesesettings.
TIPCameraFileFormats
IfyouuseadigitalSLRcamera,you’llhavetheoptiontoshootpicturesinRAW,RAW+JPG,orJPGfileformats.RAWfilestakeupconsiderablymoreroombutarethecameraequivalentofTIFFfiles,andarestableanduncompressed.YouneedtoprocessRAWfilesinordertoworkwiththeimages,somostfamilyphotographersstickwiththeJPGfileformat.Ifyou’reworriedaboutJPGcompressionandimageloss,considerworkingwithanondestructivephotoeditorsuchasAdobeLightroomorPicasa.
InsidetheMemoryCard’sOrganization
Alldigitalimagesareorganizedbytheoriginaldeviceinmuchthesameway,whethertheimagewascapturedbysmartphone,digitalcamera,ormobilescanner.Thedateandtimeareessentialpiecesofinformationusedinsortinganddisplayingimagefiles.
Eachdeviceusesashortcutdevicenametoidentifythemanufacturerandsometimesthedevicemodel.InsertanSDcardinyourcomputerandclicktwicetoopenthefolder.YoushouldseeafolderlabeledDCIM.DCIMisanabbreviationforDigitalCameraIMages.DCIMistheindustrystandardfilefolderthatcontainsthephotoscapturedbyyourdevice.Toseetheindividualimagefiles,opentheDCIMfolder;youshouldseeeitheraloosecollectionofconsecutivelynumberedimagefilesoraseriesoffilefolders.
WhytheCorrectCameraDateIsImportant
Here’sanexampleofwhycorrectmetadataandcamerasettingsareimportant.ImageHshowsthefilefolderstructureformySDcardlabeledNONAME.InsidetheDCIMfolder,you’llseemanydifferentnumberedfolders.Thefirstthreedigitsrepresenttheyearandtheorderthephotoswerecaptured,followedbyanunderscoreandatwo-digitnumbertorepresentthemonththephotosweretaken.Thephoto’sexactdateandtimearealsorecordedintheExifdata.Folder125_04holdsthefifthgroupofimagescapturedin2012;04indicatesApril2012.
LookatthethumbnailimageandmetadataindicatingthecapturedateApril13,2012.Whenimportedtoaphoto-managementsystemthatorganizesbyyear,month,anddate,thisfilewillbecorrectlyfiledinApril2012.
ImageIillustrateswhathappenswhenthedateisincorrectlysetinthecamera.Thedateontheimageinthelastcolumndoesn’tmatchtheabbreviatedfoldername:Thefolderlabeled121_10shouldholdimagescapturedinOctober2012,butthephotoinformationgivesthecreationdateasOct.5,2011.Theotherphotosinthefolderaresimilarlymismarked.ThisphotoandothersinthegroupwillbeincorrectlyfiledinOctober2012insteadofOctober2011.
Thisistheresultofanincorrecttimeanddatesettinginthecameraitself.TheyearmayhavebeenchangedaccidentallyifthecamerawasadjustedforDaylightSavingTime,oritmayhavebeenincorrectallalong.
PHOTOBACKUP
Thebesttimetobackupyourphotosisrightafteryoutakethem.Doyouwanttolosethegraduate’sgrinorthebride’ssmile?Forthisreasonalone,automaticcloudsyncingandstorageforsmartphonephotosisawonderfulfeature.Ifyourphoneislost,fallsintothe
punchbowlattheweddingreception,orisresetbyaninquisitivetwo-year-old,yourphotoswillbesafe.
3-2-1Backup
Abackupismerelyaduplicatecopyofafile.Atruebackupisaduplicatecopystoredinadifferentlocationfromtheoriginal.Ifyouuseacloudstorageservicewithyourmobiledevice,thatsnapshotyoutookwithyoursmartphoneatyourniece’sweddingistheoriginalstoredonyourmobiledevice;thebackupisacopythatgetsuploadedandrestsonyourcloudstorageservice’sservers,readytobesyncedtoyourharddrivewhenyouturnonyourcomputerathome.Onephoto,threecopies.
Whenbackingupphotos,followthis3-2-1plan:
Create3copies:smartphone,cloudstorageservice,andyourhomecomputerUse2differentmedia:computer,USBflashdrive,orexternalharddriveStore1copyoff-site:useacloudstorageserviceoronlinebackupservice,orburnanarchivalDVDandstoreitoff-siteatarelative’shomeorinasafe-depositbox
BackUpYourComputerHardDrive
Youhavemanychoicesforbackingupyourcomputerharddrive:
externalUSBharddrivehomenetworkserveronlinecloudstorageonlinebackupservicerecordable(andarchival)DVDsandCDsUSBflashdrives
Selectyourstoragehardwareandsetupabackuproutine.Professionalphotographersbackuptheirworkdailyorperiodicallythroughoutaneditingsession.Makeitahabittoalwaysbackupyourworkafterimportingnewimagesorattheendoflengthyphoto-editingsession.
Investigateautomatedonlinebackupsystems,too.(SeealistofbackupservicesintheAppendix.)Whyuseanonlinebackupservice?PersonalexternalharddrivesstoreyourPhotoArchiveon-siteandarerelativelysecurefromhackers,butwhileyoucontrolthehardware(andonlyhavetopurchaseitoncevs.payaregularsubscriptionfee),yourfilesaresusceptibletofire,theft,andharddrivefailure.Inaddition,ifyouuseanexternalhard
driveasyourarchivalbackupsolution,youmustbeyourownTechGuru,purchasingandinstallinghardware,migratingyourPhotoArchivetonewequipmentasneeded,andmanagingbackupcopies.
Alternatively,anonline,cloud-basedbackupservicedoesallthetechworkforyou:maintainingstate-of-the-artequipment,providingredundancy,andprotectingyourdatafromtheftordisaster.Withautomaticuploads,youneverhavetoworryaboutrememberingtomanuallybackup,sync,ormigrateimages.
Themaindrawbacksofonlinebackupservicesarecostandsecurity.Youhavetopayamonthlyorannualsubscriptionfeetokeepyourfilessafe.Morestoragecostsmoremoney.Enhancedsecurityfeatures,morerestorationpoints,andthelevelofcustomerserviceofferedarefeaturesthatdrivethepricehigher.
Dependingonhowmuchbackupstorageyouneed,expertsrecommendevaluatingyouroptionstodeterminethebreak-evenpointbetweenthecostofmaintaininganexternalharddriveatanoff-sitelocationandstoringyourPhotoArchiveusinganonlinebackupservice.Thedecisionwilllikelybebasedonthesizeofyourcollectionandyourcomfortlevelwithstoringimagesinthecloudvs.theworkofmaintainingyourownequipment.
BackUpYourMobileDevices
Agoodoptionistosetupyourmobiledevicestoautomaticallysyncandbackupphotosfromyourdigitalcameratoyourcomputer.SyncphotostoanonlinecloudstorageserviceandthendownloadimagestoyourpersonalPhotoLibrary.Simplifyyourdigitallifebyintegratingyourmobileandcomputerbackups.RemembertheacronymLOCKSS—itstandsforLotsofCopiesKeepStuffSafe.Havingmanydigitalcopiesisagoodthingwhendisasterstrikes.
Ifyoutakelotsofpicturesonyoursmartphoneortabletandrelyonthecloudtobackupyourimages,youmightbesurprisedtolearnthatcloudstorageisn’tautomatic.ThousandsofiPhoneusersthoughttheirimageswerestoredinthecloudandlaterdiscoveredthatthoseimageswerelostunlesstheyhadbeensavedtothedevice’sCameraRollortransferredtoiPhotooranotherphoto-managementlibrary.ThenewMacOSXYosemitephoto-managementsystemaimstomakeallphotosavailableanywhereintheiCloudPhotoLibrary,asystemsimilartocloudstorageservicessuchasDropboxandGoogleDrive.
Thetakeaway:Cloudsyncingandstorageisconvenientandeasy,butdon’trelyonthecloudasyoursolephotobackup.
TurntoChapter2formoreideastomoveyourphotosfromyourcameratoyourcomputer.
GETTINGSTARTEDCHECKLISTCompletetheDigitalPhoto&VideoStorageWorksheet.Decidewheretostoreyourimagecollection,andpurchasenecessarystoragedevicehardware.Setupyourcameraandmobiledeviceswiththecorrectdateandtimeandanyotherdesiredsettings.Setupyourstoragedevices.Purchaseadedicatedmediacardreaderifyoudon’thaveabuilt-incardreaderonyourcomputerorhomeprinter.Purchaseandsetupbackupdevices.Decideonyourfile-namingandfolderorganizationstructure,andsetupyourPHOTOLIBRARYfoldersystem.
2TransferTips
Digitalphotographyhaschangedthewaywecapturespecialmomentsinourlives.Ifyouhaveasmartphone,youalwayshaveacamerareadytogoinyourpocketorpurse.Wenolongeronlytakephotosofimportanteventssuchasweddingsandgraduations.Wetakephotoseverydayofanymomentwewanttoremember.Wetakephotosofthefoodsweenjoy.Wetakenear-dailyphotosofourchildrenorgrandchildren.Wetakehundredsofphotosonvacation.Digitalphotographyhasallowedustobecomeproficientattakingpictures,butwearemuchlessefficientatmanagingthem.Despitetakingmoreandmoreimageseveryday,it’shardertoaccessandviewourimagesnowthanwhenwetookourfilmtobeprocessedandorderedpaperprints.
Formanypeople,organizingdigitalphotosmayseemoverwhelming,andtheorganizingsystemsyoumayhavelearnedandnowrelyoninyourbusinesslifemayworkmoderatelywellwithdocumentfiles,buttheymaynotworkaswellforyourpersonaldigitalphotos.Forexample,youmightorganizewordprocessingdocumentsandspreadsheetsinadigitalversionofametalfilecabinetbecauseitmakessense.Thecomputerdoestheheavyliftingbymaintainingstrictalphanumericorder.Andfilesenterthesystemfromonlyafewlocations.Tofindaspecificdocument,youclickthroughfolders,lookingforthefileyouwant.Aslongasyouuseaconsistent,intuitivefile-namingsystem,itisfairlyeasytolocatethefileyouneed.
Thisbusinessfileorganizationstrategydoesn’tworkquitesowellfororganizingdigitalphotos.Managingyourdigitalphotosdemandsadifferentorganizationsystemforthreereasons:
1. Wetakeandneedtomanagethousandsofdigitalimageseachyear.2. Differentusesforphotosmayrequiremultipleversionsofthesameimage.3. Wecaptureimagesonmultipledevices,andourimagesmaybescatteredamong
multipleusers.
Inthesamewaythatyou’dneverleaveyourheirloomweddingphotosstuffedintotheglovecompartmentofyourcarforsafekeeping,keepingphotosstashedonSDcards,onflashdrives,andinfreecloudaccountsisnotareliablephotostorageormanagementstrategy.
Managingdigitalphotosisabitlikecreatinganongoingphotoalbumwhereyoucaneasilyaddnotesandrearrangephotos,allwithoutscissorsandpaste.Thetoolsyouusearedifferentfromtraditionalpaperalbums,buttheresultsareevenmoresatisfying.
Inthischapterwe’lllookatoptionstohelpyoumovethephotosyou’vecapturedonanydeviceintooneMasterStorageLocation—yourPhotoLibrary.
BASICIMAGETRANSFER
Alldigitalphotomanagementbeginswithasimplestrategyyoualreadyknow:organizingwithfilesandfolders.Beforeyoubegintransferringimages,you’llneedtosetupaMasterStorageLocationtoholdyourPhotoLibraryoneitheryourcomputerharddriveoranexternalharddrive,andcreateabasicfilefolderstructure,asrecommendedinChapter1.YouwilltransferyourimagestoyourPhotoLibraryusingatransfermethodsuitableforyourphotocapturedevice.Youcantransferyourphotosusingoneofthreeapproaches:
manualimagetransferautomatedimagetransferadvancedimagetransferusingsoftware
ManualImageTransfer
ManualimagetransferinvolvesmovingfilesbydragginganddroppingimagesfromyourdevicetoyourMasterStorageLocation.Inamanualapproach,youareresponsiblefortransferringfilesfromthecapturedevicetoyourPhotoLibraryandforplacingimagesinthecorrectfolders.AftertransferringfilesfromthecapturedevicetotheMasterStorageLocation,youcanmanuallyrenamefilesandmakeadjustments,suchascroppingorresizing.
Manualimagetransferisgoodifyou
wantmaximumcontrol.arecomfortablewithdrag-and-droporganization.prefernottolearnanewsystem.useanycomputerplatform:PC,Mac,orLinux.haveasmall-toaverage-sizeddigitalphotocollection.
Themaindrawbacksofamanualimagetransfermethodarethat
itreliesonuserconsistency,soitcanbedifficulttomaintain.itrequireshands-onattention.
filesmustbeindividuallyrenamedandtagged.filescanbeaccidentallydeletedormisplaced.
Abenefitofmanualimagetransferisthatyoucancontinuetomanuallymove,sort,andaccessyourdigitallibraryindefinitely.Formanypeople,thisisallthephotomanagementtheyneed.
Theprocessofcollecting,moving,andorganizingyourimagesmaytakesometime,dependingonthenumberofimagesandsizeofyourphotocollection,butyoudon’thavetodoitallatonce.Startwithyourremovablecameramemorycardsandanynewimagesyou’vetaken,andthenmoveontoyourmobilephone,tablet,andotherSDcards.Workononedeviceatatime,double-checkingtoconfirmthattheimageshavetransferredandaresafelystoredbeforemovingontothenextdevice.
TransferringPhotosFromaMemoryCard
Yourcameramemorycardisaminiaturestoragedrive.Youcanopenthecard,viewfiles,andmoveitemsbydragginganddropping.Youalsocanrenamefilesandfoldersrightonthecard.Transferringimagescapturedonmemorycardstoacomputerisrelativelysimple.AfteryouhavesafelytransferredthephotostoyourPhotoLibraryandbackedthemuptoastoragedevice,youcanerasethecard’scontentstomakeroomfornewimages.Photostorageisnearlyinfinitebecauseyoucanaddmemorycardsformorepicturesasneeded.Here’sastep-by-stepexampleforhowtodothisonaMac(thestepsaresimilaronaPC).
STEP1:Insertyourmemorycardintoamemorycardreaderandviewthecardonyourcomputer.Thecardmayormaynotbenamed.Control-click(orright-click)onthecardandrenameitwithyourlastnameorinitialsandtheyearyoustartedusingit,suchasDML2014.
STEP2:Youshouldseeoneormorefoldersinsidethecard.YourphotoswillbeinsidetheDigitalCameraIMage(DCIM)folder.Continueopeningfoldersuntilyouareviewingtheimagefiles.Theywillbelabeledwithagenericprefixandconsecutivenumbers.Notetheyearthephotosweretaken.ThesephotoswerecapturedinMay2010.Identifythecorrectcaptureyearfromthefilefoldername108__05(2010-May)orfromviewingtheimagethumbnail.
STEP3:Onyourcomputerorexternalharddrive,openyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder(yourMasterStorageLocation)andthenopenafolderforthecorrectyear,orcreateanewfolderandlabelitwiththeyear(inthisexample,2010).Selectorcreateanewphotofolderinsidetheyearandrenameitwiththemonthandeventoroccasion.Someusersprefertonamefilefolderswiththeexactdateinadditiontothemonthtokeepphotobatchesorganizedingroups.It’suptoyouhowyouwanttomanagethefolders,butdouseaconsistentfolder-namingstructurethatincludesatleasttheyear,month,andidentifyingname.
STEP4:Selecttheimagefilesanddragthemfromthememorycardtotheappropriatefolder.
TransferringPhotosFromSmartphonesandTablets
Photostakenwithasmartphoneortabletcameraareatthemercyoflimitedmobilestorage.Ifyoutakealotofpicturesandvideos,youmayfindyourselffrequentlyseeingthedreadedmessage:NotEnoughStorage.Regularlytransferringphotosandvideostoyourcomputerwillkeepyourdevicefreefornewimagesandsafeguardthoseyou’vealreadyrecorded.
YoucanmoveimagesmanuallyfromanAppleorAndroidsmartphoneortablettoyourcomputerviaaUSBcable.Thisprocessisfastandallowsyoutomanuallyorganizeasyoudraganddropfilesfromonelocationtoanother.
IfyouhaveanAndroidsmartphoneortabletwithremovablestoragemedia,youhaveonemoremanualimagetransferoption:Youcaninsertamini-SDcardfromyourdeviceintoyourcomputer’smemorycardreaderandmanuallymoveimagestoyourPhotoLibrary.
Ifyougrowwearyofthehands-onorganizationorwanttousefeaturessuchasbatchfilenaming,tagging,andcustomcaptions,readontolearnaboutphoto-importandphoto-managementsoftwarethatmakesthetaskeasier.
TIPAutomatedTransferfromMobileDevices
Youcanautomaticallytransferimagesfrommobiledevicesviacloudsynchronization,too.AppleiOSuserscanusetheAppleiCloudservice,andAppleandAndroiduserscanmoveimagesviaDropboxandotherservices.
AUTOMATEDIMAGETRANSFER
Theeasiestphoto-transferringsolutionisonethatgoesoninthebackgroundsoyoudon’tevenhavetothinkaboutit.That’swhatautomatedimagetransferdoes.Itallowsyoutoautomaticallytransferimagestoadesignatedlocation,peryoursetupinstructions.Automatedimagetransfersolutionsprovideagoodalternativetophysicalfiletransfer,andinsomewaysareevenbetterbecausethere’slesschanceforuseromissionorerror.Yourchoiceofauto-transferandsynchronizationwilldependonyourdevice’splatformandwhatonlinephotoorcloudservicesyoualreadyuse.PopularautomatedsystemsincludeApple’siCloudPhotoLibrary<www.apple.com/icloud/photos>,Dropbox<www.dropbox.com>,Shutterfly’sThisLife<www.thislife.com>,andotheronlinecloudstorageprograms.AllmajorcloudstorageservicesofferAndroidandAppleiOSapps.(SeemoreononlinecloudstorageservicesinChapter4.)
Touseanautomaticimagetransfermethod,selecttheonlinestorageserviceyou’dliketouseandconfigurethesettingsonyourdevicesandinyouronlineaccountforstorage.Inmostcases,you’lltransferyourimagetoacloudstorageservice.Themaindrawbackofthistypeofsystemisthatit’sstilluptoyoutomanuallymovethoseimagesintoyourMasterStorageLocation,whereyouwillbeabletorenameandmanageyourimagesinacentrallocation.
TransferringPhotosWithImageCapture(Mac)
ImageCaptureisahandyMacprogramthathelpsyoumovefilesbetweenstoragedevicessuchasmemorycardsorexternalharddrives,andfromdigitizingequipmenttoyourcomputer.Itoffersaviewingwindowtoassistyouinselectingnewimagesforimporttoyourfilefoldersystem(ImageA),makingiteasytoselectimagesforimport.TheIconview(ImageB)showsimagethumbnails.ImageCaptureallowsyoutoselectone,some,orallphotosfromyourdeviceforimporttoaselectedlocation.
YoualsocanchecktheoptiontoDeleteafterImport,butIrecommenddeletingimagesfromthecameraafteryouhaveconfirmedasafetransferandbackedupthefiles.It’sasimplesteptodeleteimagesusingthecamera’smenu.
TransferringPhotosWithPhotoGallery(PC)
PhotoGalleryoffersseveralhelpfulfeaturesformanagingyourphotosduringandaftertransferringtheimagestoyourPC.Tostarttransferringyourimages,followthesesteps.
STEP1:InsertamemorycardandopenthePhotoGallerytoviewtheImportwindow.SelecttheoptiontoReview,Organize,andGroupItemstoImport,andclickNext.
STEP2:IntheImportwindow,checkeachgroupofphotosyouwouldliketoimport,namethegroup,andaddtags.UncheckindividualphotosifdesiredandclickImport.
Donoterasethememorycardinthecomputer.Afterconfirmingthatthephotoshavebeensafelytransferred,erasethecardusingthecamera’sDeletefunction.
TransferringPhotosFromWi-Fi-EnabledCameras
Inrecentyears,Wi-Fi-enableddigitalcamerashavebroughtmobileconnectivitydirectlytodigitalcameras.ThesenewmodelstypicallyofferAndroidandiOSappsthatpartnerwiththecamerasoyoucanshootphotoswiththedigitalcameraandthenviewtheimagesonyourtabletorsmartphoneforediting,e-mailing,andpostingtosocialmediasitessuchasFacebook,Twitter,andInstagram.
Tosetupawirelessconnectionbetweenyourcameraandyourmobiledevice,you’lltypicallyneedtodownloadandinstalltheapptoyourmobiledeviceandthensetupaconnectionbetweenyourcameraandtheapp.Thisdirectconnectionbetweenthecameraandthedeviceisturnedonwhenyouwanttotransferphotosfromcameratodeviceandturnedoffwhenyouarefinished.TheimagesremainonyourSDcard,andyoucantransfertheimagesfromthecardtoyourcomputerlater.Thecamerainstructionsandappwillwalkyouthroughthestepsforyourspecificcameramodel.
Usingadedicatedcameraforlargedigitizingprojectswillconserveyourmobiledevicebatteryforotheruses,andthelargersensorinadigitalSLRcameramayproducebetterimagesthanyoursmartphonecamera,especiallyinlow-lightconditionssuchaslibraries,archives,andconferencehalls.
SomeWi-Ficameraappsalsoincludeoptionsforotherfeatures,suchas
remoteshutterrelease.addingGeotags.in-appediting.directpostingtoFacebookandothersocialmediasites.
I’veexperimentedwithaWi-FicameraforcapturingmicrofilmimagesattheFamilyHistoryLibraryinSaltLakeCity.Thecamerarecordedgood-qualityimagesdirectlyoffthemicrofilm-viewingtableasIworkedtheshutterviatheremoteapponmyiPhone.Thebiggestdrawback,however,wasthequickdrainonbatterylife.BoththecameraandiPhoneneededtoberechargedafterafewhoursofuse.Ithinkitwouldhavebeenmoreefficientandcreatedlesspowerdraintohaveusedaphysicalremoteshutterrelease,andthenusedtheWi-FitosimplytransferthephotostomyiPad.
AreYouRelyingTooMuchontheCloud?
Cloudstoragecanbeanessentialpartofanybackupstrategy,butitshouldn’tbetheonlyplaceyoustoreyourphotos.AimtocreateandmaintainonecentralPhotoLibrary(yourMasterStorageLocation)onyourownequipmentthatholdsallyourimages.Ifyouwanttouseacloudservice,useacloudservicetosyncandstoreimageswhiletravelingortohelpmovefilesbetweendevices,ortohouseanoff-sitebackupofyourPhotoLibrary.Remember,you’llwanttobackupyourPhotoLibraryregularlysoyouhavethreecopiesontwodifferentmediawithonecopyoff-site.
Wi-Fi-enabledcamerasareavailableincompactpoint-and-shoottoprofessional-levelmodels.Ifyouarelookingtoexpandyourdigitaltoolbox,theslightlyhighercostofaWi-Fi-enabledcameramaybeagoodinvestmenttoexpandyourphotoopportunities.
TransferringPhotosFromaWi-Fi-EnabledMemoryCard
AnotheroptiontoaddWi-Ficonnectivitytoastandarddigitalcameraiswithawirelessmemorycard,suchasanEyefiSDcard<www.eyefi.com>.EyefiSDmemorycardsprovideahybridphototransferringsolutionthatyoucanadapttosuitalmostanyphoto-managementworkflow.DifferentmodelsofEyeficardsareavailable;we’llfocusontheEyefiMobiSDcard.
TheEyefiMobiSDcardworkslikeanystandardSDcard—simplyinsertitintoanSDcardreadertotransferimagesdirectly.Therealmagic,however,liesinthecard’stinywirelesstransmitterthatcantransferimageswirelesslyfromyourdigitalcameratoacomputer,smartphone,ortablet.Insteadofwaitinguntilyouimportormanuallydraganddropfilesfromoneplacetoanother,theEyefiMobiSDcardautomaticallytransfersimageswirelessly(inseconds)wheneveritdetectsawirelessconnectionbetweentwopaireddevices.ThecardworkswithPCandMaccomputers,aswellasvirtuallyalldigitalcamerasthatuseanSDcardandtheFlip-PalmobilescannerorotherdevicesthatstoreimagesonanSDcard.Thephotos,whichcanbeinJPGorRAWformat,thenreside
withinthefreeEyefiMobiapponyourdevice.Forexample,ifyousetupthecardtotransfertoyoursmartphone,yourphotoswillbecopiedfromtheEyefiMobiSDcardinsertedintoyourcameratoyourphonewheneverthecamera(andcard)arewithinrangeofthesmartphoneandtheEyefiMobiappisopen.
Afteryoutransfertheimages,youcanviewthem,organizethemintoalbums,andtagthephotoswithintheEyefiMobiapp.Meanwhile,onyoursmartphone,youcanshareimagesandsavethemtothedevice’sCameraRoll,wheretheywillbeavailabletootherappsforeditingandphotoprojects.YoualsocanpairyourEyefiMobiSDcardtoyourdesktopPCorMaccomputer.Onyourcomputer,“watchfolders”collectimagestransferredfromtheEyefiMobiSDcardtoautomaticallyimportthemintophoto-managementprogramssuchasAdobeLightroom.
AslongasyourEyefiMobiSDcardispairedwithonlyonedevice,allphotoswillbetransferredtothatdevice.IfyouinstalltheEyefiMobiapponaniPadandyouriPhone,however,anyphotosnotpreviouslytransferredtoanydevicewillbecopiedtothisnewlypaireddevicewheneverthecardiswithinrangeofthatdevice.Theresult:Somephotosmaybemovedtoyoursmartphonewhenthecardispairedtothatdevice,andthenexttimeyoutakepictures,thenewimagescouldbemovedtoyouriPadifthecardisalsopairedtoit.Inaddition,theEyefiMobiSDcardsavesbothJPGandRAWimagefilestothecard,buttransfersonlyJPGandvideofileswirelessly.
TheEyefiCloud
IfyouuseaWi-Fi-enabledEyefiMobiSDcard,youmightwanttousetheoptionalEyefiCloudserviceaswell.TheEyefiCloudserviceisdesignedtosynchronizefilesthatmaybedownloadedtodifferentlocations.Itworksinthebackgroundtosynchronizeallofyourimagesonallofyourdevicesbyhostingafull-resolutioncopyonEyefi’sCloudstoragewebsite.YoucanusetheEyefiMobiSDcardwithoutanEyefiCloudaccount,butyourimageswillonlybehousedinthelocationoforiginaltransfer.Ofcourse,imagesarealwaysaccessiblebymanuallycopyingthefilesfromtheSDcardtoyourcomputeroranexternalharddrive.
TheEyefiCloudincludessomeorganizingfeaturestomovephotosintoalbums,butnoeditingortaggingfeatures.Downloadingandsharingislimitedtoindividualphotosandbatchselectionbydate.Overall,theEyefiCloudisusefulforsharingimagesorforimagebackupwhiletraveling,butmaybecumbersomeforpracticaluseascloudstoragebecauseitlimitsyoutodownloadingimagesoneatatime.
AlthoughtheoriginaldigitalphotoswillremainontheEyefiMobiSDcard,ifyouaren’tcareful,youcanendupwithimagesscatteredindifferentlocations.ToavoidtransferringimagesfromyourEyefiMobiSDcardtomultiplelocations,simplyclosetheEyefiMobiappondevicesyoudon’twantimagestotransferto.ThisgivesyoutheflexibilitytoopenthemobileEyefiMobiapponyourphoneifyouwanttoreceivephotosfromyourcameratoe-mailorshareonFacebook,orclosethephoneappandopenthetabletappifyou’dliketousethelargerscreentomakeadigitalphotobookonyouriPad.
ADVANCEDIMAGETRANSFER
Usersofphoto-managementsoftwaresuchasiPhotoorAdobeLightroommaybescratchingtheirheadsandwonderingwhatwe’retalkingaboutwith“manualphototransfer.”That’sbecausethesenondestructivephoto-managementprogramshandleimagetransfer,filerenaming,andfolderdestinationswithautomatedpresetsthattakethehassleoutofroutinefilemanagement.
Ifyouworkwithalargeheirloomphotocollectionorenjoytakingphotoswithyourdigitalcamera,youmaywanttoinvestigateaprogramsuchasAdobeLightroom,availableasstand-alonesoftwareoraspartoftheAdobeCreativeCloudsubscriptionservice.SeeChapter3formoreinformationonphoto-managementsoftwareoptions.
MYIMAGE-CAPTURE-TO-COMPUTERWORKFLOW
Nowthatyouhaveanoverviewofdifferentimagetransferoptions,I’dliketoshowyouhowIimportmyphotostomycomputer.Itakealotofpictureswithbothmydigitalcameraandmysmartphonecamera.Inaddition,Iscankeepsakefamilyphotosandresearchmaterialswithseveraldifferentscanners.Mygoalistogatherallmydigitalimagesinonephotocollectionandusefoldersandtagstoorganizeandidentifypresent-dayfamilyphotos,scannedphotos,andresearchimages.
MyphotosarestoredinthePhotoLibraryexternalharddrivedescribedinChapter1andmanagedwithAdobeLightroomphoto-managementsoftware.UsingLightroom,Iexportcopiesofimagefilesasneededfrommyphotocollectiontoshareonmyblog,onsocialmediasites,orforphotoprojects.IusetwowirelessEyefiSDcardstosimplifymyphotoworkflow:oneinmydigitalcameraandoneinmyFlip-Palmobilescanner.IhavetheEyefiMobiappinstalledonmyiPhoneandmyiPad,andIhavetheEyefidesktopappinstalledonmyMac.
AtHomeWorkflow
WhenI’mworkingathome,Iusuallyneedphotosforlectures,webinars,andarticleillustrations.TheEyefiMobiSDcardinmydigitalcameramakesiteasytoaccessnewimageswithoutremovingthecardfrommycamera.Iconfirmthatthemobileappsareclosedandthedesktopappisavailableinthemenubar.WhenIturnonmycamera,thecardconnectstomycomputerviaawirelessconnection,andtheimagestransfertomycomputer.Here’showitworks.
STEP1:IMAGESTRANSFERTOCOMPUTER.WhenmycameraiswithinWi-Firangeofmydesktopcomputer,theEyefidesktoptransferappautomaticallystartsandbeginstransferringthefull-resolutionimagestoafolderonmydesktoplabeledEYEFI.
STEP2:IMPORTPHOTOSTOADOBELIGHTROOM.IusuallyreviewtheimagesinthefolderandthenopenAdobeLightroomphoto-managementsoftware.IusetheImportoptioninLightroomtotransfertheimagestomyPhotoLibrary.ThesoftwarepromptsmeforafolderlocationinmyPhotoLibrary(onanexternalharddrive),filename,keywords,andothermetadata.Iaddmycopyrightinformationaspresetdata.
STEP3:EDITPHOTOS.UsingtheDevelopmoduleinLightroom,Ieditandcroptheimages.
STEP4:EXPORTFORPROJECT.IselectthephotosneededformyprojectandchoosetheappropriatePresettoapplythefileformat,filesize,watermark,andotheroptions.
SometimesIusemysmartphonetosnapaquickphoto.IwaitfortheimagetosyncwiththeAppleCloudandformyphototoappearinmydesktopPhotosapp.IthentransferthephototomyPhotoLibraryandtoAdobeLightroom,whereIworkwiththefileandexportitoncemoreformyproject.
TravelingWorkflow
WhenI’mtravelingandwanttoviewphotosfrommyscannerorcameraonmymobilephoneoriPad,IopentheEyefiMobiappandallowtheimagestotransfertothedevice.Here’show.
STEP1:TURNONDIGITALCAMERA.ThepowermustberunningonyourdigitalcamerafortheEyefiSDcardtoconnecttoyourdevice.
STEP2:OPENTHEEYEFIAPPONSMARTPHONEORTABLET.Thephotosfrommycamerawillbegintoappearonmydevice.
STEP3:POWEROFFCAMERAANDCLOSEAPP.Whenthetransferofimagesiscomplete,IturnoffmycameraandclosetheEyefiapp.
STEP4:MANUALLYTRANSFERIMAGESATHOME.WhenIreturnhome,IinserttheEyefiSDcardintomydesktopcomputer’smemorycardreaderslottomanuallycopythefilestomyPHOTOLIBRARYfolderonmyexternalharddrive.Idonotusethedesktoptransferappbecausesomeofthephotosmayhavealreadybeentransferredtomymobiledevices.
Technology-ProofYourPhotoCollection
Technologyformanagingyourphotosonyourdevicesisconstantlychanging.Caseinpoint:Apple’snewestoperatingsystems,YosemiteandiOS8,replacedPhotoStream(apopularfeatureinearlierAppleoperatingsystemsthatallowedAppleuserstoviewimagesonallconnecteddevices)andtheiOSCameraRollwithanewphoto-managementsystemcalledtheiCloudPhotoLibrary,apartoftheiCloudDrive.Asusersupdatetothenewoperatingsystems,they’lldiscovertheirphotoshavebeenmovedintothesenewlocations.UsersalsowillseethatanewApplephotoprogramfordesktopintegrationhasreplacediPhotoandAperture.
IfyouuseanolderMac,youmaynotbeableorwanttoupgradetoYosemite.iPhotowillcontinuetofunctiononyourcomputer,butwillnolongerbesupportedbyApple.WhenyoueventuallyupgradeormovetoanewMac,you’llhavetofindanewwaytomanageyourphotocollection.
ThistransitiontoanewApplephoto-managementsystemisagoodreminderthatyoushouldalwayskeepcurrentwithyourphotostrategyandbeanactiveandawarephotoconsumer.Inaddition,youshouldmakesureyourphotosareinasafelocationthatyoucanaccessnomatterhowtechnologychanges.
3Photo-ManagementSoftware
Youcancertainlysetupaphoto-managementsystemusingonlyyourcomputerfolderstructureandabasicphotoviewer,butifyou’reworkingwithalargephotocollection,youmayfindthetaskwillbeeasierandmoreenjoyablewithsoftwaredesignedforthetaskofmanagingphotos.
Usingphoto-managementsoftwaretoimportimagestoyourfoldersystemsavestimeandhelpsmaintainconsistencyinfilenamingandfolderorganization.Youneverhavetorememberwhetheryouareusingyear-month-dayormonth-year-daynamingandfolderstructures;thesoftwareautomaticallycreatesandnamesfoldersasneeded.
Organizingadigitalcollectionwithphoto-managementsoftwareisespeciallyhelpfulifyouhavealargephotocollection,aswellasforanyonewho
wantsautomationforroutineorganizationtasks.workswithimagefileseveryday.wantsbatchfile-namingandeditingfunctions.wantsnondestructivephotoediting.usesPCorMaccomputersystems.haslargeorgrowingdigitalcollections.
Thegreatestdisadvantageofusingphoto-managementsoftwareisthatitrequiresyoutospendsometimelearningtomasterthenewsoftware.Onceyoulearnit,though,itshouldhelpmakeyouroverallworkflowmuchmoreefficient.
UsethePhoto-ManagementSoftwareComparisonWorksheetinthischaptertoevaluatefeaturesandoptionsmostimportanttoyourpersonalworkflow.
TIPSoftwareTutorials
Learnmoreabouthowtousephoto-managementsoftwarebyexploringusergroups,websites,andonlineeducationsitessuchasLynda.com<www.lynda.com>.
KEYSOFTWAREFEATURESTOCONSIDER
Throughouttheyears,I’veuseddozensofdifferentphoto-managementandphoto-editingprogramsonWindowsandMaccomputers,andexperiencehasprovedtomethatthebestsoftwaresolutionsforfamilyphotomanagementofferfourkeyfeatures:
nondestructiveeditingbatchediting,filenaming,andfileconvertingcross-platformversionsalarge,activeuserbasethatsupportsofficialandthird-partytrainingandtutorials
Photo-managementsoftwareisonlyonepieceofthedigitalphoto-managementpuzzle,butit’sanessentialpartofmyworkflow.
NondestructiveEditing
Whatisnondestructiveediting?Somedatabase-basedphoto-managementprogramsprocessimageeditsbysavinginstructionsfortheeditsratherthanalteringtheoriginalfile.Thisallowsyoutoeasilyreturntotheoriginalversionortostepbackincrementallyifyouwanttoundoseveraladjustments.Thisnondestructiveeditingpreservesyouroriginalimageandyoureditswithoutmultiplecopiesfillingupyourdatabase.
Incontrast,conventionalimageeditingsavestheeditedversionofafilebyoverwritingtheoriginalandlosingtheoriginaldata.Forexample,atypicaleditingsessionmightinvolve
1. openingaJPGimage.2. rotatingtheimage.3. croppingtheimage.4. applyingauto-adjusttoimprovecontrastandbalance.5. savingthechangeswiththeSavecommand,whichoverwritestheoriginalfile.
Usingthisscenario,youcannotreopenthefileandreturntotheuncroppedversion.Thechangeshaveerasedtheoriginalfile,andsomedigitalinformationislosteachtime
thefileissavedandcompressed.Aftermanysavesthefilecanbecomedegradedsoextensivelythatitbecomesunusable.Thisscenario(“lossy”compression)occurswheneveryousaveaJPGimage.
OnealternativeistousetheSaveAscommand,creatinganeweditedversionofthefile.ThisprocessdoublesthenumberofimagefilesandstoragerequirementsandcancreateconfusionasadditionaleditedcopiesareaddedforWebversionsandotherprojects.Additionally,evenifyousavean“uncompressed”JPGimage,thefileremainslossyanddegradeseachtimeitisopenedandsaved.
AsecondalternativeistoconvertallJPGimagestoTIFFimagesandperformeditsontheTIFFversion.TIFFisalosslessfileformat,whichmeanstheimagewillnotdegradewitheachsave.Thefile,however,willbepermanentlyedited,andcroppedareaswillremaindeleted.YoucannotreverttotheoriginalTIFFafterchangeshavebeenmadeinthesamewaythataneditedJPGcannotreturntoitsoriginalversion.Thisprocedurealsocreatesmultipleimagefilesandincreasesfilestoragerequirements.
Organizingandeditingimageswithnondestructivephoto-editingsoftwareavoidstheproblemofhavingmultiplecopiesandlossyfileformats.Insteadofchangingtheimagefile,nondestructivesoftwarewritesinstructionsforthechanges.Theseinstructionscanbereversed,likeastep-by-stepUndobutton,toreverttotheoriginalimage.Becauseanyeditsarereallyinstructionstothesoftware,youmustexporttheeditedimagetoviewandusethefileoutsidethephoto-managementprogram.
BatchEditing,FileNaming,andFileConverting
Ifyou’veeverrenamedmanyfilesonebyone,orindividuallychangedthesizeofseveralphotosfore-mailing,you’veprobablywishedforawaytochangemorethanonefileatatime.Batcheditingisafeaturethatallowsyoutoapplythesamechanges—afilename,fileformat,orotherfilecharacteristic—toseveralphotosatonce.BatcheditingcansavehoursofworkwhenyouwanttoconvertphotofilesfromTIFFtoJPGformatforaphoto-bookprojectordownsizefull-resolutionimagesforpostingontheWebore-mailing.
Exploreyourcurrentphoto-managementsoftwareorsoftwareyouareconsideringpurchasingtoseeifitoffersthisfeature.Typically,youwillneedtoselecttheimagesyou’dliketochange,thenmodifythename,size,orotheroptions.Somesoftwareprograms,suchasAdobeLightroom,allowbatcheditingasfilesareexported.
Alsolookforfile-renamingoptionsthatallowyoutorenameagroupoffileswithacustomnameandsequentialnumber.Usethisfeaturetoquicklyaddameaningfulfile
nametophotos,suchasimagesfromarecentvacation:hawaii01.jpg,hawaii02.jpg,andhawaii03.jpg.
Cross-PlatformVersions
WhenIstartedmyfamilyarchiveprojectoveradecadeago,IwasahighschoolteacherusingAppleMaccomputerswithmystudentsandaWindowsPCathome.Iwantedsoftwaresolutionstohelpmanagemygrowingdigitalcollection,butIdidn’twanttohavetorelearnaprogramifIdecidedtoswitchcomputersystemsinthefuture.ThishasproventobeagooddecisionandenabledmetoeasilymovemydatabasefromWindowstoMacwhenIlefttheclassroomandreplacedmyoutdatedPCwithadesktopMac.
Cross-platformsoftwareworksonbothMacandPCcomputers.ThesameprogrammaybeofferedatonepriceforPCandMaccomputers,oritmayrequireseparatepurchasesforeachversion.AdobePhotoshopElementsandAdobeLightroom(bothavailableat<www.adobe.com>)offeressentiallythesameprogramforPCandMac.LightroomisalsoavailableasapartoftheAdobeCreativeCloudsubscriptionserviceofferingcross-platformaccesstothelatestversion.Picasa<picasa.google.com>offersPCandMacversions.Eachoftheseprogramsalsooffersnondestructivephoto-editingfeatures.
ActiveUserBase
Somepeopleseekoutobscureorsmallsoftwarecompanies,figuringtheywillgetpersonalizedserviceiftheyavoid“thebigguys,”butbigisnotnecessarilyabadthingwhenitcomestoselectingphoto-managementsoftware.Irecommendlookingforasoftwarecompanywithalarge,activeuserbase,preferablywithanonlineconsumerforum.Satisfiedusersareawonderfulresourcewhenyouhaveaquestionorareunsureabouthowsomefeatureswork.
Ifaprogramhasanactiveuserbase,enthusiastsoftenposthelpfulvideos,blogposts,andtutorials,oroffercustomadd-ons.Alargegroupofuserswillfindsoftwarebugsquicklyandalertdevelopersforfastpatchesandupdates.Inaddition,beingintouchwithalargeuserbasecangiveyouasenseoftheoverallhealthofthesoftware:Areuserssatisfiedwiththecompany’sresponsetorequestsfornewfeatures?Dodevelopersreleaseperiodicupdates,orhasitbeenmanymonthssincethelastrefresh?
PHOTO-MANAGEMENTSOFTWAREANDEVOLVINGTECHNOLOGY
Unfortunately,notmanysoftwareprogramsoffertruenondestructiveediting.AdobeLightroomandPicasa,aswellasthenow-discontinuedAppleprogramsiPhotoandAperture,arepopularnondestructivephotomanagersofferingediting,batchediting,cross-platformversions,andalarge,well-informeduserbase.Eachprogramalsoofferssomelevelofeditingsoyoucancrop,rotate,andadjustimageswithouttheneedtoworkinaseparateeditingprogram.LightroomandPicasaareavailabletoMacandPCusers,andtheirpopularityhascreatedamarketforbooks,tutorials,webinars,userforums,andtrainingopportunities.
AdobeLightroomisavailableintwoversions:aspartoftheAdobeCreativeCloudsubscriptionservicewhereyoualwayshaveaccesstothelatestupdates,andastand-alonethatcanbepurchasedanddownloadedtoyourhomecomputer.Picasaisafreeprogramthatyoudownloadanduseonyourcomputer,noInternetconnectionrequired.
Untilrecently,MacusersalsohadtheoptiontousetheeasynondestructiveeditingfeaturesofAppleiPhotoorAperture.WiththereleaseoftheYosemiteoperatingsystemandiOS8formobiledevices,ApplebeganmovingawayfromiPhotoandAperturetothenewApplePhotosforOSXappandannouncedthatitwouldnolongersupportitspreviousphotoprograms.TheApplePhotosforOSXappisdesignedtomakeimagesandvideosavailableonmultipledevices.IfyouhaveanolderMaccomputerwithiPhotoorAperture,youcancertainlycontinuetousetheprogram,butbeawarethatsoftwareupdateswillbediscontinuedandallnewMacswillofferthenewApplePhotosforOSXappprogram.It’sagoodreminderthatphoto-managementsystemshaveseenfundamentalchangessincetheirinitialintroduction.Technologyconstantlychanges,andtheshiftfromcomputertomobilephotomanagementhascreatednewchallengesforsynchronizingimagesbetweendevicesandusers.
Photoarchivistslookingfornondestructivesoftwareoptionshavefewerchoicestodaythanafewyearsago.Ifyouwanttofindaphotosolutionthathasstayingpower,it’sessentialtoknowwhatfeaturesaremostimportanttoyouandhowtoevaluateyouroptionssoyoucanmoveyourcollectiontoanewsystemifneeded.
Ofcourse,nosoftwarewillsolveyourdigitalimageclutter.IfyoudumpallyourphotosintoaprogramlikeAdobeLightroom,iPhoto,orPicasa,youwillbesorelydisappointedtofindthosepictureslookingrightbackatyou—withthesameemptymetadatafields,thesameuselessfilenames.It’suptoyoutolearnhowyoursoftwarecanhelpyousuccessfullyorganizeandmanageyourphotolegacy.
AdobeLightroom
OneofmybestdecisionsforphotomanagementwastoinvestinAdobeLightroom.In2006,Iinstalledversion2onmyWindowsXPcomputerandstartedworkingwithmyscannedimagesandnewdigitalfamilyphotosstoredonanexternalharddrive.WhenIswitchedtoaMacfouryearslater,themovewaseffortless.ImovedtheharddrivecablefromthePCtotheMacandwasbackinbusinesswithLightroomforMac.Ididn’tevenneedtopurchaseanewlicense.
Newuserstodayhaveachoicetopurchasethestand-aloneversionofLightroomorsubscribeviatheAdobeCreativeCloudservice.Thereareadvantagestoeachchoice,andyouwillprobablywanttogowiththeoptionthatsuitsyourbudgetandneeds.ThemainadvantagestotheCreativeCloudsubscriptionareautomaticupdatesandaccesstothenewmobilesyncingservice.Ifyoudon’tneedorwanteitherofthesefeatures,youmaybebetteroffpurchasingLightroomandmanagingyourownupgrades.
AdobeLightroomisagoodchoiceforsomeonewithalargeandgrowingimagecollectionwhowantsbatchnaming,custommetadata,presets,exportoptions,collections,keywordhierarchy,andplug-ins.Lightroomuserscanbenefitfromtappingtheknowledgeofmanyprofessionalphotographerswhoshareworkflows,tips,andtechniquesinworkshops,webinars,blogs,andbooksaboutusingthesoftware.Andofcourse,Lightroomoffersnondestructiveediting.Aswithanyprofessional-levelsoftware,however,expecttospendtimelearningtousethispowerfulprogram.
AdobeLightroomPhoto-EditingExample
Here’sanexampleofhownondestructiveeditingworksinAdobeLightroomsoftware:
1. TheoriginalimageinLightroomshowsaphotoalbumpagewiththreevintagephotos.
2. Afterselectingandcroppingaphotofromthealbumpage,theeditedimageinLightroomshowsthefinalcroppedimage.
3. Tousethecroppedphotoinaproject,IexportedtheimageinJPGformattomycomputerharddrive.Theimagefileontheharddriveshowsthenewcroppedphotoreadyformyproject.
4. TheoriginaluncroppedphotoremainsuntouchedinthePHOTOLIBRARYfolder(theMasterStorageLocation)whereitisaccessedbyLightroom.
Picasa
ManyuserslikePicasabecauseitisafreedesktopprogramthatworksoneitherMacorWindowscomputers,andphotosareeasilyaccessibleonlinefrommultipledeviceswhenteamedwithGoogle+Photos.Forfreesoftware,Picasaissurprisinglyrobustandfull-featured.Itdoesn’thaveasmanybatchoptionsasAdobeLightroomdoes,butitcaneasilymanagefileconversions,renaming,andmostorganizationaltasks.
TheGoogle+Photosonlinephotospaceofferssharinganduploadingfeatures,aswellasanewstoriesfeature.Ifyouchoosetousetheseoptions,taketimetoreadtheprivacypoliciesandsettingstokeepyourimagesatthelevelofpersonalprivacyyouprefer.
AdobePhotoshopElements
Strictlyspeaking,AdobePhotoshopElementsisnotanondestructiveeditorlikeLightroomandPicasa.IfyouopenafileinPhotoshopElements,andthencrop,edit,andsaveit,thesavedfilewillrewritetheoriginalandyoucan’tgobacktotheoriginal.However,usinglayersintheeditingmode,youcanmakesuccessivechangesandreverttotheoriginalatanytime.Andifyouworkonaduplicatefile,youwillalsobesavingapristinearchivalcopy.
AdobePhotoshopElementsissometimesconsideredthe“littlebrother”ofAdobePhotoshopandAdobeLightroom.TheOrganizermodeinAdobePhotoshopElementsofferstags,keywords,andeasyorganizationsimilartofeaturesinLightroom.TheEditormodeoffersbasiceditingclosertothefullAdobePhotoshopversion.AdoberecognizesthatPhotoshopElementsusersmaywanttograduatetoamorefull-featuredproductastheybecomemoreexperiencedusersandoffersinstructionsformovingfromPhotoshopElementstoLightroom.
ManyphotographersuseLightroomforphotomanagementandbasicediting,butturntoPhotoshopElementsformorecomplexeditingtasksandworkinginlayers.PhotoshopElements’lowcostanduser-friendlytoolsmakeitanattractivechoiceforgenealogists
whoneedphotosoftwareforoccasionalphotorestorationworkanddon’tneedthefullversionofPhotoshop.
ApplePhotoManagement
TheAppleiPhoneandiPadareamongthemostpopularmobiledevicesworldwide.Theintegratedcamerascapturehigh-qualityimages,andthousandsofphotoappsbringcreativepossibilitiestoanyfamilyphotographer.Thechallenge,ofcourse,istomakethoseimagesaccessibleanywhere,onanydevice.Apple’slatestYosemiteoperatingsystemhaschangedthegameplanforphotoconnectivity.
TheformerCameraRollandPhotoStreamhavebeenreplacedbythenewAllPhotosalbumorganizedinonelibraryandstoredintheiCloudPhotoLibrary.Thisnewcloudlibrary,unlikePhotoStreamwiththeonethousandimageorthirty-daylimit,willstoreyourphotosaslongasyouhavespaceinyouriCloudstorageaccountandmaintainyouraccount.Allusersreceive5gigabytes(GB)offreestorage;monthlyandannualstorageplansofferadditionaliCloudstorage.
AppleaimstoprovideseamlessphotomanagementbetweenallyourmobiledevicesandyourWindowsorMaccomputerswiththeiCloudPhotoLibrary.Aswithanynewsoftware,keepcurrentwithiOSupdatesandmaintainyourownpersonalPhotoLibrarywithlocalcopiesofyouroriginalphotos.TheAppleiCloudmaybeagoodadditionalbackuptoyourphotocollection,butdon’tputallyourphotosinoneplaceandtrustthatitwillbe“goodenough.”
HerearesomeoftheexcitingnewfeaturesoftheiCloudecosystem.
Imageswillbeuploadedandstoredintheoriginalformat,includingJPG,RAW,PNG,GIF,TIFF,andMP4.Optimizedimageversionsarestoredonmobiledevicestosavedevicestoragespace.NewphotosandeditedversionsaresyncedacrossalldevicesandappearinMyPhotoStream,butoriginalversionsarealwaysavailableontheiCloud.Youcandirectlyupload,delete,ordownloadphotostoandfromtheiCloudPhotoLibrary.
ForthelatestinformationonApple’siCloudphoto-managementprogram,refertotheHelpsectionoftheAppleiCloudwebsite<www.icloud.com>.
HOWWILLYOUMANAGEYOURIMAGES?
IhopeI’veconvincedyoubynowofthemanybenefitsofusingdedicatedphoto-managementsoftwaresuchasPicasaorAdobeLightroom.Youwon’tgowrongwithanyoftheprogramsdiscussedinthischapter.IuseAdobeLightroomtomanagemyimagecollection,butIexportimagestoAdobePhotoshopElementstouseitsmanyeditingfeatures.
OrganizingyourPhotoLibraryisanongoingtask.Aslongasyouaddnewphotosandimages,you’llneedtoregularlyimport,tag,backup,andarchivethosefilestoyourphotocollection.Youcanresearchphoto-organizationmethodsforeverinsearchofa“perfect”system,butthebestsystemisundoubtedlytheoneyoucrafttosuityourownneedsandworkstyle.Don’tdelayorganizingyourphotosanylonger.Startsimply,goingforwardwithnewimages.I’llgiveyousometipsforbringinginyourolddigitalimagesinPart2.
WhenyoufirststartorganizingyourPhotoLibrary,yourworkflowwillfeelawkward,andsomeaspectswillneedtobetweaked.Don’tgiveup.Agooddigitalphotoworkflowgrowsandevolvesovertimeuntilonedayyourealize,“Hey,thisworksforme!”
Viewatextversionofthistable
Viewatextversionofthistable
4OnlinePhotoServices
Afewyearsago,modestbandwidthspeedsandpriceysubscriptionserviceslimitedonlinephoto-storageoptionsformostphotographers.Todaywehavethespeedweneed,andservicesareinhotcompetitionforourbusiness,butnewconcernsoversecurityandprivacymakemanypeoplehesitanttocommittheirpreciousphototreasurestothecloud.Alltoooftenourpersonaltug-of-warbetweenconvenienceandcautioncanfreezeusfrominvestigatingouroptionsandmovingforwardtoaddcloudstoragetoourphoto-organizationand-storagetoolkit.Meanwhile,photoscontinuetoaccumulateonourmobiledevicesandstoragecards,makingithardertotakecontrolofourphotoconfusion.
Technologyisconstantlychanging.It’safactthatwithinmonths,thenewest,fastestsmartphoneyoupurchasetodaywillbesupplantedquicklybyanewer,fastermodel.Photo-managementsolutionsfacesimilarchallenges.DoyourememberKodakGalleryorApple’sMobileMe?WhocouldhaveforeseenthatKodakwouldabandonitsgalleryandmoveuserstorivalShutterfly?OrthatApplewouldreplaceMobileMewithanonlinesystemcallediCloud?
Thischapterexplorestheessentialfeaturesoffourtypesofphotoservicesusefulforfamilyphotographersandgenealogists:photosharing,shopping,publishing,andstorageservices.You’llfindhelpfulscreenshotstogiveyouasnapshotoftheuserexperienceandstep-by-stepinstructionstoguideyourfirstentrytothesites.Attheendofthechapter,acomprehensivechartpullstogetherhighlightsofeachwebsite.Becausetechnologychangesrapidly,thefeaturesandservicesonthewebsitesmentionedherecanchangeovernight,andyoumayfindnewoptionswhenyouexplorethesites.
FREEORPAIDSERVICES?
Althoughmostphoto-sharingwebsitesoffersomelevelofphotostorage,theiroverallfocusoftenincludesabusinessfor-profitmodelasabackbone.ManyservicessuchasFlickrandGoogle+offerfreeonlinesharingandstoragewithanoptiontopayforextrastoragespaceoranad-freeuserexperience.
Subscriptionpricingisnotnecessarilyabadthing.Inexchangeforpayment,youoftenreceiveahigherlevelofserviceandcustomerconfidence.
Userswhobecomeheavilyinvestedinafreeservicealsoriskbeingheldhostageifthewebsiteshiftstoapaid-subscriptionmodel.Ifit’sdifficultorexpensivetoremoveyourcontent,youmayloseyearsofphotosandhoursoforganizingandtagging.Beforesigningupforanyfreeorpaidonlinesharingorstorageservice,alwaysaskyourselfhowacompanykeepsthelightsonandhowyouwillextractyourcontentiftermsofservicechange(orifthewebsitegoesoutofbusiness).
PHOTO-SHARINGSERVICES
Onlinephoto-sharingservicestypicallymakeiteasyforyoutouploadyourphotosinonecentralonlinelocation,butitcanbedifficulttoextractimagesifyouneedtorestorealostordamagedcollection.Youmaybeableonlytodownloadphotosindividually,byalbum,orbydate,andphotosmaynotbestoredattheoriginalfull-resolution.ButtheseservicesareadequateformanyfamilyphotographerswhoshootJPGimagesandwanttheeasiestphoto-managementtoolpossibletogathertheirimagesinonecentrallocation.
Somepopularphoto-sharingservices:
EyefiCloud<www.eyefi.com>Facebook<www.facebook.com>Flickr<www.flickr.com>Google+Photos<plus.google.com/photos>Instagram<www.instagram.com>Photobucket<www.photobucket.com>Pinterest<www.pinterest.com>SmugMug<www.smugmug.com>ThisLife<www.thislife.com>
LongtimefavoritesFlickrandGoogle+Photosoffergenerousstorageatnocost,reasonablypricedsubscriptionplansforadditionalstorage,andmanyfeatures.Somephoto-sharingservicessuchasThisLifebyShutterflyortheEyefiCloudcombinebackupsolutionswithfilesynchronization.SocialmediasitessuchasFacebook,Instagram,andPinterest,andpopularphotoportfoliositessuchasPhotobucketandSmugMugfallintothephoto-sharingcategoryaswell.
Onphoto-sharingwebsites,don’tassumeyourimageswillbestoredinfull-resolutionorthatyoucandownloadphotoalbumsandcollectionsineasybatchoperations.Thinkoftheseservicesasphotogalleriesoronlineexhibitspacesforyourphotos.Photo-sharingservicesemphasizefeaturesthatmakeiteasyforyoutoupload,organize,andshareyour
imagesacrossdevicesorwithotherusers.Let’stakeacloserlookateachofthepopularphoto-sharingservicesmentionedabove.
EyefiCloud
TheEyefiCloudphotoserviceincludessomeorganizingfeaturestomovephotosintoalbums,butnoeditingortaggingfeatures.Downloadingandsharingislimitedtoindividualphotosandbatchselectionbydate.Overall,theEyefiCloudisusefulforsharingimagesorforimagebackupwhiletraveling,butmaybecumbersomeforpracticaluseascloudstoragebecauseoflimiteddownloadingoptions.
ManyFacebookusersuploadphotosfrequentlytothissocialmediasitewiththeideathatFacebookissafelystoringalloftheirimagesandthattheycanretrievetheimagesatanytime.Yes,thephotosarestoredonFacebook,buttheyaredownsizedtoalowerWeb-viewingresolution.Whendownloadedforprinting,youmaybesurprisedtodiscoverthatyourbeautifulhigh-resolutionphotosarenolongerprint-qualityforlargesizes.Inaddition,ifyouwanttodownloadyourimages,youmustdownloadthemindividually.
IfyouareaFacebookfan,youcanworkaroundtheselimitationsbyusingoneofthephoto-bookservicesthatoffersFacebookintegrationandFacebook-specificprinttemplates.Forexample,AdoramaPix,Blurb,Mixbook,andShutterflycanimportalbumsandphotosfromFacebookforprintinginasizeandstylesuitablefortheselower-resolutionimages.
FacebookIsNotaBackupService
That’sright.Facebook,aswellasInstagramandFlickr,arenotbackupservices.Theymayofferuniquewaystoshareandenjoyyourphotos,buttheywillnothelpyourecreateyourPhotoLibrarywhenyourharddrivecrashes.Andifyoufindalong-lostphotoonFacebookanddownloadtheimagetoyourcomputer,you’llfindthecrispfull-resolutionfilehasbeendownsizedtoamodestpixelcountbestusedon-screenormadeintoapocket-sizeprint.
Theoneessentialfeatureofanygoodbackupserviceisthatitmustbeaseasytogetyourphotosoutofthesystemasitistogetthemintoit.Mostphoto-sharing,shopping,andpublishingservicesarenotinthebusinessofsellingtwo-waystorage.
Flickr
Popularphoto-sharingsiteFlickrturnedtenyearsoldin2014andgifteduserswith1TBoffreestorage.Sowhywouldyoulookanywhereelseforfree,easy-to-use,sharablestorage?Ifyourphoto-storageneedsexceedthatgenerous1TB,thelow-costpaidsubscriptionplansstillmakeFlickrabargainforonlinephotosharing.
ProfessionalphotographersuseFlickrtoshowcasetheirworkandpromotesalesonothersites(Flickrdoesn’toffercommercialselling).PhotosfrompublicarchivessuchastheBritishLibraryandLibraryofCongresshighlightcollectionsinFlickr’sTheCommons<www.flickr.com/commons>.
ThefreeFlickrmobileappmakesiteasytoauto-syncallofyourphotosoruploadselectedimagesforbackingupandsharingviasocialmedia.
Flickrisarichsiteforphotoorganizationandsharing,butitdoesn’tofferbatchdownloadingofimages.Theonlywaytodownloadimagesatpresentisoneatatimewhenyouareviewingtheindividualphotoorwiththird-partysolutions.Inaddition,anyworkyoudoinorganizingandtaggingimagesexistsonlyinFlickr;youwillneedtorepeatthesametaskstocreatesimilaralbumsandcollectionsonyourdesktop.
Step-by-StepGuidetoFlickr
FlickrisownedbyYahoo!,soifyoualreadyhaveaYahoo!account,gettingstartedandregisteringwithFlickriseasy.
STEP1:LOGINTOFLICKR.LoginatFlickrusingyourYahoo!usernameandpassword,orcreateanewaccount,ifneeded.
STEP2:CUSTOMIZEYOURACCOUNTANDPRIVACYSETTINGS.Beforeyoustartuploadingphotos,it’simportanttoconfirmyourpersonalinformationandmakesurethatprivacyandsharingareappropriatelyset.Clickonyouraccountnameintheupperright-handcorner;selectSettings.TheAccountwindowoffersfourtabs:
PersonalInformation:Includesyourname,profilepicture,Yahoo!accountinformation,ande-mail.Privacy&Permissions:Manageglobalsettingsforwhocanview,edit,anddownloadyourimages;defaultsettingsfornewimages;andcontentfilters.Don’tworryifyou’reunsurehowtoadjustthesettingsforprivacy.TheoptionsareinplainEnglishwithaHelpbuttonnexttomanyitems.Youalsocansetsharingpermissionsindividually,byalbum,andbycollection.IliketosetglobalphotopermissionasprivateandthenextendviewingandsharingpermissionbyalbumusingtheBatchEditfeature.E-mails&Notifications:Setcontactinformationforuploadingcontentbye-mail.Sharing&Extending:ChooseoptionsforconnectingtoyourFacebook,Twitter,andothersocialmediaaccountsforautomaticorselectiveuploading.IliketokeepAutoUploadturnedoffandshareonlyselectedphotos.
STEP3:UPLOADPHOTOS.ClickonUploadintheFlickrmenubaratthetopofthepage.Anuploadwindowwillopen;dragphotosintotheuploaderandwaitforittofinish.
STEP4:ORGANIZEANDSHARE.FlickrletsyouorganizephotosinAlbumsandCollectionsandsharephotostopopularsocialmediasitessuchasFacebook,Twitter,andPinterest.
STEP5:BATCHEDIT.OpenanalbumandclicktheEditoptiontoaccesstheBatchEditfeature.Thisiswhereyoucanfixanincorrectdatecreatedbyyourcameraorquicklytagphotoswiththenamesofpeople,places,orevents.
STEP6:SETCREATIVECOMMONSCOPYRIGHTRESTRICTIONS(IFDESIRED).CreativeCommonslicensingprovidesawayforyoutograntorrestricttheuseofyourphotosbyothers,includingplacingyourimagesinthepublicdomainforeveryonetouse.LearnmoreaboutdifferentkindsofCreativeCommonslicensesat<www.creativecommons.org>.
Google+Photos
Google+hasabsorbedthefavoriteonlinephotositeformerlycalledPicasaWebAlbums.UsersofGoogle’ssuiteofservicesmaylikehavingtheirphotocollectionaccessiblewithGmailandotherGoogleapps.ChromebookuserscanaccesstheexclusiveGoogle+Photosappthatrunsofflineandmanagesallofyourphotos.TheGoogle+PhotosAutoBackupoptionalsocanautomaticallybackupphotosfromyourcomputerorAndroidoriOSmobilephoneortablet.
ThebestpartofGoogle+PhotosisallaboutPicasa.WhenteamedwiththefreedesktopphotoappPicasa,Google+Photosappearstobetheperfectphotosolution.Thebiggestcatchformanyusersisrelatedtosharingandpermissions.Forexample,toshareaphotobye-mailwithasinglefriend,youwillneedtodeselectthedefaultGoogle+tagstolimitwhoseesthatimage.Ifyou’reinahurry,youmayunintentionallyshareaphotoyou’dratherkeepprivate.
Ifyou’reaconfidentGoogle+user,you’llprobablyhavenotroubleworkingwithGoogle’staggingandlabelingsystem.JustkeepinmindthatGoogle+PhotospermissionswillreflectyourdefaultGoogle+settingsuntilremoved.
Google+PhotosisagreatoptionforsharingphotoswithGoogle+users,doingmobileuploadsandbackups,creatingvideo/photostories,andintegratingyouronlinephotoswiththedesktopversionofPicasa.KeywordsandtagsaddedinPicasaareembeddedinthephotoonexport.Google+Photos’maindrawbacksarethatitstrickypermissionlabelsmaycauseunintentionalphotosharing,andlimitedonlineeditingandorganizingmakesithardertomanagephotosawayfromhome.
Step-by-StepGuidetoGoogle+Photos
TomanageyourphotocollectionthroughGoogle+,followthesesteps.
STEP1:LOGINTOGOOGLE.SignintoyourGoogle+account,orcreateanewone,ifneeded.SelectPhotosfromthemenu.
STEP2:CUSTOMIZEPHOTOSETTINGS.UndertheGoogle+menu,selectSettingsandscrolldowntothePhotosandVideosoptions.Checkanyoptionsyouwouldlikeactivated,suchas
geolocationallowviewerstodownloadphotosandvideosfacialrecognitionandtaggingfullsize(turnonifyouwanttobackupyourphotos;youmayneedtobuymorestorage)showGoogleDrivephotosandvideosturnon/offAutoEnhanceturnon/offAutoAwesomeapprovephotostobeincludedinPhotosofYou
Google+PhotospermissionsislockedwithyourdefaultGoogle+permissions.WhenyouclickaSharebuttontoshareanindividualphotooralbum,thewindowwillbepopulatedwithyourcurrentdefaultchoicesforsharing.Ifyoudon’twanttosharethephotooralbumwiththesepeople,deselectthegrouporname.YoualsocansetprivacyandsharingfromwithinthePicasadesktopprogramusingtheoptionforTools(Windows)orPreferences(Mac).
STEP3:UPLOADPHOTOS.ClickonUploadPhotosinthePhotosmenubaratthetopofthepage.Anuploadwindowwillopen.Youcanchoosetoaddphotosfromyourcomputeroruseamobileapptoautomaticallytransferphotosfromyourphone.Toaddphotosfromyourcomputer,dragphotosintotheuploaderandwaitfortheuploadtofinish.
STEP4:CREATESTORIES.Google+PhotosoffersauniqueStoryoptionthatmeshesvideosandpicturesintoashareablephotostory.
STEP5:ORGANIZEANDEDIT.Google+PhotosallowsbasicorganizingintoAlbumsandface-tagging.OtherfunctionscanbeperformedinthedesktopPicasaapplication.
SmartphonephotographersloveInstagramforfast,funphotosharing,butyoumayfindyourselfwithyourbestphotosonlineandnoeasywaytodownloadyourowncopies.ThesimplestwaytoretainsomecontrolofyourphotosistoactivateInstagram’ssettingto
SaveOriginalPhotostoyoursmartphonePhotoGalleryorCameraRoll.You’llfindthisoptionunderSettings.
IfyouwanttodownloadInstagramphotosdirectlytoyourcomputer,checkoutthird-partysolutionssuchasInstaport<www.instaport.me>.IfyouwanttoarchiveyourInstagramlifeinaphotobook,useimporttoolsonphoto-booksitessuchasAdoramaPix,Blurb,andShutterfly.
Photobucket
Bothamateurandprofessionalphotographersarefansofonlinephoto-sharingsitePhotobucket,whereuserscansellprintsandotherphotoproductsmadefromtheirwork.Photobucketofferseasycomputerandmobileuploads,full-sizestorageofimages,storageofvideos(lessthantenminutes),andeasyfull-resolutiondownloads.Youalsocandownloadimagesindividuallyordownloadallimagesinanalbum.Thisfeatureisavailableforyourownphotosandphotossharedpubliclybyotherusers.Ifyoudon’twantotherstodownloadyourphotos,markyouralbumsPrivatetorestrictthisoption.
Photobucketoffersalimitedamountoffreestoragespaceandlinkingtoblogsandwebsites.Paidsubscriptionaccountsaddunmeteredbandwidth,extrastorage,andad-freeuse.
HaveyoueverthoughtaboutusingthepopularimageandideasharingsitePinterestasasharingsiteforyourpersonalorgenealogyphotos?Youwon’tfindphoto-editingorextensiveorganizingfeatures,butPinterestcan’tbeignoredforaudienceexposure.
UsePinteresttolinkimagesonyourblogoryourotherphoto-sharingsites.UsestrategictagsanddescriptivetermstohelpotherPinterestusersfindyourunidentifiedSmithFamilycousins,andyoumayfindyourselfaddinganewname,oranewbranch,toyourfamilytree.
Pinterestworksbestwithshortdescriptionsandmeaningfulphototitles.Besuretoincludealinkbacktoyourblogorphotosite,andaddyourcontactinformationonyourPinterestprofilesopeoplecancontactyou.
SmugMug
BeautifulWebgalleries,onlinesales,editing,tagging,andfull-resolutionimagestoragecombinetomakeSmugMugafavoriteamongphotographers,bloggers,andvisualartists.
Thisphoto-sharingsiteoffersmobile-friendlyWebgallerytemplatesthatrivalmanyphotoportfoliositesanduniqueeditingfeaturesforeasy,funphotoadjustments.
YoucansendyourphototothePicMonkey<www.picmonkey.com>freeonlineeditorformoreeditingoptions,orselectandprintMoobusinesscards,Blurbbooks,andothermerchandisewithSmugMug’sshoppingoptions.Browsepublicgalleriespostedbyotherusers,andorderprints,cards,andproductsfeaturingfavoriteimages.
SmugMugoffersfoursubscriptionplansfromBasictoBusiness.Photosandalbumsareeasilymarkedforprivateorpublicviewing,andyoucanshareimagesonFacebook,Twitter,andGoogle+,viae-mail,andotherways.CheckoutSmugMug’sfreetrialtoseeiftheserviceworksforyourphotoneeds.
ThisLife
ThisLifebyShutterflyoffersasimplesolutiontocollectallyourphotosatoneonlinestoragesite.WhileShutterflyoffersunlimitedphotostoragetoo,ThisLifeallowsyoutoautomaticallyuploadimagesfrommobiledevices,cameras,andcomputers,andpullinimagesfromotherWebservicesincludingFacebook,Instagram,Flickr,andGoogle+Photos.BecauseThisLifeispartoftheShutterflyfamilyofphotoservices,youonlyneedoneaccounttologintobothservices.
ThisLife’sfreeplancurrentlyhoststhousandsofphotos,butnovideos;paidsubscriptionplansofferincreasedstoragespaceforphotosandvideos.Forthefamilythatshootsandsaves250JPGphotospermonth,ThisLife’scurrentlowest-costsubscriptionplanwouldholdabouteightyearsofphotos;addvideoandyou’llreachthestoragespacelimitmuchfaster.Youcanaddmorestorageatanadditionalcost.
ThisLifeisparticularlygoodforphotosharing,mobileuploads,collectingphotosfromsocialmediasites,andcreatingstories,books,andotherprojectswithShutterflyservices.Bestofall,yourphotosareneverheldhostagebyThisLife;theDesktopDownloaderaccessedthroughtheHelpmenuallowseasydownloadingoffull-sizeimages.
Step-by-StepGuidetoThisLife
STEP1:LOGINTOTHISLIFE.LogintoShutterflyandthenselectThisLife,orcreateanewaccountwithThisLife<www.thislife.com>andselectaFreeorPaidaccount.You’llseeanoptiontolinktosocialaccounts;skipthisfornow.
STEP2:CUSTOMIZEACCOUNTANDPRIVACYSETTINGS.ClicktheGeariconintheupperrightcornerandselectSettingstocustomizeyouraccountinformationandsharesettings.ThisLifeistotallyprivate;youneedtoactivelysharephotosandalbumsforotherstoviewyourphotos.
STEP3:UPLOADPHOTOS.TherearefourwaystoimportphotostoThisLife.ClicktheAddbuttoninthemenubartoopenthePhotoUploadwindow.
Touploadfromyourcomputer:ClickChooseFilestoaddphotosfromyourcomputer,andbrowsetoselectthefolderandfilestoimport.Touploadfromthedesktopuploader:ClicktheGetDesktopUploaderbuttonandinstalltheapplicationonyourcomputer.FollowthepromptstosetuptheDesktopInstallertoAutoImportphotosfromspecificfoldersonyourcomputer.Touploadfromsocialmediawebsites:NotetheimportbuttonsacrossthetopoftheuploaderwindowandselectFacebook,Shutterfly,Flickr,Picasa,Instagram,orSmugMug.Touploadfromyoursmartphoneortablet:ClicktheGetMobileAppbuttontosendalinktoyoursmartphonefordownloadingtheAndroidoriOSmobileapp.YoucansettheAutoUploadfeatureonyourmobiledevicestoimportanyphotosyoutakeonyoursmartphoneandcameradirectlytoThisLife.
TIPThisLifeHelp
Ifyouneedhelporwanttoknowmoreaboutaparticularbutton,clickthequestionmarkiconinthebottomrightcornertoviewtheHelpmenu.
STEP4:ORGANIZEANDEDITIMAGES.PhotosareorganizedbydateastheyareimportedtoThisLife.Viewphotosbyday,month,oryear.Selectandclickonaphototobringupthefulleditingmenu.Usethetoolsalongthebottomofthewindowtoaddratings,addtoastory,share,hide,playslideshow,add/removetags,add/play/deleteaudio,rotate,crop,download,anddelete.
STEP5:SHARE.Toshareimages,clickindividualphotosoratimelinedateandthenclickSharetoselectE-mail,Link,ShareSites,Facebook,Twitter,orTumblr.
STEP6:CREATE.SelectafewphotosandclickCreatetoopenthephotoprojectwindowforoptionstoturnyourphotosintophotobooks,cards,calendars,andotherShutterflyproducts.
PHOTO-SHOPPINGSERVICES
WebsitessuchasShutterflyandSnapfishhopetomeetyourphoto-storageneedsandcaptureyourphotobook,calendar,andcardbusiness.ManyretailersincludingWalgreens<www.walgreens.com>,Costco<www.costco.com>,andWalmart<www.walmart.com>havepartnershipswithphoto-sharingsitesandofferspecialpricing,in-storepickup,andotherfeaturestoattractyourbusiness.Anyphotosharingisusuallydonebehindaregistrationwalltohelpmaintainprivacyandpermissions,agoodfeatureforfamiliesandgroups.
Photouploadingandstorageisanecessarystepforcraftingcalendars,cards,mugs,books,andotherphotogifts.Shoppingservicesknowthatifyourpicturesareconvenientlystashedontheirservers,youaremorelikelytocreateandpurchaseitemswiththeirtools.Thedownsideisthatthesesitescanchangethetermsoftheirfreestorageatanytime,leavingyouwithalargecollectionofimagesstuckonthecompany’sWebspace(orintheworst-casescenario,deletedduetoinactivity).Thinkofthesewebsitesasphotoshoppingmallsofferingone-stopshoppingforallyourphotoneeds.It’sgreatiftheyofferwhatyouwant,butkeepshoppingifyouneedsomethingdifferent.
Afewpopularphoto-shoppingservices:
AdoramaPix<www.adoramapix.com>Shutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>Snapfish<www.snapfish.com>
AdoramaPix
AdoramaPixbooksareafavoritewithmanyscrapbookerswhoenjoythelargeselectionofbooklayouts,stickers,andphoto-editingfeatures.Threecoverstylesareoffered:hardcover,leatherlux,andleather.Allprintingisonarchival-qualitysilverhalidephotopaper.Lay-flatstylebooksareofferedinHudsonAlbumswithtrueflush-mountspreadsandthickpagesavailablewithgildededgesinportrait,square,andlandscapeorientation.
OtherstandoutproductsatAdoramaPixincludemetalprints,customizablecalendars,andcanvaswrapprints.AdoramaPixisuniqueinfeaturingcalendardesignsasstickersorembellishments,whichopensoptionsforcreatingcustomcalendarphotobooks,singleprints,orposters.
AdoramaPixisapartnersitewithAdoramacamerastore<www.adorama.com>,whichofferscameragearforsaleandphotographytutorials.IfyouliveneartheNewYorkCitystore,youmaywanttosaveshippingchargesbypickingupyourorderinthestore.
NewuserswillwanttocheckouttheAdoramaPixYouTubeChannel<www.youtube.com/user/adoramapix>forworkshopsandtutorials.TheAdoramaPixonlineHelpsectionofferslimitedhoursofassistanceandisnotaseasytouseassomeothersites,sothissitemightnotbethebestchoiceifyou’reanewuserandneedtodesignsomethingfast.
Overall,AdoramaPixisgoodfor
metal,canvas,andacrylicprints.archival-qualityphotobooks.spiral-boundcustomizablecalendars.panorama-sizebooks.monthlycalendarprojects.movablecalendarstickers.
GenealogistsoftenlikeAdoramaPixforcreatingfamilyheritagethemebooks,usingfull-pagephotosonprojects,andcreatingcustomizedcalendars.
Shutterfly
Foundedin1999,ShutterflyisalongtimefavoritephotositethathasexpandeditsbrandtoincludeTinyPrints,WeddingPaperDivas,ThisLife,andMyPublisher.YoucanfindalmostanyphotoproductimaginableatShutterflyoroneofitspartnersites.
I’mabigfanofShutterfly’sfreeprivateShareSites,acustomizableWebpagewherefamiliesandgroupscancreateasecureonlinespacetosharephotoalbums,news,andevents.
Shutterfly’sgenerousfree,unlimited,andsecurephotostoragepromiseto“neverdeleteyourphotos”makesthissitepopularwithbusyphotoloverslookingforaone-stopshopping,storage,andsharingsolution.Userswhowantmorestoragefeaturescan
subscribetoThisLife,whichsupportsfull-resolutionimages,facialrecognition,imageduplicationprevention,andaccountsharing.
Overall,Shutterflyisgoodfor
privatephotosharingwithfriends,family,andgroups.mobileuploadsandbackups.easyprojectcreationandprintordering.storingandusinghigh-resolutionimagesforpostersandbigprints.downloadingprint-qualityphotosindividually.orderingfull-resolutionimagesonanarchivalDVD.
GenealogistsoftenlikeShutterflyforitsprivatephotosharing,archivalDVDservice,affordablefamilyhistorybooks,andlocalpickupofprintsandprojects.
Snapfish
Snapfishisafull-featuredphoto-sharingandprojectcreationservicewithfreeunlimitedhigh-resolutionphotostorage(aslongasyoumakeatleastonepurchaseeveryyear),socialmediasharing,anddiscountpartnershipswithCostco,Walgreens,andWalmart.NowownedbyHewlett-Packard,Snapfishisalsooneofthefewservicestoofferprint-at-homefeaturesformanyprojects.Moreimportant,youruploadedphotosarenot“stuck”inSnapfishforever.Youcandownloaduptofiftyphotosatonetime,makingthissiteagoodbridgeforsharingimages.
Snapfishdoesagoodjobbalancingprivacy,easeofuse,andfeatures.ThewebsitemightlookabitdatedcomparedtoShutterflyorFlickr,butintuitivemenuoptionsandtutorialvideosthatguidenewusersthroughbasicfunctionstomakethesiteeasytouse.
Snapfishisagoodsitefor
privatephotosharingwithfriends,family,andgroups.mobileuploadsandbackups.easyprojectcreationandprintordering.storingandusinghigh-resolutionimagesforpostersandbigprints.downloadinguptofiftyphotosatonetime.
GenealogistsoftenlikeSnapfishforitsfamilyhistorythemephotoprojects,printableproducts,affordableproductpricing,anditslocalin-storepickupservices.Snapfishalsooffersstep-by-stepuserguides,whichisabonusifyouhaven’tusedanonlinephotoservicebefore.
Step-by-StepGuidetoSnapfish
STEP1:OPENANACCOUNT.SettingupaSnapfishaccountisrelativelyeasy.Thedefaultprivacysettingsarefineformostusers;youwon’tneedtochangeanythingunlessyouwanttosetupsharegroups.AccessyourphotosandalbumsintheWelcomemenuorcreateprojectsintheShopmenu.
STEP2:UPLOADPHOTOS.Touploadphotos,clicktheUploadbuttonintheWelcomemenuandselectUploadFromComputer,ImportFromFacebook,orImportFromFlickr.
STEP3:SHAREAFTERUPLOADING.Snapfishmakesiteasytoshareafteruploading.Checkyourcontactsandgroups,oraddnewe-mailstosharenewuploads.
STEP4:ORGANIZE,EDIT,ANDCREATE.Selectanalbumtoviewphotos;selectindividualphotostoShare,Print,orCreateProjects.ClicktheEditOptionsonthefarrighttoopen
theEditmenutorotate,addtags,rate,caption,copy/moveimages,delete,ordownload.
OtherOptionsforSpecialtyPhotoProducts
YoumaywanttocreatecustomphotoT-shirtsforafamilyreunionandinviterelativestopurchasetheirfavoritecolorandsizeonline.Zazzle<www.zazzle.com>andCafePress<www.cafepress.com>offersmall-quantityprintingandaffordablepricingforT-shirts,babyonesies,aprons,totes,hats,andotherproducts.Addyourcustomitemtoapersonalstore,andyourfamilycanbuyasmanyitemsastheywishandhavethemshippeddirectlytotheirhomeaddress.
ProfessionalphotographersturntoMyPhotoPipe<www.myphotopipe.com>forqualitycustomprintingofwrapcanvas,panoramicprints,andgallery-styleprints.Vistaprint<www.vistaprint.com>isanotheronlinecompanyworthcheckingoutforquantityprintprojects.Craftersanddesignersenjoycreatingcustom-designedfabricusingphotosandotherartworkwithSpoonflower<www.spoonflower.com>.
PHOTO-BOOKPUBLISHINGSERVICES
Photo-bookbuildingsitesfocusalmostexclusivelyonprovidingspecialtybooksandproductssuchasbooks,calendars,andcards.Thesearethesitestousewhenyou’relookingforuniquedesignthemesandpublishingfeatures,butyouwon’tfindfamilywebsites,freemassphotostorage,orpublicphotogalleries.Inmostcases,you’llwanttouploadfull-resolutionphotosforaspecificprojectinsteadofusingthewebsitetostoreyourgrowingpersonalphotocollection.Storagespaceonthesewebsitesisoftenlimitedtoactiveaccountsandprojects.
Popularphoto-bookpublishingservices:
Blurb<www.blurb.com>Lulu<www.lulu.com>
Mixbook<www.mixbook.com>MyPublisher<www.mypublisher.com>
Blurb
Blurbisaparadisefortotalphoto-bookcontrol.Ifyoufeelconstrainedbyclunkydesignsoftwareorlimiteddesignthemesandtemplates,youmightliketoexplorethedifferentbook-buildingoptionsofBlurb.
Bookifyofferseasyonlinebookbuildinginfivesizes,from7x7-inchto12x12-inchsquarebooks.It’sagoodfitforbooksmadewithphotosimportedfromFacebookorInstagram,orforquickphoto-bookprojects.BookSmartisfreedownloadablesoftwarethatallowsyoutoworkonyourbookonlineoroffline.Morefeaturesandtemplatesincludenotebooks,photobooks,text-onlybooks,andplanners.BookWrightistheperfecttoolforcreatingprintande-bookversionswithbuilt-indesignertemplates.Thesoftwaredownloadisfreeandletsyouworkonlineoroffline.
TIPPhotoEditingwithPicMonkey
Familyphotosshouldbefun.AndthePicMonkeyonlinephotoeditorisallabouteasy,funphotocreations.Thisfreeonlinetooloffersfilters,templates,fonts,editingtools,andprofessionallydesignedthemetemplatestomakeyourphotoslooktheirbest.
BloggersandPinterestfansusePicMonkeytomakequickimagebadgeswithtitlesandwebaddresses.Familyphotographerswillfindawideselectionofeasytoolstoadjustandtweakimagesforcards,photobooks,andotherprojects.
Togetstarted,gotoPicMonkeyandselectEdit,TouchUp,Design,orCollage.Adropdownmenuwillguideyouinselectingthephotoyouwanttoworkwith.Youcanuseanimagefromyourcomputer,Facebook,OneDrive,Dropbox,orFlickraccounts.IfyouwanttosaveimagestoPicMonkey,you’llneedtoregisterforanaccountandsignin.Afreeaccountgivesaccesstoplentyoffeaturesformostusers.Ifyouwantmore,considerpurchasingasubscription.
MoredesigncontrolisavailablewithBlurb’sAdobeInDesignplugin,amoduleforAdobeLightroom,anditsPDFtoBooktool.
Plus,ifyouwanttogomobile,BlurbofferstheBlurbiOSmobileappsoyoucancreate,share,andprintstoriesfromyouriPhoneoriPad.SamsungGalaxyuserscanaccessBlurb’sbooktoolsfromthebuilt-inStoryAlbumapp.
Blurbdoesn’tofferextensivephoto-editingtoolssuchasspecial-effectsfilters,stickers,orembellishments;nordoesBlurbstressphotostorageandsharing.Instead,Blurbfocusesoncustombookdesign.VolumepricingmakesBlurbagoodchoiceforprintinglargerquantities,andtheDirectSellprogramcanhandlesalesanddistributionforsellingyourbooksonline.
Overall,Blurbisgoodfor
customtextandphotobooks.volumepricing.onlineselling.havingawiderangeofsizesformanydifferentprojects.
GenealogistsoftenlikeBlurbforcreatingfamilyhistorybooks,volumepricing,andproducinge-bookeditions.Itsonlinesalesservicesaregoodfordistributingbookstofamilyandfriends.
Lulu
Authorswhowantmaximumcontrolovertheirprintedbook,fromdesigntosalesandmarketing,appreciatethehigh-qualityservicesofferedbyself-publisherLulu.Ifyou’reagenealogistwhowantstopublishalimited-editionfamilyhistorybook,Lulumayofferexactlythekindoffeaturesyouneed.
Helpfultutorialsanduserforumsofferideasandadviceforcreatingphotoandtraditionaltext-onlybooks,e-books,andcalendars.Afteryourbookiscomplete,Luluwillhelpyoumarketandsellyourbookthroughindividualonlineordersandgiveyouvolumediscountstosellatfamilyreunionsorgenealogicalsocietymeetings.
Mixbook
Mixbookspecializesindesigner-themephotobooks,cards,andcalendars.ItsmobilepartnerMosaic<www.heymosaic.com>createstwenty-pagebooksinminutesanddeliversthemtoyourhandsinfourdays.Onyourcomputer,Mixbook’sMontage<www.montagebook.com>serviceallowsyoutocreatealarger,lay-flatphotobookonline.
EverypageofeveryprojectiscompletelycustomizableatMixbook.Youcanmixandmatchdesignthemestocreateauniquebook.Youcanevenchangethenumberofphotosdisplayedonaholidaygreetingcard.Familyhistorianslovethebeautifulpedigreechartsandtributedesignsthatcanbeaddedtoanyphoto-bookstyle.GenealogistsalsolikeMixbookforitscollaborationtoolsanditsAutoFillfeature,whichhelpsspeedphotoimporting.
Overall,Mixbookisgoodfor
uploadingphotosfromsocialmediaandphoto-sharingsites.completecustomization.full-bleedandtwo-pagephotospreads.lay-flatbookoptions.collaboration.fun,fastmobilebookappMosaic.
Mixbookisnotaphoto-storagesite,soyouneedtouploadphotosasneededforaproject.
MyPublisher
NowasubsidiaryofShutterfly,MyPublisheroffersdownloadablebook-makingsoftwareforMacandWindowsplatforms,soyoucanworkonyourbookonyourcomputerwheneveryouwish—youdon’thavetobeonlinetocreateyourbook.Ifyouwanttocraftabookfromyourmobiledevice,MyPublisherofferstheKeepShotapp<www.keepshot.com>.
MyPublisherfocusesonuniquefinishingoptionssuchassuper-glossprinting,lay-flatpages,endpapers,slipcases,andbookboxestomakeyourphotobookatrulyspecialproduct.Booksizesstartatthe3.5x2.75-inchMiniBookandgouptothe15x11.5-inchDeluxeHardcover.Agalleryofinspirational“justpublished”booksispackedwithideasforyournextproject.
MyPublisherisespeciallygoodfor
designingbooksoffline.completecustomization.full-bleedandtwo-pagephotospreads.lay-flatbooks.uniquebooksizes.
GenealogistslikeMyPublisherforitspresentationboxes,slipcovers,anduniquecovers,aswellasforitscomputer-baseddesignsoftware.ThesitealsohasStorytellerandVintagedesignthemesforfamilyhistories.
PHOTO-STORAGESERVICES
Truecloudstorageservicesareinbusinesstosellonething:onlinestorage.Servicesmayalsoofferdifferentfeaturestosetthemapartfromthecompetitionandattractyourbusiness.Forexample,thefilestorageandsynchronizationserviceDropboxisdifferentfromanonlinebackupservicelikeBackblaze,althoughbothstoreacopyofyourdataonthecloud.
Storageandsynchronizationservicesmaykeepdeletedfilesforalimitedtimeonly,oftenthirtydays.Youmayhavedifficultyrestoringfileswhenthattimeexpires.Backupservicesfocusonlong-termpreservationoffilesandmaybeabetterchoiceforarchivingimages.
Popularstorageandsynchronizationservices:
AppleiCloud<www.apple.com/icloud>Dropbox<www.dropbox.com>GoogleDrive<www.drive.google.com>MicrosoftOneDrive<www.onedrive.live.com>ThisLife<www.thislife.com>
Popularonlinebackupservices:
AmazonCloudDrive<www.amazon.com/clouddrive>Backblaze<www.backblaze.com>Carbonite<www.carbonite.com>CrashPlan<www.crashplan.com>Mozy<www.mozy.com>
TheSync-and-StoreSolution
Cloudstorageisdesignedtoprovideasafehavenforyourdata.Youcanuploadfilesfromyourmobiledeviceorcomputertoanotherspace(orfileserver)wheretheycanbeaccessedbytheoriginaluploadingdeviceorbyothersynceddevices.Synchronizationkeepsfilesandimagesupdatedandaccessiblefrommultipledevices.Forexample,ifyoucropandenhanceaphotoonyourcomputerandsaveittoacloudstorageservice,theeditedversionwillappearwhenyouopenitonyouriPadorcomputer.Thisisarealassetifyouworkononecomputeratworkorschoolandanotherathome,orifyouneedtoaccessfilesfrommultiplemobiledevices.
Whetheryouneedtosafeguardlastweek’sfamilysmartphonesnapshotsorlastcentury’sheirloomphotos,thebestcloudstoragesolutionsshouldbeeasy,automatic,andaffordable.Acloudsync-and-storestrategycantemporarilysafeguardyourmobilephotosuntilyouhavetimetomovethemintoapermanentlocationinyourPhotoLibrary.Inaddition,somepeoplemaychoosetousecloudstorageastheiroff-sitebackupsolutionaspartofa3-2-1Backupstrategy(seeChapter1)fortheirentirephotocollection.
Iheldofffromaddingcloudsyncsoftwaretomyphotoorganizationandarchivingworkflowuntilmysistertoldmeaboutallthephotosshelostwhilemigratingfromoldstoragetonewermedia.She“thought”everythinghadtransferredanddidn’tdiscoverthatsomethinghadfaileduntilaftersheerasedtheoriginals.Nowthebestcopiesavailablearelower-resolutionfilespostedtoFacebookorInstagram,oronesshehade-mailedtofamily
andfriends.SheisthemostorganizedpersonIknow,soIfigureifshesignedupforcloudsync,itmustbeagoodthing.
Someofthemanyadvantagesofcloudstorageinclude
automaticuploadingfromalldevicestoonelocation.peaceofmindincaseofdisaster,theft,orcomputercrashthatyouhaveacopyofimagesfrommobiledevices.remoteaccessfromothercomputersanddevices.
Viewatextversionofthistable
Beginyoursearchforacloudstoragesolutioninyourowntechtoolbox.Lookcarefullyatanyserviceyouarealreadyusing,suchasAppleiCloud,Dropbox,GoogleDrive,orMicrosoftOneDrive.Ifyouwanttomanageandedityourphotosonline,you’llwantaservicethatoffersalbums,collections,andextensiveeditingtools,suchasApple’siCloudorGoogleDrive.Ifyouplantodomostphotoeditingandorganizingusingaphoto-managementprogramonyourcomputer,you’llhavemoreoptionsinselectingasync-and-storeservice.
Essentialfeaturestolookforincludecompatibilitywithyourmobiledevice,easeofuse,andpricing.Whilecloudstorageservicestypicallyoffersomeleveloffreestorage,youcanmostlikelyexpecttopayamonthlyorannualsubscriptionfeeasyourphoto-storageneedsgrow.Cloudstorageserviceswantyourbusinessandsettheirpricescompetitivelybasedontheamountofstorageyouneed.Ifyoualreadyusecloudstoragetoolsforotherdocuments,thecostofswitchingservicesandlearninganewsystemmaynotbeworthasmalldollarinsavings.UsetheCloudStorageServiceComparisonWorksheettocomparecloudstorageservices.
MovingPhotosFromCloudStoragetoYourPhotoLibrary
AsImentioned,cloudstorageservicescansafelystoreyourmobilephotosuntilyouhavetimetomovethemintoapermanentlocationinyourPhotoLibrary.Usingcloudstorageisabigstepinroundingupyourdigitalphotos.Butyouaren’tfinishedyet.TomovephotosfromthecloudstorageintoyourPhotoLibrary,you’llneedtomanuallydraganddroppicturesfromyourcloudstorageservice(suchasDropbox)totheappropriatefolders,creatingnewfoldersasneeded.ThisisthesameprocedureusedearliertomoveimagesfromamemorycardtoyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder.
Step-by-StepGuidetoDropboxCloudStorage
ManygenealogistsrelyonDropboxtosyncimagesanddocumentsbetweenmultipledevices,andforsharingfileswithothercomputerusers.AfteryouuploadimagestoDropbox,youcandeleteimagesfromyoursmartphoneknowingtheyhavebeensavedtoyourCameraUploadsfolderinDropbox.
LetmeshowyouhoweasyitistosetupDropboxforyourdigitalimages.(TheseinstructionsareforusingDropboxwithAppledevices.)
STEP1:DOWNLOADTHEDROPBOXAPPTOYOURSMARTPHONEANDCOMPUTER.ToturnontheDropboxCameraUploadfeature,you’llneedtodownloadandinstalltheDropboxapponyoursmartphoneortablet,aswellasonyourhomecomputer.
STEP2:LOGINANDADJUSTSETTINGS.Usingyoursmartphoneortablet,opentheDropboxappandlogin.ClicktheSettingsiconinthebottommenubar.TurnontheswitchforCameraUpload.DonotturnonUseCellularDataunlessyouwanttouseyourdataplanforphotouploads(thismayincurextracharges).TurnonBackgroundUploadingandclickEnabletocontinueuploadingafteryoustopusingyouriPad.
STEP3:VIEWPHOTOSONMOBILEDEVICE.DownloadandinstalltheCarouselapptoviewphotoswithintheapponyourmobiledevice.
STEP4:VIEWPHOTOSINDROPBOX.Alternatively,viewphotosonyourmobiledeviceordesktopintheCameraUploadsfolder(locatedinsideyourDropboxfolder).
STEP5:INITIATEAUTOMATICUPLOADING(OPTIONAL).Tosetupautomaticuploadingdirectlyfromyourcomputer,clicktheGeariconintheDropboxmenuandclickonthePreferencesoption.
STEP6:COMPLETEAUTOMATICUPLOADINGSETUP(OPTIONAL).IfyoucompletedStep5,you’llwanttocontinueyourautomaticuploadingsetupwiththisstep.Toenableuploadsfromacamera,mobiledevice,flashdrive,orSDcardconnectedtoyourcomputer,clickthephotoImporticon.MakeyourselectionstoimportphotosdirectlyfromiPhotoontheMacorenablecamerauploadsforphotosandvideosfromamobiledevice,camera,ormemorycardconnectedtoyourcomputer.
IfyouhavealargePhotoLibrary,especiallyonewithTIFFfiles,automaticallyuploadingimageswillquicklyfillupyouronlinestoragespace.However,it’saworkableoptionforsmallcollectionsortemporarystorage.Beawareofhowmuchonlinestoragespacewillberequiredtohouseyourphotocollection.
PrivacyandtheCloud
Unlessyouarehostingyourownprivatecloud,youaresubjecttothetermsandpoliciesofyourcloudhostingservice.Makesureyoutaketimetoreadandunderstandtheseterms,especiallythePrivacyPolicyandTermsandConditionsrelatedtophotocopyrightorintellectualrights.Herearetwoquestionstoaskaboutstoringyourimagesinthecloud.
1.Areyouthecopyrightowner?Bewareanyservicethatdoesnotacknowledgeyouasthecopyrightownerofyourownoriginalmaterial.Youneverwanttoforfeityourrighttoownandcontrolmaterialyoucreated.
2.Whatareyougivingaway?Asthesayinggoes,“there’snosuchthingasafreelunch.”Cloudservicesoftenofferinitialfreestorage,butbepreparedtopayforstorageasyourcollectiongrows.Usethetrialperiodorfreestoragetotryouttheservice,butplantopaytheregularmonthlyorannualsubscriptionpriceinthesamewayyoupayforhouseholdelectricservice.Ifyoucanceltheserviceorstoppaying,yoursubscriptionwilllapseandyoumayloseyourphotocollection.Inaddition,cloudservicestypicallycollectyourpersonalinformationandusethisfortargetedadcampaigns;yourinformationalsomaybesharedorsoldtothird-partycompanies.Yourpersonalinformationmayincludethenamesandaddressesofpeoplewithwhomyousharephotos.ReadtheTermsofServicecarefullytofullyunderstandwhatyouareexchangingforuseoftheservice.
Asdigitalstoragepriceshavedroppedandwirelessspeedsincreased,cloudstoragehasbecomethenewbuzzofdigitalphotomanagement.Buthowitbestfitsintoyourdigitalphoto-managementworkflowdependsonyourpersonalattitudetowardprivacyandsecurityandyourownleveloftechexpertise.Consumer-levelcloudservicesmayappeartobesimplyfreestorage,whentheserviceisactuallytiedinwithaphoto-sharingorproductservice.Forexample,youmaybeenticedbyunlimitedfreephotostorageandlaterdiscoverthatyourfileshavebeencompressedandarenolongeravailableasfull-resolutionfiles.Oryoumayfindthatyoucanonlydownloadarchivedimagesindividuallyorinsmallbatches.Ultimately,youneedtodecidewhattypeofphoto-storagesolution—on-siteorcloud-based—worksbestforyouandthenselectthespecifichardwareand/orservicethatsuitsyourbudgetandneeds.
ONLINEBACKUPSERVICESOLUTIONS
Anonlinebackupserviceisdifferentfromacloudstorage-and-synchronizationsolution.Howisitdifferent?Onlinebackupservicesfocusonlong-termarchivingandpreservationoforiginalfiles.Thegoalofabackupistosaveoriginalfilesinoriginalquality.
Preservationofphotosiskeyforfamilyhistorians.Wewantourheirloomfamilyphotosarchivedinafilethatwon’tbecorruptedordamagedbyrevision,accidentaloverwriting,ortime.Thisiswhyuncompressed,stablefileformatssuchasTIFFandPDFareoftenrecommendedforarchivingphotographsanddocuments.
Manygenealogistsusecloudstorageandsynchronization(DropboxorGoogleDrive)foreverydayworkingfilesandrelyonbackupservices(BackblazeorCarbonite)tostoreanoff-sitearchiveofheritageimagesthat’saccessiblewhentheyneedittobe.
Likecloudstorageservices,onlinebackupservicesstorefilesinthecloudandchargesubscriptionfees.Feesarebasedonsecurityfeatures,restorationpoints,thelevelofcustomerservice,andtheamountofstoragespaceyouneed.Backupservicesautomaticallyuploadyourimages,soyoudon’thavetoworryaboutrememberingtomanuallybackup,sync,ormigrateimages.BecauseyourPhotoArchiveisstoredonthebackupservice’sservers,whichprovideredundancy,yourfileswillbeprotectedfromtheft,disaster,orharddrivefailure.
5DigitalPhoto-ManagementWorkflow
Anyoneon“imageoverload”canlearnafewthingsfromprofessionalphotographersandgraphicartistswhoworkwithmillionsofimageseveryday.Asuccessfulweddingphotographer,forexample,mustworkquicklyandefficientlytoearnalivingwithhiscamera.Hewillcapturehundredsofimagesfortheeventandselectonlythebestshotstoshowthebrideandgroom.Favoriteswillbeeditedandassembledintothefinalproduct:theweddingalbum.Theentireprocessfromimagecapturetoselectiontoeditingandfinalproductiscalledthephotographer’sworkflow.Byrepeatingthestepsoverandover,thisroutinebecomessofamiliarthathecandoitalmostwithoutthinking.
Youprobablyhaveaworkflow,too,althoughitmightnotfeellikeaproductiveworkflowifyou’redrowningindigitalimages.Itmightbetimetostepbackandfigureoutwhatisandisn’tworkingsoyoucanbringordertoyourdigitalphotochaosandbecomethemasterofyourphotocollection.
Thebenefitsofdigitalphoto-managementandaworkflowroutinebecomeclearerasyouworkthrougheachstepofmanagingyourfiles.Inthischapter,I’llbreakdownstepbystephowtogetstartedmanagingyourphotosusingadigitalassetmanagementworkflowwithamanualsystemaswellaswithphoto-managementsoftware.
DIGITALASSETMANAGEMENT
Creatinganeffectiveworkflowisn’teasy.Professionalphotographersquicklylearnthattheyneedacomprehensivesystemtohelpwitheverystepoftheprocess—capturing,importing,renaming,editing,resizing,tagging,captioning,archiving,backingup,andexportingtheirfiles.Thiscomprehensivesystemformanagingdigitalimagesiscalleddigitalassetmanagement(orDAM,forshort).Professionalphotographersandothercreativesworldwidewhomanageallkindsofdigitalfilessuchasphotos,movies,audiofiles,anddocumentsuseDAM.ProstaketimetostudyandunderstandeachstepintheDAMprocesstodeveloptheirownefficientandpersonalizedworkflow.
FamilyphotographersandfamilyhistorianscanbenefitfromasimplifiedDAMsystemfocusingontheirmosttypicalassets—photosandvideofiles.Thisissometimescalleddigitalphotomanagement(DPM).ApersonalizedDAM/DPMsystemletsyouintegratetheworkflowintoyourowndigitalfile-handlingprocesssoitworksbestforyou
andmaintainingitiseasy.We’llusethetermDAMherebecauseitisthepreferredtermfordigitalphotomanagement.
HowDAMBenefitsYou
EffectiveDAMinvolvesmorethanatidyfilefoldersystemandlong,meaningfulfilenames,butthebenefitsaregreater,too.Atitscore,DAMharnessesthepowerofyourcomputerforbetteraccesswithlabelsandtags.Forthefamilyphotographerandhistorian,thegreatestvaluemaybetheabilitytoembedidentificationwithintheimagefile.AnefficientDAMsystemwill
allowyoutoorganizeyourimagesinawaythatmakessensetoyou.guideyouthroughallstepsfromimagecapturetoimagesharing.provideastructuretohelpmaintainconsistencywhenyouworkwithimagesinfrequently.expandasneededtoaccommodateyourgrowingdigitalcollection.offerdatasecuritywithbackupsandarchivalprotocol.makeiteasytomigratefromoldtonewequipment.offertoolsforcollaborationandfutureusers.
HowtoSetUpYourPersonalDAMWorkflow
Initssimplestform,DAMisallaboutcapturing,storing,andaccessingimages.Eachstepoftheworkflowrefinesthesetaskssoyoucaneasilylocateimagesforeditingandsharingtheendproduct,andbeconfidentthatyourphotocollectionissecure.ADAMworkflowtypicallyinvolvesseventasks.
IMAGECAPTURE:Imagecaptureincludeswhatevermethodyouusetoacquireanimage.Foraphotographer,imagesaretypicallycapturedwithacamera.AfamilyhistorianmightalsocaptureimageswithascannerorbydownloadingimagefilesfromtheInternet.Digitalimagesaretypicallycapturedtoharddrives,memorycards,flashdrives,oradevice’sinternalmemory.
IMPORTINGIMAGES:Thistaskreferstomovingtheimagesfromtheinitialcapturedeviceortemporarystoragelocationintolong-termstorage.SomeDAMworkflowscenariosalsousethetermdownloadingoringesting.YoumaybeabletoautomatesomeoftheimportingstepswithsoftwaresuchasAdobeLightroomorAdobePhotoshopElements.
RENAMING:It’simportanttorenameimagesfromcamera-generatedfilenamestosomethingmeaningfulanduseful.Photo-managementsoftwarecanmakethistaskeasierwithoptionstorenamefilesonimportorbatchnamefilesalreadyinyoursystem.Somefamilyhistoriansusefilenamesasaplacetoincludeinformationaboutthepeople,dates,places,andeventsdepictedinanimage.Inthedaysbeforemetadata(informationabouttheimageembeddedintheimagefile)waswidelyused,thiswasahelpfulwaytoorganizeandaccessimages.Evenlongfilenames,however,can’tincludetheextensivedataavailablethroughkeywordsandtags.
BACKINGUP:Oneofthemostimportantstepsinyourworkflowistobackupyourimagecollectionsecurelyandregularlyonanotherkindofmedia.Unfortunately,thisistheonestepmostlikelytobepostponedorignored.AsinglecopyisNOTabackup.AcopyonthesameharddriveisNOTabackup.AcopyonDropboxisNOTabackup.
Mostphotographersuseaseriesofexternalharddrivesaspartoftheirbackupprogram.Workingfilesarelocatedonacomputerorexternalharddrive.Anexternaldriveisusedfordailybackupsandstoredon-siteinafireproofsafe.AthirdcopyofthePhotoLibraryisstoredoff-site(suchasinasafedepositboxorinthecloud)forsecurity.
TAGGING:Addinglabels,keywords,andotherinformationiscrucialtoanyDAMworkflow.Thesetagsareknownasmetadataor“dataaboutdata.”Professionalphotographersusekeywordstosortandlabelimagessotheyareeasiertofindlater.Tagsandratingshelpevaluatephotostoselectthebestofthebest.Titles,captions,andlocationinformationaddcontexttoanimage.
Tags,labels,keywords,andratingswillhelpyoutakeadvantageofthefullbenefitsofworkingwithdigitalimages.Anyoneworkingwithfamilyphotographs,eithernewdigitalimagesorscansofoldphotos,shouldtakefulladvantageofthemagicofmetadatatorecordhistoricaldataaboutpeople,places,dates,andevents.
ARCHIVING:Regularbackupsareanessentialstepindailydigitalwork,butarchivingtakesbackupsastepfurthertogiveyouextraassurancethatyourdigitalimagecollectionissafeforthelongterm.AphotoarchiveoftenincludespreservingimagesonphysicalmediasuchasDVDsoranotherexternalharddrive.It’smigratedtonewmediaasneeded.Thephotoarchiveisnotaccessedonadailybasisandcanbeconfiguredwithbackupsoftwaretoupdateonlyeditedandnewfilestosavetime.
EDITING,EXPORTING,ANDSHARING:Allofyourimagesmightaswellbeinadarkshoeboxifyoudon’texportthemintoashareableformat.Thesefilesneeddifferent
handlingfromyourarchivalandworkingdigitalfiles.Manyimageswillbenefitfromediting,cropping,andadjustments.Mostwillneedtoberesizedfortheirintendeduse,suchase-mailingorcreatingaphotobookorotherphotoproject.
ATAGLANCE:YOURDIGITALASSETMANAGEMENTWORKFLOW
WhatAboutMyCurrentMess?
Whenyou’rereadytobeginmanagingyourphotocollectioninanorganizedDAMworkflow,startsmallwithyournewphotosandworkforward.Picka“DigitalPhotoBirthday,”thesametrickIrecommendwhenmigratingtoapaperlessoffice.DecidethatfromyourDigitalPhotoBirthdayforward,allimageswillbemanagedwithyournew
system.Selectadatethat’seasytoremembersuchasyourbirthday,anniversary,oramajorholiday.Gradually,asyouhavetime,moveoldphotosintoyournewsystem.Don’ttrytodoitallatonce.Itwillbeoverwhelming,andyou’lllosetheopportunitytorefineyourworkflowwhileworkingwithasmaller,moremanageablenumberofphotos.
USINGAMANUALWORKFLOWFORDIGITALPHOTOMANAGEMENT
Ifyouhaven’talreadydoneso,followthesestepstosetupyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder.RefertoChapter1formoredetails.
CHOOSEAMASTERSTORAGELOCATIONANDPURCHASEEQUIPMENT.YourmasterimagecollectionshouldbeconsolidatedandmanagedinonecentralMasterStorageLocation,preferablyonyourcomputerorexternalharddrive.IcallthiscollectionmyPhotoLibrary.Ifyouhavedecidedtostoreyourimagesonanexternalharddrive(ratherthanyourcomputerharddrive),purchaseandconnecttheexternaldrivetoyourcomputer.
CREATEYOURPHOTOLIBRARYFOLDERS.NavigatetoyourselectedphotoMasterStorageLocationandcreateafoldernamedPHOTOLIBRARY.Insidethisfolder,createthefollowingfolders,substitutingthecurrentyearandmonthfortheimagesyouarereadytoimport:
20152015_09_SEPT
Ifyouarereadytoimportimagesfromafewmonths,goaheadandmakethecorrespondingfolders,butremember,wearestartingsmallwithalimitednumberofimages.
SETUPYOURBACKUPANDARCHIVE.YouwillneedabackupplanforyourPhotoLibrary,preferablyanexternalharddrive,archivalDVDs,and/oracloudstorageservice.IcallthisbackupmyImageVault.IkeepmyImageVaultonanexternalharddrivestoredon-siteanduseittobackupfilesafteraphoto-editingortransferringsession.You’llalsoneedaPhotoArchive,whichisathirdbackupcopyofyourcollectionthatyoustoreoff-site.YourPhotoArchivemaybeonanexternalharddrive,archivalDVDs,and/oranonlinebackupservice.PurchaseandsetupyourImageVaultandPhotoArchivestoragedevicesorservices.
Step-by-StepManualDAMWorkflow
STEP1:CAPTURE.Createdigitalimagesusingyourdigitalcamera,smartphone,tablet,scanner,orotherdevice.
STEP2:IMPORT.First,disableyourcomputer’sautomaticdownloader.YourcomputerwantstohelpyoumanageyourimagesandmayautomaticallyopenanImportwindowwhenconnectedtoacameraorotherimage-storagedeviceusingImageCapture(Mac)orPhotoGalleryImport(Windows).Thedefaultdestinationfornewimagesmaynotbethelocationyouwantforeveryphotoupload,soIsuggestthatyoudisablethisautomatedutility.
Next,locatethecameraSDcard,smartphone,cloudfolder,orwhateverdeviceholdsyourlatestphotoimages.Ifyourphotosareonamemorycard,insertyourmemorycardanddraganddroptheimagesintotheappropriatefolders.Donotdeletetheimagesfromthecapturedeviceuntilyou’veworkedthroughtheentireworkflow.Ifyourphotosareonasmartphoneortablet,connectyourdevicetoyourcomputeranddraganddroptheimagesintotheappropriatefoldersinyourPhotoLibrary.Ifyourphotosareonacloudstoragesite,logintoyourcloudserviceanddraganddroptheimagesfromthecloudintotheappropriatefoldersinyourPhotoLibrary.Remember,thegoalistocollectallofyourdigitalimagesintooneMasterStorageLocation.
STEP3:RENAME.Useshort,unique,meaningfulfilenames.Donotusenamesthatwouldcauseconfusionifmovedfromacontainingfolder.Forexample,TomsBirthday.jpgmightbefoundin2010,2015,and2017.AbetternamewouldbeTomsBirthdayCake2015.jpg.Manyphotosfromthesameeventcanbenefitfromfile-sequencingnumbersaddedduringbatchscanningorimport,ifavailable.
Afamilyphotofilenameshouldhelpyouidentifytheimageifyouareskimmingasmallselectionofphotosforaphotobookandwanttopositionthebirthdaycakephotobeforethegiftphoto.Yourfilenamedoesnotneedtoincludeallimageinformationsuchasexactdate,time,fullname,location,andevent.(SeeChapter1formoreonfile-namingschemes.)
STEP4:BACKUP.BackupyourentirePhotoLibrarytoyourselectedbackupstoragelocation.Automatedsoftwarecanselectivelybackuponlyimagesthathavebeenmodifiedoraddedsincethelastbackup.Thissavesconsiderabletimewhenworkingwithlargephotocollections.
Youshouldnowhavetwocopiesofyourphotos:oneinyourPhotoLibraryandoneinyourImageVault.
STEP5:TAGANDADDKEYWORDS.Addingmetadatasuchaskeywords,tags,captions,andotherinformationisundoubtedlythemosttime-consumingstepinanyphotographer’spost-captureworkflow.Andit’sprobablytheonestepthatmostfamilyphotographerspersistentlyignore.Fortunately,themostimportantmetadata(thedate)isaddedautomaticallybyyourcameraorcapturedevice,soifyoudonothingmorethanimportcorrectlydatedimagestoyourcomputer,youcanstilltakeadvantageofthebenefitsofDAM.
Addtags,keywords,andcaptionsinProperties(PC)orGetInfo(Mac),orinyourphoto-managementsoftware.(SeeChapter1formoredetails.)
STEP6:ARCHIVE.YourPhotoArchivepreservesyourdigitalphotosforthefuture.UnlikeyourworkingPhotoLibraryorImageVaultonanexternalharddrive,thecloud,orDVDthat’savailableforaquickrestoreincaseoflossordamage,aPhotoArchivedoesn’tneedfrequentaccess.ArchivalDVDs,CDs,andBlu-raydiscsaregoodchoicesforarchivalmediaandcanbeaddedtowithouttheneedtorewriteorhandleoldermaterial.
Useautomatedbackupsoftwareoramanualdrag-and-droptechniquetoburnarchivaldiscsorcreateaPhotoArchiveonotherstoragemedia.Knowthelifespanofyourchosenarchivalstoragemediaandmigratefilesasneededtonewerstorage.Storethiscopyoff-siteandaccessitonlywhenallothercopiesaredamagedorlost,orwhenyoumigrateittonewerstoragemedia.
AnotheroptionforbackingupyourPhotoArchiveistouseanonlinebackupservice.SeetheAppendixforalistofbackupservicestoconsider.
STEP7:EDIT,EXPORT,ANDSHARE.Everydayfamilyphotosoftenbenefitfromcroppingandsomeeditingtoremovered-eye,adjustexposure,ortouchupblemishes.Ifyou’reworkinginastandardphotoeditorthatsaveschangesasitoverwritestheoriginalfile,alwayscreateacopyusingtheSaveAscommandwhenyoubeginaneditingsession.KeeptrackoftheseeditededitionswithversionfilenamesdiscussedinChapter1:2010_david_bday-edit.jpg.
Youalsomayneedtoconvertyourphotostospecialsizesorresolutionfordifferentuses,suchase-mailingorpostingtoyourblogorwebsite.DothisbycreatingacopywiththeSaveAscommandorExport.Thesefilesmightbenamedsomethinglike2010_david_bday-web.jpgor2010_david_bday-email.jpg.
Ifyouoftenreusethesameimage,keepacopyinyourfilesystem;otherwise,deletethedesktopcopyaftere-mailingitorpostingittoyourWebpage.
Toassemblephotosforaphotobookorotherproject,saveacopyinaseparatefoldereitheronyourdesktop(goodforcurrentprojects)orinyourPhotoLibrary,wherethefolderwillcontinuetobebackedupwithyourotherimagefiles.Thiscopyshouldbefull-resolutionorthesizerecommendedfortheproductbythephotoservice.
USINGSOFTWAREFORDIGITALPHOTOMANAGEMENT
Aswithamanualworkflow,whenusingphoto-managementsoftware,yourmasterimagecollectionshouldbeconsolidatedandmanagedinonelocation—preferablyonyourcomputerorexternalharddrive.Ifyouhavedecidedtostoreyourimagesonanexternalharddrive,youneedtopurchaseandconnectthedrivetoyourcomputer.Youwillalsoneedasecondharddriveasabackupdevice.
PURCHASEANDINSTALLYOURSOFTWARE.Downloadandinstallyourphoto-managementsoftware.Ifyouarenewtotheprogram,it’sagoodideatogothroughthetutorialsandlearnthebasicstepsforimportingimagesandworkingwithfiles.
CREATEYOURPHOTOLIBRARYFOLDER.NavigatetoyourMasterStorageLocation(onyourcomputeroranexternalharddrive)andcreateafoldernamedPHOTOLIBRARY.Insidethisfolder,createfoldersusingthecurrentyearandmonthfortheimagesyouarereadytoimport;forexample:
20152015_09_SEPT
Whenyouarereadytoimportimagescapturedoverafewmonths,goaheadandmakethecorrespondingfolders,butremembertostartsmallwithalimitednumberofimages.
Thisfoldersetupisexactlythesameasifyouweremanuallyorganizingyourphotos.Thisisintentionalsothatifyouwanttomovetoadifferentsystematanytime,thisstandardfolderandfilesystemwillbeeasytounderstandandrelocate.
SETUPYOURBACKUPANDARCHIVE.OnceagainyouwillneedabackupandarchivingplanforyourPhotoLibrary.CreateanImageVaulttobackupfilesafteraphoto-editingorimportingsessionandaPhotoArchivetostoreacopyofyourentirecollectionoff-site.YourImageVaultcouldbelocatedonanexternalharddrive,archivalDVDs,and/oracloudstorageservice.YourPhotoArchivemaybeonanexternalharddrive,archival
DVDs,and/oranonlinebackupservice.PurchaseandsetupyourImageVaultandPhotoArchivestoragedevicesorservices.
Step-by-StepDAMWorkflowUsingPhoto-ManagementSoftware
Forthisexample,I’llshowyouhowImanageimagesusingAdobeLightroom.ThiswillgiveyouanideaofthefeaturesyoucanexpectfromDAMsoftware.Whateverphoto-managementsoftwareyouuse,expecttospendtimelearningandmasteringtheimportselectionsandmanagementfeatures.
TomakefulluseofLightroom’sfeatures,Idisablemycomputer’sautomaticimagedownloader.Lightroomcanmove,copy,orindeximages.ThismeansyoucanuseLightroomto
physicallymoveanimagefromonefoldertoanother.copyanimageatitspresentlocationandplaceacopyintoyourdestinationfolder.leavetheimagewhereitisandcreateanindexorpointertothelocation.
MyphotosareallstoredinmyPhotoLibraryandbackeduptomyImageVault.IalsokeepaPhotoArchiveoff-site.
Lightroommanagesfileswithacatalog,savingalleditsandworkinthiscatalog,soit’simportanttobackupthecatalogaswellastheimagefiles.
STEP1:CAPTURE.Icreatedigitalimagesusingmydigitalcamera,smartphone,tablet,andscanner,andthenopenLightroomforimporting.
STEP2:IMPORT.IclicktheImportfunctiontoselectandmoveimagesfromthedeviceortemporaryharddrivefoldertomyPhotoLibrary.TheImportwindowallowsseveralactions(seearrowsfromlefttorightatthetopofthewindow):
Selecttheoriginationfoldertoviewimages;checkAllorselectphotostoimport.Selecthowtoimportthephotos:Copy,Move,orAddtoCatalog.
Selectthedestinationlocationandanyfileactions.ThepaneltotherightofthewindowallowsoptionssuchasFileRenaming,Presets,BatchMetadataandKeywords,andFoldercreation.
STEP3:RENAME.Anyfilesnotrenamedonimportcanberenamedindividuallyorusingbatchcommands.(SeeChapter1formoreonfilenaming.)
STEP4:BACKUP.IbackupmyPhotoLibraryandcatalog(whichisautomaticallycreatedbythephoto-managementsoftware)duringand/orafteraworksession.Inowhavetwocopiesofmyphotosandphotocatalog:oneinmyPhotoLibraryandoneinmyImageVault.Nondestructivephotoeditorssavetheeditinginstructionsforimagesinaseparatecatalog,soyoudon’tneedtomakeduplicatefilecopiesforediting.
STEP5:TAGANDADDKEYWORDS.Nowaddtags,keywords,copyrightinfo,location,andothermetadata.IsavefrequentlyusedsetsofinformationasaPreset.
STEP6:ARCHIVE.Icopyphotofilesandthecatalogtoarchival-qualitymediasuchasDVDs,CDs,orBlu-raydiscsusingLightroomExportPresetsforlong-termpreservation.IalsomigratefilesasneededtonewmediaandstorethePhotoArchiveoff-site.Alternately,youmaywanttouseanonlinebackupserviceforyourPhotoArchive.SeetheAppendixforalistofbackupservicestoconsider.
STEP7:EDIT,EXPORT,ANDSHARE.IusecustomizableexportcommandstostreamlinefrequenttaskssuchasconvertingfilesfromTIFFtoJPGformatoroptimizingimagesfortheWeb.ThePublishServices(leftpanel)allowseasysharingtosocialmediaandphoto-sharingwebsites.
TIPAlwaysWorkInsidetheSoftware
Photo-managementsoftwarecanonlymanageyourphotosifitcanfindthem.It’sessentialthatyoumakeallchangestofilenamesorfolderswithinthesoftwareitself.NeveruseWindowsExplorerortheMacFinderwindowtomoveorrenamefoldersorimages.Workinsidetheprogramtominimizeproblems.
PUTTINGITALLTOGETHERWITHSAMPLEWORKFLOWS
Managingdigitalfilesisallaboutworkflow.Workflowisjustanotherwayoftalkingaboutahabit,somethingyouhavelearnedtodothatnowcomeseffortlessly.Forexample,drivingacardoesn’tcomenaturallytomostofus;it’ssomethingwelearnedtodo.Welearnedwhenandhowhardtopressontheacceleratorpedal,whentomoveourfoottothebrakepedal,andhowtosteerthewheel.Atfirstitprobablyfeltawkward,butwithpracticewecouldmakethecarmoveforwardinastraightlineandchecktherearviewmirroroccasionally,too.Drivinginvolvesaworkflow.Turnthekey,releasetheparkingbrake,takethecaroutofPark,checkforothervehicles,steponthegas.Ifyou’vebeendrivingforawhile,youprobablydon’teventhinkaboutit,butifyoufailtoreleasetheparkingbrake,thecarrebelsandletsyouknowyou’veforgottenoneofthestepsinyourworkflow.
Youwantyourdigitalphotoworkflowtobeasseamlessasdrivingacar.Itwilltakepracticeandrepetition,buteventually,youwon’tevenhavetothinkaboutit.Let’shittheroad.
SampleWorkflowfortheFamilyShutterbug
Goodfor… familyphotographerswhotakephotosoffamilyandfriendswithmultipledigitalcamerasandsmartphonecameras
Difficultylevel
time-savingandeasyforcollectingimagesfrommultipledevices;ittakesalittlemoretimeformanagingthePhotoLibrary
Ifyourfamilyislikemine,everyoneissnappingpictureswithdifferentdevices.Youngparentsarebusyanddon’thavetimeforcomplicatedphoto-managementsystems,buttheydowanttoensurethattheirchildren’sphotosaresafelypreservedforthefuture.MyhusbanduseshisiPhonetotakejobphotosforhisconstructionclientsandneedstobackupandshareprogressimagesregularly.Young-adultniecesandnephewssharephotosonFacebookandcopyimagestoacomputerwhentheythinkaboutit.Andfamilyhistorians
usescanners,cameras,andsmartphonestocreatedigitalimagesofkeepsakephotosandlifeinthemoment.
Whateveryourdigitalworkflowmaybe,fromthesimplestmanualuploadtoamorecomplextransferstrategyinvolvingmanydifferentdevices,taketimetoexperimentwithdifferentroutinestodevelopaworkflowthatworksforyou.
Ifyouhavemultiplefamilyphotographers,youmaywantanoverallstrategythatmakesiteasytocollectimagesfrommultiplesmartphonesandcamerasintoonefamilycollection.DesignateonehomecomputertoholdthemasterPhotoLibraryandsetupeachfamilymember’ssmartphonetoauto-syncphotostoacloudserviceaccount.Savetimebyusingphoto-managementsoftwaresuchasApplePhotosforOSX,AdobeLightroom,orPicasa.
Workflow
STEP1:Useyourdigitalcameratocapturephotosonmemorycard.UsetheWi-Fi-enabledEyefiMobiSDcardstoautomaticallyuploadimagestoyourcomputer.Configureyoursmartphonetoauto-syncimagestoacloudservice.
STEP2:ImportimagesfrommemorycardsandcloudaccountstothefamilyPhotoLibrary.
STEP3:Renameindividualimages,andaddtagsandmetadatausingphoto-managementsoftware,orifyoudon’thaveit,byusingtheFinderwindow(Mac)orWindowsExplorer(Windows)folder.
STEP4:Backupfoldersandimagefilestoanexternalharddrive.
STEP5:BurnimagefolderstoarchivalDVDsandstoreoff-site.
STEP6:Sharephotos.
SampleWorkflowforTravel/VacationPhotos
Goodfor…
travelingphotographers,familyvacationers,andmobilegenealogistswhotakephotoswithdigitalcamerasandsmartphonecamerasatresearchlibraries,archives,andcemeteries
Difficultylevel
easyforuploading,butyou’llspendmoretimemanagingthePhotoLibrary
Enjoysharingphotoswithfamilyandfriendswhileyou’reonvacationorawayfromhome?Wanttohavepeaceofmindknowingyourphotosarebackedupincaseofaccidentorloss?PhotosynchronizationusingaWi-Fi-enabledEyefiMobiSDcardwilltransfer
imagesfromyourdigitalcameratoyoursmartphoneortabletandmakeiteasytosharethemviae-mailorsocialmediaaccounts.
Workflow
STEP1:Setupyourmobiledevicestosyncwithacloudstorageservice.SetupyourcamerawithanEyefiMobiSDcardtouploadimagestoyoursmartphoneortablet.SetupyoursmartphonetosyncphotoswithacloudstorageservicesuchasDropboxorGoogleDrive.
STEP2:ShareselectedimagesfromyourphoneorWi-Fi-enabledcameradirectlyviae-mailandsocialmedia.
STEP3:Whenyoureturnhome,transferyourimagesfromyourcloudaccountorfromanymemorycardstoyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder.
STEP4:Rename,tag,andaddmetadata.
STEP5:BackupimagestoyourImageVault.
STEP6:IncludeyournewphotosinyourregularPhotoArchiveroutine.
STEP7:Createatravelphotobookorslideshow.
SampleWorkflowfortheMobileGenealogist
Goodfor…
genealogistswhotakephotoswithdigitalcamerasandsmartphonecameras,usemobilescanningapps,andrecordimageswithscannersatresearchrepositories
Difficultylevel
easyforuploading,butyou’llspendmoretimemanagingthePhotoLibrary
On-siteresearchoftenresultsinhundredsofnewdigitalimagescapturedondigitalcameras,smartphones,tablets,mobilescanners,andresearchrepositoryequipment.Manyresearchersalsouseascanningapptocopydocumentswiththeirsmartphoneortablet.Syncingandbackingupwithacloudstorageservicecanmakeimagesavailablealmostinstantlyforremotesharingandsecurity.
Workflow
STEP1:SetupyoursmartphoneandtablettouploadphotosautomaticallytoacloudstorageservicesuchasDropboxorGoogleDrive.ConsiderusinganEyefiMobiSDcardinyourcameraandportablescanner.IfyouhaveachoicebetweenanSDcardoraflash
drivewhensavingimagesfromrepositoryequipment,useyourEyefiMobiSDcardtokeepimagesinyourautomaticuploadstrategy.
STEP2:ShareselectedimagesfromyourphoneorWi-Fi-enabledcameradirectlyviae-mailandsocialmedia.Viewdocumentsscannedonyoursmartphoneonthelargerscreenofyourtabletorcomputer.
STEP3:Whenyoureturnhome,transferimagesfromyourcloudaccounttoyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder.Transferimagesfromanynon-Wi-FimemorycardstoyourPhotoLibrary.
STEP4:Rename,tag,andaddmetadata.
STEP5:BackupimagestoyourImageVault.
STEP6:IncludeyourphotosinyourregularPhotoArchiveroutine.
SampleWorkflowforPhotoProjects
Goodfor… photo-bookloversoranyoneplanningaphotoproject
Difficultylevel easy
Yournextphotoprojectwillbeeasierifyouassembleallcopiesofselectedphotosinasinglefolderonyourcomputerdesktopsoyouarereadytocreateyournextmasterpiecewhenthephoto-bookcompanyannouncesasaleorspecialpricing.
Workflow
STEP1:SelectimagesandmakecopiesusingtheExportorSaveAsfunction.Saveasfull-resolutioncopiesandavoidcroppingoreditingextensivelybeforecopyingtheimage.ConvertfromTIFFtoJPGimagesifneeded.
STEP2:SavephotostoadesktopfolderorinsideyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolderwhereitwillbeincludedinyourbackuproutine.Namethefolderfortheprojectsuchas:HAWAIIPHOTOBOOKorDAVIDBIRTHDAY.Avoidmixingphotosfordifferentprojects.
STEP3:Investigateonlinephotoservicesforprojecttypesanddesignthemes.Selecttheserviceyoupreferanduploadimages.Filetransfermaytakeanhourormore,dependingonthenumberofimagesinyourfolder,theimagefilesizes,andthespeedofyourInternetconnection.
STEP4:Whenyouarereadytocreatethebook,yourphotoswillbeuploadedandreadyforyoutoplacethemintheproject.Addingindividualphotosissimpleandfast.
STEP5:Createyourproject.
STEP6:Backupyourphotoprojectfoldertothecloud.
STEP7:BurnanarchivalDVDoftheimagesusedinyourprojectandadhereitinanarchivalDVDenvelopetothebackinsidecoverofyourphotobook.
It’sOkaytoPlayFavorites
Whenitcomestocreatingafirst-ratephotocollection,it’sokaytoplayfavorites.Whetheryoumanageyourphotosindividually,manually,orusingphoto-managementsoftware,anyimagecollectionwillbenefitfromregularsortingandpurging.
Aprofessionalphotographerexaminesandsavesonlythebestshots,butthefamilyhistorianhasotherconsiderations,too.Anunderexposed,poorlyframedsnapshotofGreat-grandfatherJackmaybetheonlyphotographofhimatall.Ofcourse,it’sakeeper.Buthowdoyoudecidebetweenotherphotos:Whattosaveandwhattotoss?
UsearatingstrategypopularwithprophotographersthatflagseachimageasaPickorReject.Tosavetime(andenergy),quicklyviewanimageandlabelitaPickoraReject.Ifyoursoftwaredoesn’thaveflags,usethestarsystem:onestarforPickandtwoforReject.Here’showthisapproachwouldwork:
1. Placetwosimilarphotossidebyside;choosethebestofthetwoandrejecttheother.Ifyouhaveothersimilarimages,bringinanewphototocomparewiththe“winner”andchooseagain.
2. MakeanewalbumorcollectionsetanddragallthePicksintothisset.Labelthealbum,suchasReunionPicksorReunionKeepers.
3. Decideifyouwanttogetridofthebadphotos.Ifso,deletethem.Ifyoujustcan’tthrowthemaway,dragtheRejectsintoanewalbumlabeledReunionRejects.You’vesavedthem,butnoonehastolookatthemeveragain.
SampleWorkflowforPersonalPhotoandVideoSharingWithDropbox
Goodfor… anyonewhowantstosharephotosand/orvideos
Difficultylevel easy
Itcanbedifficulttosendphotosandvideosviae-mail.Largefilesizesarenotalwayspermittedbye-mailserversandcantakeagestoupload,onlytoberejectedas“toobig.”Youhavetwooptionswhenyouneedtoe-mailseveralphotosorvideos:downsize(whichisn’talwayspossible)oruseafile-sharingservicesuchasDropbox.
Workflow
STEP1:LogintoyourDropboxaccountoropentheDropboxfolderonyourcomputer.
STEP2:Createanewfolderandgiveitanamethatwillmakesensetotherecipient,suchasPHOTOSFORJOHNorDADSFISHINGPIX.
STEP3:Movecopiesofthephotosorvideosyouwanttoshareintothefolder.
STEP4:Right-clickonthefoldertorevealthemenuandselectShareThisFolder.
STEP5:WhentheSharewindowopens,enterthee-mailaddressofthepersonyouwanttoseeyourphotos.Addabriefmessage.Therecipientwillgetane-mailwithalinktothefolderwhereshecancopythephotosandvideosdirectlytoherowncomputer.
Sample“IDon’tHaveTimeforThis”Workflow
Goodfor…
youngsmartphonephotographers,busyoccasionalphotographers,olderrelativeswhoenjoytheirsmartphone,anyonewhoisjustplainbusy
Difficultylevel
easy,easy,easy
Somethingisbetterthannothing.Thisworkflowmightbeperfectforsomeoneyouknowwhotakespicturesexclusivelywithamobiledevicebutdoesn’twanttothinkaboutmanagingaphotocollection.Oneday,theymaythankyouforsavingtheircollege,vacation,orendlesssummermemories.
Workflow
STEP1:SetupacloudstorageaccountwithDropbox,GoogleDrive,orThisLife.
STEP2:Setupyoursmartphoneandtablettoauto-syncwiththecloudservice.
STEP3:Paytheannualsubscriptionfeeforthecloudstorageservice.
STEP4:RegularlyorderarchivalDVDsofyourPhotoLibrary,ifthisoptionisavailable.
PART2Digitize
Myexperiencewithphotographsmaybeabitlikeyours.I’vealwayshadacamera.FirstalittleBrownieboxcamera,andthenaseriesofInstamatics.IlovedusingaRolleiflexwhenIworkedforourlocalnewspaper,andeventuallyinvestedinaNikonSLR.Myphotoswereprintedandplacedinphotoalbumsandscrapbooksuntillifewithgrowingchildrentookoverandthe4x6snapshotsstartedstackingupinshoeboxes.
Aswemovedintoanewcentury,twoeventsinmypersonallifechangedmyroleandfocusasfamilyphotographerandhistorian:Iboughtmyfirstdigitalcamera,andIinheritedatrunkfilledwithmygrandmother’sphotosandkeepsakes.Mymomdecideditwasmyturntotakecareof“thestuff.”TheresponsibilitymademefeelmorelikeIwasbringinghomeanewbabythantakingonafewboxesofsnapshotsandvitalrecords.
Soontheshoeboxesofoldprintswerepushedtothebackofacloset,anddigitalimagesbeganaccumulatingonmycomputerharddrive,memorycards,andZIPdrives(rememberthose?).WhenIthoughttobackupanything,IburnedaCD-ROM.MydigitallibrarygrewevenlargerwhenIstartedscanningmygrandmother’soldphotosanddocuments.Iwasn’tquitesurehowtogoaboutarchival-qualityscanning,soIfollowedsomeone’sadviceto“usethehighestresolutionavailable.”SoonmyharddrivewasburstingwithhugeTIFFfiles.Adigitaldelugethreatenedtotakeovermyequipmentandengulfallmyfreetime.Iwasdrowningindigitalimages.
IlearnedhowtomanagemydigitalrichesasIresearchedmethodsfororganizinganddigitizingmygrandmother’streasuresanddiscoveredthatIneededaseamlesssystemforbothworlds—digitalandphysical.Ineededaphotographer’sworkflowtomanagethousandsofimages,andIneededanarchivist’spreservationandcatalogingtechniquestomanagemyphysicalphotos,documents,andmemorabilia.Andbothsystemshadtoworktogether.
Iwroteaboutmyjourneytofindpracticalsolutionsfororganizing,digitizing,andpreservingfamilytreasures,firstonmyblogTheFamilyCurator.comandtheninmybookHowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes.Thebooksharesanoverallplanforworkingwithinheritedphotos,documents,andheirlooms,andintegratingourmoderndigitallegacywiththosesamefamilytreasures.IquicklydiscoveredIwasn’taloneinmychallengestocareforfamilykeepsakes.
BLESSINGORBURDEN?
We’relivinglonger,healthierlivesthaneverbefore,andmoreactiveadultsarebecomingheirstoafamilylegacyofdocuments,photos,andartifacts.Asfamilyhistorians,wewanttopreservethepast,butwealsoneedtoaddthestoriesofourownlives.Manyreadersofmyblogandbooksharedfeelingsbothofguiltandgratitudeabouttheresponsibilityoftheirlegacy.Isitablessingoraburden?Familyphotoscanbeemotionaltriggersformyriadmemoriesandfeelings.
Personalphotographsareamongthemostdifficultheirloomstodiscard,yetmanypeoplearequicktotossoutthesevisualtokensofthepast.AmongthereasonsI’veheard:
Idon’tneedtokeepitbecauseIhaveascannedcopy.It’saduplicate.Ihaveanegative.Ihaveaprint.Mymother/aunt/brotherhasaprint.Thatwasafirsthusband/wife.That’sarelative’sfirsthusband/wife.There’snocaption,andeveryonewhomightbeabletoidentifythesepeopleisdead.Thepictureisfaded/damaged/torn.Itmakesmesadtolookatthispicture.Ineverlikedhim.
SHOULDYOUKEEPEVERYPHOTO?
I’mnotgoingtosuggestyoukeepeveryphotoornegative.NoramIgoingtorecommendthatyoutossthoseduplicates,JaneDoesnapshots,and“sad”snapshotsinthetrash.Onlyyouandyourfamilycanweighgenealogical,financial,andsentimentalconsiderationstomakethesedecisions.ButIhopeyou’llthinkaboutalternativewaystopreserveyourfamilyphotoheritage.
InPart2,we’lllookatpracticaltipsfororganizinganddigitizingyourheirloomphotossoyoucanenjoythemalongwithyournewimages.Thisadvicefromtheproswillbehelpfulforanyoneworkingwithdigitalphotos,especiallythefamilyhistorianwhomaybedrowningindigitalfiles.We’llreviewoptionsfortheequipmentyou’llneedfordigitizingandorganizing.Andwe’llalsocoverthebasicsofmanagingB.D.(BeforeDigital)oldphotoswithnewdigitalfiles.Togaincontrolofyourowndigitalclutter,you
willneedtoadoptasystemandmakeityourown,butitshouldbewhateverworksbestforyou.
Ifyouhaven’tdonesoalready,reviewideasforscanning,filenaming,andfolderorganizationinChapter1.You’llhavealltheinformationyouneedinoneplaceandcangetstarteddigitizingandpreservingyourheirloomimagesrightaway.Ihopetheideasinthissectionwillinspireyoutostarttodaytodevelopaplanandmasteryourfamilyphotoarchiving.
6HeirloomPhotoCollections
ItmightbehardtorememberatimeB.D.(BeforeDigital)whenthecostoffilmandprocessingcompelledphotographersto“makeeverypicturecount.”Specialoccasionsandvacationsweremeasuredintwelve,twenty,andtwenty-fourpicturerollsoffilmthatrequiredatleastaweekfordevelopingandprinting.Ifyouinheritedyourfamilyphotolegacy,youmayhaveshoeboxes,envelopes,andalbumsfilledwithsnapshotsandnegativesdocumentingyourfamilyhistory,allwaitingtobeorganized“oneday.”
WHYDIGITIZE?
Inmyworkwithfamilycollections,I’velistenedtomanystoriesaboutfamilyphotoslosttodisinterestedrelativesortotheconfusionofsettlinganestate.There’snothingasdishearteningasviewingabeautifulfamilyalbumstrippedofphotostobesoldone-by-oneforthemaximumprofittoonlinebiddersorfindingalovelycollectionofweddingphotoscasuallytossedonatableataneighborhoodgaragesale.
Digitizingyourfamily’sphotoheritageincreasesthechancethatthoseimageswillsurviveinsomeform,evenifit’snottheoriginalprintornegative.Andit’snotjustphotosthatbenefitfromdigitizing.Slides,negatives,film,andvideosalsocanbedigitizedasawaytopreservedeterioratingoroutdatedmedia.Don’tloseyourfamilyphotos.Createadigitizingplan.Digitizingoffersmanybenefits.Ithelps
preserveheirloomphotographsbycreatingamastercopytoreplacelostordamagedoriginals.preservemoviesrecordedonoutdatedfilmorothermedia.provideduplicateimagesforeveryoneinthefamily.findcluesinoldphotostobreakthroughgenealogyresearchbrickwalls.createdigitalimagesofunidentifiedphotostosharewithrelativesforpossibleidentification.providepersonalanduniqueillustrationsforfamilyhistorybooks.createadigitalarchivewhereyoucanquicklylocateandaccessphotos.enablereprintsforframinganddisplaywithoutdamagingtheoriginal.
Inheritedkeepsakesalsomayincludeoriginaldocuments,letters,diaries,orjournals.Theseitemswillbenefitfromdigitizingwithhomescannersanddigitalcameras.You’ll
findmoreideasfordigitizingtheseitemsandotherheirloomartifactsinmybookHowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes.
WHAT’SYOURROLE?
Ifyouinheritedahandfulofloosesnapshotsorboxesfilledwithalbumsandgenerationsofoldphotos,thesurvivalofyourfamily’sphotoheritagemaydependonyournextsteps.HowdoyouseeyourroleasKeeperoftheArchive?Areyouacurator,creator,caretaker,oracombinationoftheseroles?Ordoyouthinkofyourselfasthefamilyphotocollector?Keepreadingtolearnmoreabouttheseroles.
Collector:Manypeoplecollectthings:books,funnyfrogs,signedbaseballs,orsilverdollars.Acatloverwhoisgiftedwiththemedmugs,jewelry,figurines,andclothingsoonhastodealwithmoreclutterthancollection.Asavvyfamilyhistoriandoesmorethangatherfamilykeepsakestobuildacollectionofdocuments,photos,andartifactsthatwillonedaybetossedinthetrash.Butthat’sexactlywhatwillhappenifthosekeepsakesaren’tcaredforandtreatedlikeavaluablecollection.It’suptothecollectortodecidethepurposeofthecollectionandembracearoletomeetthatgoal.Curator:Apersoninthisrolewillstrivetogather,preserve,andselectivelymanageheirloomanddigitalfamilyphotostobuildameaningfulgalleryofimages.Creator:Thispersonusesdigitalversionsoffamilyphotosinmanyways,featuringthemineverythingfrombookstoWebpagestoartwork,andusingthemasrawsourcematerialforgenealogicalinformationonkinshipandfamilyidentity.Caretaker:Icallcaretakerstheheroesofallcollectors.Theymaynothavethetimeorinteresttomanageorcreatenewworkswithacollectionoffamilyphotos,buttheypreserveaphotoheritageforthenextgenerationbydigitizing,backingup,andarchivingimages.
Anyonewhomanagesanynumberoffamilyphotosneedstodecideiftheirphotocollectionwillbecomeclutterorafamilyheritage.Carefullyconsideryouroverallobjectivesascollector,curator,creator,orcaretaker.Whatexactlydoyouwantforyourinheritedphotolegacy?Whatchallengesstandbetweenyouandyourgoal?
Thistaskisrelativelysimpleforfamilyphotographersandthosewhoprimarilycapturenewimagesviasmartphonesanddigitalcameras.Butforfamilyhistorianswhooftencreatehundredsorthousandsofnewdigitalimageswhenscanningoldfamilyphotographsanddocuments,thesolutioncanseeminordinatelyconfusing.Ifyou’relike
me,youprobablyhavebothcontemporaryfamilyphotosandscannedimagesgatheredforpreservationandresearch.
Areyouconfusedaboutthebestwaytoscanoldphotos?YoumightbeconcernedaboutworkingwithJPGfiles,whichcarrythepossibilitythatimagequalitywillbereducedafterrepeatededitingandsaving.ShouldyouconvertJPGfilestoTIFFformat?Makemastercopies?Orjusthopeyourfileswillbereadableafteraneditingsession?Shouldyouuseafoldersystemormanageyourimagesinsoftware,suchasAdobePhotoshopElementsorPicasa?
Digitalphotomanagementdoesn’thavetobeacomplicatedanddreadedchore.Thischaptersharessimplestrategiesforgettingcontrolofyourhard-copyphotocollectionanddigitizingimagestopreservepixelsforthenextgeneration.
PLANBEFOREYOUSCAN
Gettoknowyourfamilyphotocollectionbeforeyoumakeyourfirstscan.Proceedwithpurposeandaimtobeefficientandeconomicalwithyourtimeandyourfunds.Threestrategiescanhelpyoumovefromphotochaosandcluttertophotocontrol:
1. Organize.2. Categorize.3. Prioritize.
Organize
Gatheryourimagestogetherandtakestockofthetotalcollection.Clearalargetableandcoveritwithanoldsheetortablecloth,thenbringouttheoldshoeboxes,filefolders,andphoto-processingenvelopes.Gathereverynegative,filmbox,andlooseprintyoucanfind.Rememberalbumstuckedawayonabookshelf;youmayneedtoworkwiththeminasecondsessionifyourtableisoverloaded.Washyourhandswithsoapandwater,orwearwhitecottonglovestoavoidleavingfingerprintsonthephotos.Thisislikelytobeadirtyjob,anditmaytakesometime,dependingonhowmanyphotosyouhavetoorganize.Also,handleprintsbytheedgesonly,andavoidworkinginbrightnaturalorartificiallight.
Maintainoriginalorderandgroupingsasmuchaspossibleforcluestounidentifiedsnapshots.Whenyoufindanenvelopestuffedwithsnapshots,askyourselfwhyyourancestormighthaveassembledtheseparticularprints:
Arethephotosallfromthesameevent?
Dotheyfeaturethesamepersonorfamily?Couldtheyhavebeensentbyadistantfamilymemberorfriend?Wastheselectionpromptedbyabigevent?
Remember,familiesoftenexchangedphotoprintsbymailinmuchthesamewayasweusee-mailtoday.Sometimestheprintsdidn’tfindtheirwaybacktotheoriginalsender.Inaddition,seeminglyrandompilesoftenhaveaninherentmeaning.Adeathinthefamilymightcallforphotostobebroughtoutofalbumsforacollageormemorialbook,andthatsamestackofphotosmightbetuckedawayasagroupratherthanreturnedtotheoriginallocation.
Arrangetheboxesandfoldersonthetablechronologicallyorbyfilmtype:alltheblack-and-whitesnapshotstogether,the1970sprintstogether,thePolaroidstogether.Youmayfindthatsimilarphototypeswillallbefromaboutthesameera.Scanningwillbefasterandmoreefficientifyouworkinbatchestodigitizesimilaritemsatthesametime.Duplicateprints,enlargements,andnegativeswithprintsshouldbegroupedtogethertohelplocatecluesinhandwrittencaptionsanddatedphoto-processingenvelopes.Avoidreshufflingthose“random”groupseveniftheenvelopecontainsamixofphotosizesandtypes.
Shouldyouthrowawayoldphotos?Thisisthemillion-dollarquestion.Somepeoplecan’twaittodigitizeandtosstheoriginals.Otherscarefullypreserveeverysinglephoto,nomatterhowout-of-focusorinsignificant.Myownstrategyistofindamiddleground.Ihaveinheritedtoomanylargecollectionstokeepeverything.Iwilleventuallydonatesomeitems,andothersIselectivelyscanandpreserve.Igivethefollowingtofamilymembersordiscardthem:
obviousout-of-focus,fuzzy,insignificantprintsduplicatetwentieth-centurysnapshotsanonymoussnapshotsofunidentifiedlandscapes
Dependingonthenumberofphotosyouwanttoscan,itcouldtakeseveraldaysorweekstoscanyourentirecollection.Inthemeantime,it’sbestifyourphotocollectionisn’tscatteredacrossthediningtablewhileyoumethodicallyscaneachstackofimages.Instead,placethenewlycreatedphotogroupsintemporaryarchivalstorage,andpulloutanenvelopeorboxtoworkwithoneatatime.Useacid-freearchivalboxeslargeenoughtoholdtheentirecollectionorasubsetofthecollection.Storeonefamilycollectionpercontainertoavoidmixingupfamilyidentifications.Afterscanning,movephotostopermanentarchivalstorage.
Categorize
ListthedifferentphotobatchesontheHeirloomPhotoInventory&DigitizingChecklist.Itwillbehelpfultohaveagoodoverviewofthecollectionwhenchoosingafile-namingschemeandfolderorganizationstructure,andselectingdigitizingequipment.Youcan’tdevelopadigitizingplanuntilyouknowwhatyouneedtodigitize.Andasafamilyhistorian,aren’tyoujustabitcuriousaboutyourancestor’sphotosandotherkeepsakes?Timespentgettingtoknowthepersonwhocollectedthephotosandthepeoplepicturedinthesnapshotswillhelpyoumakeconnectionsasyouworkwiththematerial.
UsetheblankHeirloomPhotoInventory&DigitizingChecklisttomakearoughtallyofthenumberandkindsofitemsyouwanttodigitize.Makenotesofphotocondition,especiallyfragileordamageditemsthatyouwillwanttodigitizesoonerratherthanlater.
Yourscanningsessionswillbemoreefficientifyouworkwithbatchesofsimilarphotos,ratherthanscanningastackofassortedprints.Workingwithsimilarphotosallowsyouto
setabasicfilenametospeedfilenaming,forexample:john-grad_01.jpg.Thesoftwarewilladdsequentialnumberingtocreateuniquefilenames.setthescannermodetotheReflectivefordigitizingallprintphotos;changethemodetoFilmanddigitizefilminaseparatebatch.choosetheappropriateresolutionforscanningtheentiregroupofphotos.scanseveralprintsofthesamesizeinonepassofthescanner.(Seestep-by-stepinstructionsinChapter9.)Batchscanningsavestimeandhelpskeepyourcollectionorganizedforarchivalstorage.
Prioritize
Ifyouhavealargephotocollection,it’sagoodideatodigitizetheoldestormostfragileitemsfirstbeforethephotosdeterioratefurther.Continuetoorganizephotosingroupsorbatchesforefficientscanning.Plantouseyourdigitalcameratodigitizeoversizeorespeciallyfragileitems.
Youmayfindsomephotosthatneedprofessionalattention.Whileit’scertainlypossibletoreframeoldphotosyourself,youmaywanttoconsultanarchivalframespecialistorphotoconservationexpertforhelpwithphotosstucktoglassororiginalprintsthathavewaterdamage.ContacttheAmericanInstituteforConservationofHistoricandArtisticWorks<www.conservation-us.org>forrecommendedexpertsinyourarea.
ReviewyourHeirloomPhotoInventory&DigitizingChecklistandgiveeachitemapriority.
1.ScanASAPforfragile,veryold,ordamagedphotos;deterioratingfilm;oritemsneededforanupcomingproject.
2.Scansoonforoldprintsingoodconditionandnegatives.
3.Scannextfortwentieth-centuryphotographs,film,slides,andnegatives.
Usetheinventorychecklisttoplanyourscanninghoursmostefficiently.Adapttheformtonoteitemsforanancestorbiographyorfamilyhistoryproject.Thesemaybeamongyourfirstscanningpriority.Astimeallows,scanotherphotossuchasaboxofvacationslidesorastackoftwentieth-centurysnapshots.
Whenyou’vefinisheddigitizingyourphotos,thisinventorychecklistwillhelpyoudecidewhatkindofarchivalstoragecontainersyou’llneedtopreserveyourheirloomoriginals.ReadmoreaboutpreservingoriginalphotosandfilminChapter10.
Viewatextversionofthistable
Viewatextversionofthistable
7DigitizationPreparation
I’mabigfanofmovingslowlywhenitcomestoworkingwithfamilyphotosandmemorabilia.Mygrandmother’scollectionwasmyfirstexperienceworkingwithphotosandkeepsakesbelongingtosomeoneIloved.Althoughthreedecadeshadpassedsincemygrandmotherdied,herfrailvoiceandsweetsmilewerewithmeasIgentlyturnedthepagesofoldalbumsandreadthecaptionshandwrittenonthebackofloosesnapshots.Iwaseagertopreserveherlegacyandenthusiasticallystartedscanningeverything.Whatamistake!
Afterdigitizingafewhundredphotos,IrealizedIwasrunningoutofstoragespaceonmycomputerandtheaccumulatedfileswerebecomingajumbledmessofinconsistentnamesandnumbers.EachscanningsessionIusedadifferent,yetmeaningful,file-namingsystem.OnetimeI’dbeginafilenamewiththedate,butweekslaterinmynextscanningsession,I’duseonlytheperson’ssurname.WhenIfoundduplicatephotos,Istartedusingnumbers.Tomakemattersworse,theadviceIhadreceivedto“scaneverythingatthehighestpossibleresolution”wascreatinghugefiles.IwasscanningintherecommendedarchivalTIFFformat,but2400-dots-per-inchfileswereenormous.Andafterscanning,itwasalltooeasytomixupscannedandunscannedoriginalphotos.Ineededapreservationsystemfortheheirloomoriginalsandadigitizationplan.Myintentionswerenoble,butclearly,Ineededtostop,stepback,andcomeupwithanew,morepracticalstrategy.
Afterafewmorefalsestarts,Ifinallycameupwithascanning-and-preservationworkflowthatwassimple,efficient,andmetmyneeds.Youmayneedmoreorfewersteps,ormaybeabletostreamlinesometasks,butIhopemyworkflowtipsinthischapterwillgiveyouabasicoutlineforworkingwithyourownfamilyphotocollection.
PREPAREYOURCOMPUTERANDCHOOSEASTORAGEDEVICE
Beforescanningyourfirstphoto,youneedtoknowhowyouwillorganizeyournewdigitalfiles:
1. Decidewhereyouwillstoreyourdigitalfiles,andpurchaseanynecessarystoragedevices.
2. Decideonafile-namingschemeandcreateafile-namingcheatsheetforreference.3. Decideonafolderstructureandsetupyourfolders.
ReviewChapter1forstrategiestosetupyourdigitalstorageandfoldersystem.
Tohelpyoudecidewhichstoragedevicemayworkbestforyourphotocollection,usetheDigitalStorageOptionschart.
UnsurewhatallthetermsontheDigitalStorageOptionschartmean?I’lldecodethem.
CD/DVD:OpticalstoragemediasuchasCDsandDVDstypicallyoffertheleastexpensivestorage;however,arelativelyshortdisclifespanmakesitnecessarytomigratefilesregularly.M-DISC:Developedforlong-termarchivalstorage,theM-DISCDVDhasbeentestedbytheU.S.DepartmentofDefenseNavalAirWarfareWeaponsDivisionfacilityatChinaLake,California,andisratedtolastonethousandyears.Discsareavailablewithtwodifferentstoragecapacities:4GBand25GBperdisc.Theycostabout$3and$5perdisc.SD(SecureDigital)mediacard:ThestandardSDcardusedindigitalcamerasandotherportabledeviceshasacapacityof128MBupto1TBofflashmemory.SDcardsareconfiguredasoriginalStandardCapacity(SD),High-Capacity(SDHC),andeXtended-Capacity(SDXC).Theyareavailableinfull-size,mini,andmicroformats.NotalldevicesacceptallkindsofSDcards.SomeSDcards,mostnotablythepopularEyeFiMobiSDcard,includeabuilt-inWi-Fitransmitterthatcanwirelesslymovefilesfromcardtocomputerorcardtomobiledevice.AlthoughtherearenomovingpartstostorefilesontheSDcard,thecardshouldalwaysbeproperlyejectedfromthedevice.USBflashdrive:SimilartoanSDmediacardinstoringfilesinflashmemory,aUSBflashdriveisasmallmemory“stick”withintegratedUSBconnection.Capacityvariesbymodelandmanufacturer,withthehighestterabytestoragecostingmorethanacomparableexternalharddrive.LikeSDcards,thelifespanofaflashdriveisratedinread/writecycles.ThefastwritespeedmakesUSBflashdrivesagoodoptionforportablestorageortransferringfilesbetweendevices.Externalharddrive:Rapidpricedropsindigitalstoragehavemadeexternalharddrivesapopularoptionforarchivinglargedigitalcollections.AUSB,FireWire,orThunderboltconnectionistypicallyrequiredtomovefilesfromcomputertoexternalharddrive.Mostmodelsareportable,inexpensive,andefficientsolutionsfordigitalstorage.
Cloudstorage:AsInternetconnectionsbecomefasterandmorewidelyavailable,cloudstorageisaviableoptionforfilebackupsandarchiving.Manyproductsofferfreelimitedstoragewithannualsubscriptionplanstohandlemorestoragewhenneeded.Pricesandplansvarywidely,soit’sworthinvestigatingseveralcompaniesbeforedecidingwheretocommityourfiles.
Viewatextversionofthistable
DigitalStorageTipsTodeterminethestoragecapacityneeded,considerhowmanyphotosyouplantodigitize,thenumberofdigitalimagesyoualreadyhave,andthenumberofdigitalphotosyoutakeeachyear.Includeanydigitalvideosyoucurrentlyhaveorplantotakeinyourestimatesforthedigitalstoragecapacityneeded.Consideryourpurposefordigitalstorage:Whatstorageoptiondoyouneedforitemsyouwanttoaccessregularlyvs.storeoff-siteforarchivalpurposes?Youmayneedtouseacombinationofstorageoptionsforeveryday,backup,andarchivaluse.Whenconsideringcloudstorage,readthetermsandconditionsandprivacypolicy.Bewareanyservicethattakesawayyourcopyrighttotheimages.Makesureyouknowhowtoremoveyourfilesincaseyoucancelyoursubscriptionorthebusinessceasesoperation.
HowMuchDigitalStorageDoYouNeed?
Isitpossibletohavetoomuchdigitalstorage?Possibly,yes.Noteveryoneneedsa1TBexternalharddriveforstoringdigitalphotos.Butwiththeever-decreasingcostofdigitalstorage,itmaynotbeefficientnoreconomicaltopurchaseonlywhatyouneedtoday.
Notlongago,consumerswereadvisedtousemathematicalcalculationsofprojecteddigitalstorageneedswhenselectingnewstoragehardware.Aseriesofquestionshelpeddeterminehowmanygigabytesorterabytestheyneededtostoreacollectionofdigitalmusic,photos,videos,anddocuments.Allofthosecalculationsbecameobsoletewhenpeoplediscoveredtheirsmartphonecameras.Iftheyweren’ttakingphotosandvideosofchildrenandgrandchildren,theyweresnappingpicturesofoldcarsorrestaurantmeals,orscanningreceipts.Moredigitalfilesdemandedmorestorage.
Wecanonlyanticipateourfuturestorageneeds,butiftherecentpastisaguide,whateverstoragewehavetodaywon’tbeenough.MyapproachhasbeentopurchasemorestoragethanIneedtoholdmycurrentdigitalcollection.Whenmigratingtonewexternalharddrives,flashdrives,orSDcards,Ipurchasethenextsizeupfrommypresentmodels.Sofar,Ihaven’trunoutofstorageroom.
Myfirstexternalharddriveboastedacapacityof256MB,anditseemedhugeatthetime.Thosefilesweremigratedtoan“enormous”500MBdriveafewyearslater,andarenowstoredonmynew1TBdrive.Duringthosesameyears,Iownedaseriesofdigitalcameraswithhigherandhigherresolutions,includingmyfirstiPhonewithanimprovedcamera,andIcontinuedscanningmyfamilyphotocollectionashigh-resolutionTIFFfiles.
Yourdigitalstorageneedsmaybedifferent,ofcourse,butwhenpurchasingnewhardware,begenerousinanticipatingfutureneeds.EvaluateyourpresentandfuturedigitalphotostoragewiththeDigitalPhoto&VideoStorageWorksheetinChapter1.Andremembertoincludedigitalmovie,video,ormusiccollectionsthatwillalsoneedstorageandbackupspace.
DEVELOPASCANNINGPLAN
Onceyou’vegotyourstoragedevicechosenandequipmentsetup,it’stimetoputaplaninplaceforhowyou’llorganizeyourfilesafteryoudigitizethem.YouwillwanttocreateaSCANSfolderwherethephotoswillgowhenyoufirstscanthem.YouwillneedtodecideifyouwanttokeeptheworkingcopiesofyourscannedimagesinthesamePhotoLibraryasyourcurrentfamilyphotosorifyouwanttomaintainaseparateGenealogyPhotoLibrary.(SeeChapter1fortipsonsettingupyourPhotoLibrarysystem.)After
you’redonescanningabatchofphotos,you’llwanttomovethescannedoriginalstoyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder(ortoyourGENEALOGYPHOTOSfolder).Asyoumoveeachitem,renameitwithameaningfulfilenameandaddtags,keywords,andothermetadataasneeded.You’llalsoneedanImageVaultfoldertoholdmastercopiesofyourscannedimages.
TIPKeepitSimple
KeepyourPhotoLibraryandImageVaultfolderstructuresfairlysimpleanddon’tnestthemtoodeeply.Useyourcomputer’sSearchfeaturetolocatefiles,ifnecessary.
FileNamesandMetadataforScannedImages
Scannedimagesarenodifferentfromphotossnappedatarecentbirthdaypartyorfamilyreunion.Undoubtedly,you’llwanttoincludeinformationwiththefileaboutwhoisinthepicture,whenitwastaken,andwhateventwascelebrated.Thesedetailsareeasilyincludedinthemetadata(describedinChapter1),buttheyalsocanbeincludedinanabbreviatedformwithinthefilenameitselfwhennamingfiles.
BECONSISTENT:Ifyoualreadyuseafile-namingstructure,continuewiththesamestructureforyournewscannedimagefiles.Usethesamefile-namingrulesforallimagesandmakeyourdigitallifeeasierby
usingaconsistentfile-namingsystem.avoidingspecialcharacterssuchas<>?{}|!@#$%^&*().usingunderscoresanddashesinsteadofperiods,spaces,andslashes.keepingfilenamesshort.addingkeywordtagsandmetadata.
USEMEANINGFULFILENAMES:Afterscanningyourphotos,you’llhaveafolderofdigitalimagestobeorganizedandrenamedwithmeaningfulfilenames.Thiswillmakeyourfileseasiertoaccessandfindagainlater.Thefilenamesetbythescannerordigitalcameramaybegoodforcreatinguniquefiles,butitcanmakefindingfilesdifficultandconfusing.Renameyourfileswithdescriptiveormeaningfulfilenamessuchas
104_3674.JPGtokinsel-arline_1890_baptism.jpg(babyinbaptismgownphoto).104_3675.JPGtokinsel-jacob_1872_house.jpg(familyhomephoto).104_3676.JPGtokinsel-jacob_1885-ks-census_ks-atchison-grasshopper.jpg(censusimage).104_3677.JPGtoAAK_P0076.tif(foranumericphotocatalog).
Youcansavetimeandeliminateconfusionbyusingbatchfile-namingshortcutsinyourscanning,photo-editing,orphoto-managementsoftware.ThesefeaturesaretypicallyavailableascustomizableoptionsintheImportmenusasimagesaremovedintothe
photo-managementsoftwareorafterimportingbyselectingseveralfilesandapplyingtheRenamecommand.
YourImageVaultforScannedImages
Whenpreparingtostartadigitizationproject,you’llwanttocreateanImageVaultonanexternalstoragedevicesuchasanexternalharddriveoracloudstorageservice.ThinkoftheImageVaultasyouroriginalbackup—theplacewherevaluablemasterfilesarestored.Unlikeabankvault,youcantakeoutasmanycopiesofyourfilesasyouwish,buttheoriginalmasterfilesshouldneverleavethevault.
YoumightnameyourexternalharddriveIMAGEVAULTandthencreatedigitalfilefoldersinsideasneededtoholdyourmastercopiesfromdifferentscanningprojects.Keepfilesfromspecificscanningprojectstogether,orgroupbykindofitemdigitizedorbyfamilysurname.Useanorganizationalsystemthatmakessensetoyouandfitswithwhateverfolder-organizingschemeyouuseforyourhard-copygenealogyfiles.Youcouldorganizebyanyofthesemethods:
scanningdatesurnamefamilylinekindsofphotosblack-and-whitesnapshotsrecordtype(suchasvitalrecords,militaryrecords,diaries,correspondence,newspapers)
WorkingWithScannedTIFFandJPGFiles
Sofar,I’vetalkedaboutscanningfilesinarchivalTIFFformat,butTIFFfilesareverylargeandaren’tpracticalfore-mailingoreverydayaccess.ConsiderTIFFfilestobeyourmastercopies,yourinsurance;youcanusethesemasterstomakeaverygoodreplacementcopyiftheoriginalislostordamaged.Foreverydayuse,you’llneedJPGcopiesthattakelessstoragespaceandarewidelyacceptedforphotoprinting,Webprojects,andsharingwithfamilyandfriends.
TIFFVS.JPGCOMPARISONCHARTTIFF JPG
large,uncompressedfilesbestforarchivingwillnotdegradewhensavedrepeatedly
smaller,compressedoruncompressedfilesbestforworkingfiles,e-mailing,andphotosharingwilldeterioratewhenopenedandsavedrepeatedly
ConvertingTIFFtoJPG
Youdon’tneedspecialsoftwaretoconvertTIFFfilestoJPGfiles.ThisisastandardoptionavailableonWindowsandMaccomputersandinphoto-editingprogramssuchasAdobePhotoshopElements.BydigitizingheirloomoriginalphotosasTIFFsforarchivingandthenconvertingthemtoJPGformatforprintingandsharing,youwillhavetheoptimalstrategyforlong-termpreservationandpracticaleverydayaccess.
Here’showtoconvertyourimagefilesonaMac,inWindows,orusingAdobePhotoshopElements.
MACPREVIEW:InthestandardMacOSPreview,clickExportAs(orExport)andthenselectJPGformatfromthedrop-downmenu.WINDOWSEXPLORER:InWindows8,clicktoopenthephotointheEditwindow,chooseSaveaCopy,andthensaveastype:JPG.PHOTOSHOPELEMENTS:ClickontheFilemenuandthenSaveAs.SelectJPGformatinthedrop-downmenu.
StoringJPGImages
ThinkofyournewlycompressedJPGimagesasyourworkingfiles.Usethemforediting,sharing(viae-mailorsocialmedia),creatingphotoprojects(likephotobooks),andtranscribing.YoucanstoreyournewJPGimagefilesinthesamelocationastheoriginalTIFFmasterimages.JPGimageswillalwaysbeidentifiedbythe.jpgfileextension.OryoumaychoosetokeepyourJPGimagesinaseparateJPGfilefolder.Chooseanorganizationalmethodthatworksbestforyou.DonotopenthemasterfileunlessyouneedtocreateanewworkingJPGcopy.
WhenYouOnlyHaveJPGOriginals
It’snotalwayspossibletocreateadigitalTIFFfile,especiallywhenworkingwithdigitalcamerasandscanningimageswithmobiledevices.SomescanningsoftwareordevicesdonotsupporttheTIFFarchivalformat.IfyourmasterfileisintheJPGformat,itisagood
ideatoduplicatethisoriginalfileandmoveittoyourImageVaultsoyoualwayshaveoneunchangedoriginalimage.ConsiderthisJPGyourmasterfile.
BackItUp
Wheneveryoucompleteascanningsession,taketimetobackupyourfiles.Thebestbackupstrategyisthe3-2-1rule:
3copies2differentmedia1copystoredoff-site
Manydifferentcombinationswillprovideagoodbackupsolution,butthekeytoagreatbackupsystemistospreadoutyourcopiesacrossdifferentmediaanddifferentstoragelocations.Whenhurricanesandtornadoeswipeoutahomeandfamilyphotocollection,it’sreassuringtoknowthatdigitalcopiesaresafeinthecloudorstashedatarelative’shomeinanotherstate.Don’twaitforadisastertosafeguardyourpreciousfamilymemories.Practicethe3-2-1Backupruleregularly,especiallyafteramajorscanningsession.
CloudstoragecangetexpensiveforlargeimagecollectionsofTIFFandMOVfiles.Lookforotherwaystoprovidecost-effectiveoff-sitestorageifneeded,suchasaduplicateexternalharddrivestoredatarelative’shomeoratyourplaceofbusinessorinasafe-depositbox.
EstablishaScanningWorkflowPlan
Nowthatyou’vegotyourstoragedeviceandaplanfororganizingandbackingupyourdigitalfiles,you’llwanttocreateaplanforhowyou’lldothedigitizing—yourscanningworkflow.Here’sanexample:
STEP1:CREATEASCANSFOLDER.CreateadesktopfoldernamedSCANStoholdallyournewlyscannedfiles.ScanyourfilesintotheSCANSfolder.
STEP2:MOVESCANNEDIMAGESTOTHEPHOTOLIBRARY.ImportscannedimagesfromtheSCANSfoldertoyourPHOTOLIBRARYfolder.(SeeChapter1fordetailsonhowtosetthisup.)Ifyouusephoto-managementsoftware,importandmovefileswithinthesoftware.Ifpossible,usethesoftwaretohelpyourenamethefilesastheyaremoved.Whenyou’vefinishedtransferringyourscannedimagestoyourPhotoLibrary,theSCANSfolderwillbeempty.
STEP3:RENAME,TAG,ANDADDKEYWORDS.Ifyoudidn’trenamefilesasyoumovedthem,renamethemnowusingaconsistentfile-namingstructure.Alsoaddmetadatatotheimage,includingtagsandkeywords.
STEP4:BACKITUP.BackupyourPhotoLibrarytoyourImageVault,whichcanbeoneitheranexternalharddrive,acloudstorageservice,aDVD,orothermedia.
STEP5:ARCHIVE.CreateaPhotoArchivebybackingupyourImageVaultofscannedimages.Storethiscopyoff-site.YouwillneedtoaccessitonlyifyourImageVaultisdamagedordestroyed,orifyouneedtotransferittonewerstoragemedia.ThePhotoArchivecouldbestoredonanexternalharddrive,onanarchivalDVD,orviaanonlinebackupservice.
SUCCESSFULSCANNINGSTRATEGIES
There’sstillonemorethingyou’llneedbeforeyoustartdigitizingyourfamilyheritagephotographs:ascanner,ofcourse.Inthenextchapter,I’llintroduceyoutoseveraloptionsforat-homeandmobilescanningandprovidetipstostreamlineyourscanningsessionsandachievethebestpossibleimageswithdifferentdevices.
8ScanningEquipment
Myflatbedscannerhasoutlivedallcomputers,printers,andharddrivesinmyhomeoffice,yetIuseitforlongdigitizingsessionsmanytimesaweek.Itwasdefinitelyagoodinvestmentthatdelivershigh-qualitydigitalimagesreadyforrestoration,archiving,andsharing.Myall-in-oneprinteroffersscanningtoo,butthelimitedoptionsandlongerscanningtimeskeepmegoingbacktomyEpsonflatbedscannerwheneverIneedtoscanasinglephotooraboxfilledwithsnapshots.
Almostanyscannercanperformwonderfuldigitaltricks,butyouneedtoknowthesecretwordtounlockthedoor.ThatsecretwordisProMode.You’llneedtodiscoverwhat’sbehindthepreprogrammedProModetomakefulluseofyourscanner’ssoftwaretricks.Onceyouknowaboutthesehiddenfeatures,you’llknowwhattolookforwhenexploringnewequipmentforyourhomeandtravel.
Inthischapter,I’llintroduceyoutoawideselectionofscannersandscanningtools—fromofficedesktopmodelstosmartphonescanningappstoportablescannerstouseonthego.I’llalsowalkyouthroughthescanningoptionsandfeaturesyou’llwanttolookforwhenselectingascannertoarchiveanddigitizeyourheirloomfamilyphotos.
DIGITALSCANNERTERMINOLOGY
Whenyoufirststartlookingforascanner,thescanningjargonmaysoundlikeaforeignlanguage.Herearesomekeyscanningtermsandfeaturesyoushouldknow.
Autofilenaming:Savetimebyusingyourscanner’sfile-namingfeatures.Thisisusuallyavailablethroughthescanner’sPreviewwindowasanoptionforyoutoenteracustomnameandastartingnumber.Itusesthecustomnameyouprovideandautomaticallyaddsuniquesequentialnumberstoeachimage.Batchscanning:Thisfeatureletsyouscanmultiplephotosinonepassofthescanner.Somescannerswillautomaticallydetecteachitem;otherscannersrequiremanualselection.Eachphotoissavedandnamedindividually.Thisfeaturesavestimewhenscanninglargecollections.Color:Scannerstypicallyoffer8-bitor16-bitgrayscale(akablack-and-white)or24-bitor48-bitcoloroptionsforscanning.Coloristhebestchoicefordigitizingall
photographs,whethertheoriginalsareblack-and-whiteorcolor.The24-bitcolorwillgiveyouafullrangeofphoto-realisticcoloronyourscannedimages.Colorrestoration:Thisfeaturerestoresfadedcolortooldsnapshots.Cropping:Croppingallowsyoutocutoutunwantedpartsofanimage.Somescannerswillallowyoutopreviewtheimageandcropthephotobeforeyouscanit,soyougetonlythephoto(notthescannerbackground)inyourscan.Portabledevicestypicallyscanthefullscanningbedwithoutacroppingoption.Descreening:Thiseliminatesthetinydotsusedintheprintingprocessandimprovesscansofnewspaperandmagazinephotographs.DigitalICE:Usedigitalimagecorrectionandenhancement(ICE)toremovedustandscratcheswhendustremovalisnotsufficient.DigitalICErequiresalongerscanningtimeandhighercomputerresources,butitgivesahigher-qualityresult.Resultsarenotvisiblewhenyoupreviewtheimage.DigitalICEmaynotbeavailableforalldocumenttypes.Dustremoval:Thisoptionautomaticallyremovesdustontheoriginalitem;theeffectsarenotvisiblewhenyoupreviewtheimage.Youmayneedtoselectthelevelofcorrection:low,medium,orhigh.DustremovalmaynotbeavailableifdigitalICEisselected,andscanningtimewillbelonger.Fileformat:Mostscannersscandocumentsandphotosinmanyfileformats.TIFFisthebestchoiceforarchivalimages,butitcreateslargeimagefiles.MostdigitalcamerasandportabledevicesofferonlyJPGimages,whichismoreefficientforfilessavedtoremovablestoragesuchasanSDcardorflashdrive.Maxscanningsize:Popularofficescannersaccommodateletterandlegalsizepaper;somemodelscanhandleitemsupto11x17inchesandlarger.Portabledevicesmaybelimitedinscanningimagesize.Camerascandigitizeitemsofanysizeandshape.Negatives/film/slides:Aspecialfilmcarrierforscanningfilmandnegativesallowsthescannerlighttopassthroughthetransparency.Softwarecanconvertthenegativeimagetoapositiveimagewithfargreaterdetailthanisavailablebyscanningaprintedimage.Notallscannershavethisfeature.Resolution:Resolutionismeasuredindotsperinch(dpi)orpixelsperinch(ppi).Toachievegoodprintquality,digitalimagesshouldbeaminimum200dpiatthesizeyouwantprinted.Becauseimagesareoftenenlargedormodified,it’ssafertoaimforaresolutionof600dpiforyourphotoscans.
KEYFEATURESTOCONSIDER
Whenpurchasinganynewscanner—whetherit’saflatbed,all-in-one,ormobiledevice—you’llwanttoconsiderthefollowingfeatures:
overalldimensionsofmaximumscanareaincludedscanningsoftware,cables,filmaccessories,memorycards,andOCRsoftwarescanningspeedflush-edgeandremovable(oradjustable)coverforscanningboundbooksandartifactsabilitytoscancolor,text,andblack-and-white,plusoptionsforphotos,documents,andfilmresolutionoptionsthatrangefrom75dpithrough2400dpiorhigherpreviewandcroppingabilityfileformatoptions(JPG,TIFF,PDF,PNG,GIF,BMP)file-savingoptions,suchasscanningtoafolderoranapplicationfordesktopdevices,orbuilt-inmemoryorremovableSDcardformobilescannersfile-namingoptions,includingabilitytoaddcustomnamesandconsecutivenumbersimageadjustmentoptionsforcolorrestoration,descreening,dustremoval,anddigitalICEbatch-scanningoptionseaseofuseoverallfootprintandsizemanualandhelpoptions
Onceyounarrowyouroptions,checkoutreviewsofscannersatCNET<www.cnet.com>,PCMagazine<www.pcmag.com>,andImagingResource<www.imaging-resource.com>.
TIPBenefitsofOCRSoftware
OpticalCharacterRecognition(OCR)softwareisbundledwithmanyscannerstoprovidesearchabletextfromadigitalimage.Thismeansthatifyouscanadocumentorimagethathastext,yourtextwillbecomesearchable.Accuracyofthesearchabletextvaries,dependingonthequalityoftheoriginalimageandscanningequipment.
Viewatextversionofthistable
Viewatextversionofthistable
DESKTOPSCANNERS
Whenitcomestoscanningheirloomphotographs,yourdigitizingequipmentisonlyhalfofthesolution.Youalsoneeddigitizingsoftwarethatwillproducehigh-qualityscansquicklyandeasily.Alldesktopflatbedscannersandall-in-onedevicesofferavarietyofscanningresolutions,fileformats,andotheroptions.Thekeyistofindascannerandsoftwaretosuityourworkstyle,needs,andbudget.
Ifyouroutinelydigitizeheirloomphotosanddocumentsorplanalargedigitizingproject,youwillappreciatethespeedandfeaturesofadedicatedflatbedscanner.Ifyouonlyneedtoscanphotosoccasionally,youmayfindanall-in-onedeviceisadequateforyourneeds.Eitherdeviceisasafeoptionfordigitizingheirloomphotosanddocuments.
FlatbedScanners
Thebestdigitizingequipmentformostfamilyhistoriansissimple,affordable,andefficient:adedicatedflatbedscanner,whichusuallycostsunder$200.Lookforascannerwithuser-friendlysoftwareofferingbatchscanningandfilenaming,alongwithafilmcarrier,aplasticaccessoryusuallyincludedforscanningcolorandblack-and-whitenegatives,slides,andfilm.Theresultingdigitalimagefromscannedfilmissharperandmorepristinethanascannedpaperimageandwellworththeeffortforspecialimages.Evenifyouthinkyouwon’tbescanningfilmorslides,thefirsttimeyoudoneedtodigitizeanoldblack-and-whitenegativefoundtuckedinsideaphotoenvelope,you’llbegladyouhavetheoptiontoworkwithfilmonyourflatbedscanner.SeveralEpsonflatbedmodelshavethesefeatures.
Itcanbetemptingtotrycompactslidescanners,negativescanners,ordigitizinggadgetsthatpromise“fast,easyresults,”butI’vefoundthatadedicatedflatbedscannerwithfilmcarriereasilyhandlesmostofmydigitizingneeds.Irecommendchoosingaflatbedscannerwhenyouwanttodigitizeitemsthatwilleasilyfitontheglassofyourscannersuchasheirloomphotographs,snapshots,colororblack-and-whitenegatives,andslides.
FLATBEDPROS FLATBEDCONS
accommodatesmanykindofitemsaffordablefasterthanall-in-onedevicesconsistent,high-qualitydigitizedimagesincludedsoftwareoffersadvancedscanningoptionstime-savingfeaturesofbatchscanningandfilehandlingseparatefilmcarriercanscannegatives,film,andslides
limitedtosizeofscanningbedrequiresflat,stablesurface
All-in-OneDevices
Youmayalreadyuseanall-in-oneprinter,scanner,andcopierdeviceinyourhomeofficeandbereluctanttoaddanotherpieceofequipmentsuchasadedicatedflatbedscanner.Anall-in-onedeviceisagoodoptionforoccasionalscanning,especiallyifworkspaceislimited.Dependingonthemanufacturerandmodel,youmayhavethesamescanningsoftwareavailableondedicatedscanners;however,becausefilmscanningrequiresbothaspecialfilmcarrierandalightsourceabovethefilm,mostall-in-onedevicesareunabletodigitizenegativesandslides.Iwasdelightedtofindthatmynewlarge-formatEpsonall-in-oneincludedthesameEpsonscansoftwareIusedforyearswithmyEpsonV500flatbedscanner.TheonlyfeatureImissedwasthefilm-scanningcapabilityofmydedicatedscanner.
Besuretoalsoconsideranall-in-onedevice’sfeaturessuchasanoptionalsheet-feedmechanismanditsabilitytoscanboundbooks.Butkeepinmindthattherollerinasheet-feedmechanismcanmangleanddamagefragilepapersandphotos.Toavoidtheriskofruiningyourheirloomphotos,usetheall-in-onedevice’sflatbedportiontoscanyourimages.
ALL-IN-ONEPROS ALL-IN-ONECONS
savesdesktopspaceeconomical
slowerscanningspeedthanaflatbedscannerlimitedscanningformat,resolution,andfile-namingoptionsfewimageadjustmentsusuallycannotscannegatives,film,orslides
MOBILEDIGITIZINGEQUIPMENT
Youmayhaveheardtheoldadage,“Thebestcameraistheoneyouhavewithyou.”It’struefordigitizingequipmentlikescanners,too.Howmanytimeshaveyouwishedyouhadyourflatbedscannerhandytocopyastackoffamilyphotoscautiouslysharedbyanelderlyrelative?Youknowthismaybeyouronlyopportunitytoviewandcopythosesnapshots,andyouneedtogetthebestimagespossible.Theroomiswarmandpoorlylitbyonlyafewtablelamps.Yourgreat-auntisnoteagertoletthephotosleaveherhome.Youroptionsaresimple:asmartphonecamera,whichwillresultinfairlygood,butnotgreat,copies,ornothing.Butwait—there’sanotheroption:mobilescanners.Severalmodelsofportabledevicesofferyetanothermethodfordigitizingphotographsonthego.Thesedevicesfallintotwocategories:portableflatbedscannersandhandheldwandandmousescanners.
Full-SizePortableFlatbedScanners
TheCanoScanLiDEportablescanner<www.canon.com>ispopularwithresearcherswhowanttousetheirownscanningequipmentatlibrariesandarchives.TheCanoScanLiDEoffersafull-sizescanningflatbedpoweredbyaUSBcableattachedtoyourWindowsorMaclaptopcomputer.Thescannerisaboutthesizeofasmalllaptopcomputerandfitseasilyinsideacomputerbagwithalaptop.Ofcourse,thetrade-offforlightweightportabilityisthescanner’soverallplasticbuild,sobecarefultoprotectthedevicefromdamagebytransportingitinapaddedcomputerbagwiththelidclosedandsecuredwithapieceofplastictape.
TheCanoScanLiDEportablescannerdelivershigh-qualityletter-sizescansinavarietyofresolutionsandfileformats,includingTIFF,andthesoftwareincludedcan
stitchtogethermultiplescansofoversizeitems.YoucansaveimagestothelaptopharddriveordirectlytoanSDcardorUSBflashdriveforlatertransfertoyourphotocollection.
TheCanoScanLiDEcancapturean8.5x11-inchimageinonescanasanarchivalTIFF,andithastheabilitytoaddfilenamesasyouwork.ThesefeaturessaveconsiderabletimewhenyoureturnhomeandmoveyournewdigitalimagestoyourPhotoLibrary.Themaindrawbackofthisscanner,however,isthatitssoftwareislessuser-friendlythanotherscanners.Toworkaroundthisdisadvantage,installanduseHamrick’sVueScansoftwareonyourlaptopwiththeCanoScanLiDE.Atapricepointunder$100,thisisagoodportablescannerforresearchers.
CANOSCANLiDEPROS CANOSCANLiDECONS
portable,lightweight,fitsinalaptopbaginexpensivepermittedinmanyarchivesandlibrariesdoesn’tdamagedocumentsorphotosscansletter-sizesheetsinoneoperationscansinmultipleresolutionsandfileformats,includingarchivalTIFFoffersbatchscanningandfilenamingcropsimagesautomaticallyUSBpowered(noneedforbatteries)savesimagestocomputer/storagemediacoverhingeallowsforbookscanning
unintuitivescannersoftwaredoesn’thavefilmornegativecarrier
SmallPortableFlatbedScanners
TheFlip-Palportableflatbedscannerispopularwithmanyfamilyphotofansbecauseofitsunique“flip-and-scan”feature.Thisscannerwasdesignedbyfamilyhistorianstoeasilyscanphotosatfamilygatherings.TheFlip-Paloffershigh-qualityJPGscanningcomparabletoatraditionallargerscanner.Othermanufacturersarenowofferingsimilarproducts,aswell.
The4x6-inchscanningbedandlimitedresolution(300or600dpi)areadequateformostfamilysnapshotsandcreategood-qualityimagesforrestorationwork.Thescanner’ssmallsizeallowsittobeflippedupside-downtocopylargephotosoroversizedocumentsinmultipleimagesthatcanbe“stitched”togetherusingtheincludedEasyStitchsoftware.
TheFlip-PalispoweredbyfourAAbatteries;alkaline,photolithium,orrechargeablebatteriesmaybeused,butrechargeablebatterieswillscannearlythreetimesmorephotos
thanalkalinebatteries.Ifyou’regoingtodoalotofscanning,youwillsavemoneyinthelongtermbyinvestinginasetofqualityrechargeablebatteries,suchasthenewestgenerationnickel-metalhydride(NiMH)rechargeablebatteries,whichrechargefastandcanholdtheirchargeforuptoninemonths.Irecommendpurchasinganextrasetofrechargeablebatteries,too,soyouwillbesetforanyscanningthatcomesalong.
ImagesscannedwiththeFlip-PalmobilescanneraresavedtoastandardSDcard(includedwiththescanner)andcanbetransferredtoyourcomputerlikeanydigitalimage.ManyusersautomatetransferbyusingtheWi-Fi-enabledEyefiMobiSDcard(seeChapter2),whichcansendthescannedimagesdirectlyfromcardtocomputerasyouwork.
TheFlip-Palisnotreallyefficientforheavyofficedocumentscanningduetothesmallscanningbed,limitedfileformats,andbattery-onlyoperation,butthesesamefeaturesmakeitaterrificmobiledigitizingtool.
FLIP-PALPROS FLIP-PALCONS
funtouse,lightweight,portable,affordablegoodforvisitswithrelativesandon-siteresearchatlibrariesandarchivesEasyStitchsoftwareextendsscansizeoptionsquickscanningtimewithstandard(300dpi)andhigh(600dpi)resolutionhasaremovablecovertoscanartifactsandoversizeitemspermittedinmanyarchivesandlibrarieswillnotdamagedocumentsorphotosusesrechargeablebatteriesacceptsstandardSDcards;alsowillacceptwireless-enabledEyefiMobiSDcardeverythingisincluded:batteries,SDcard,software
limitedsizeofglassflatbedscanningarealimitedtoJPGformatlimitedtotwooptionsforresolutionlimitedimageenhancementsavailablenumberofscanslimitedbycardstoragebatterypowered,soyoumustcarryextrasdoesn’tscannegatives,film,orslides
ANoteAboutOlderScanners
Ifyouhaveanolderscannerthatnolongerworkswithyourcomputerorupgradedoperatingsystem,youmightbeabletouseitwiththird-partyscanningsoftwaresuchasVueScanfromHamrickSoftware<www.hamrick.com>orSilverFastbyLaserSoft<www.lasersoft.com>.I’veusedVueScansuccessfullywithseveralscanners,includinganHPAll-in-One,Epsonflatbed,andCanonCanoScanLiDEflatbed.
VueScanforWindows,MacOSX,andLinuxoffersfeaturessimilartotheEpsonscannersoftwareforbatchscanning,renaming,andediting,andit’scompatiblewithmorethan2,500scanners.SilverFastissoldinBeginnerandProfessionaleditions
forspecificscannermodels,includingmorethan350differentscannersforWindowsandMaccomputers.
WandandMouseScanners
Manygenealogistsregularlyuseaportablewandormousescannertodigitizeresearchmaterial,especiallypagesfrombooks,magazines,orotherdocuments.Thelowcostandportabilityofwandandmousescannersareattractivefeatures,andyoucanachievegood-qualityscanswithalittlepracticeandasteadyhand.LiketheFlip-Palmobilescanner,wandandmousescannerscaptureJPGimagesonly,buttheyoffercordless,batterypoweredmobilityinahandhelddevice.
Thescanningmechanisminwandandmousescannersislocatedinsidethedevicefacingtheopenunderside.Smallrollersontheundersideofthemouseorwandscannerhelpthedeviceglideoverthepaper,scanningtheimageasitpasses.Somearchivesandlibraries,includingtheNationalArchivesinWashington,D.C.,donotpermittheuseofscanningdeviceswithmovingpartssuchaswandormousescanners.Ifyouplantouseawandormousescannertocopyresearchon-site,it’sagoodideatocheckthelibraryorarchivescanningpolicybeforeyougo.
Whenconsideringawandormousescanner,you’llwanttobesuretolookatfourkeyfeatures:
lengthofthewand,becauseitdeterminesthewidthofmaterialthatcanbescannedpowersource,suchasbatterypowerorACadapternumberofscansperbatterychargenumberofscansstoredonthedeviceorSDcard
WandScanners
Sometimescalled“MagicWand”scanners,theseportablestick-typescannersrequiretheusertomovethewandovertheitem.Typicalscannersettingsvarybymodelandofferscanningresolutionfrom300dpiupto900dpi.FilesaresavedinJPGorPDFformattointernalmemoryortoamicroSDcard(thetinyversionofthestandardSDcard),dependingonthemodel.YoucantransfertheimagestoyourPhotoLibraryviaaUSBcable.WandscannersarebatterypoweredwithAAorrechargeablelithiumbatteries.
Wandscannersarepopularwithresearcherswhoneedtocopypagesfrombooksorotherprintedmaterial,butmostusersfindtheresultsarelesssatisfactorywith
photographsandimageswhereyoumaywantahigh-qualitydigitalfileforrestoration,reproduction,andarchiving.
MouseScanners
SmallhandheldmousescannersresembleacomputermousebutincludeamultidirectionalscanningmechanismthatcancopyadocumentorphotoinanydirectionwhentheScanfeatureisactivated.Thescanismadebysweepingthemousebackandforthovertheitemuntiltheentiresurfacehasbeencopied.Usersreportthatitworkswellforsmallreceiptsanddocuments,butphotosarebestdigitizedwithanothermethod.
WANDANDMOUSEPROS WANDANDMOUSECONS
affordablesmall,lightweight,portablegoodscansfortextandboundbooks
requiresaflat,stablesurfacemaybedifficulttoachievegoodresultsscansonlyflatitemsnumberofscansislimitedbydeviceorSDcardstoragelimitedfileformatsandresolutionoptionsnotpermittedinalllibrariesandarchivesbatterypowered,soyoumustcarryextrascan’tscannegatives,film,orslides
DIGITALCAMERASASSCANNERS
IfIcouldonlyhaveonedigitizingdevice,itwouldbehardtochoosebetweenaflatbedscannerandadigitalcamera.Thescannerisbetterforcapturinghigh-resolutiondetailandnuancesofcolorinheirloomphotographs,butit’shardtofitalargeantiqueprintonthestandard-sizeglassbedofascanner.That’swhenIbringoutmydigitalcamera,settheresolutiontomaximummegapixels,turnofftheflash,andsnapmultiplephotosfromdifferentangles.Whenpairedwithatripodandautomaticshutterrelease,adigitalcameracanbecomeado-it-yourselfcopystationthatspeedsupdigitizingscrapbooks,photoalbums,andoversizephotographs.
Lookforadigitalcamerawithaminimum5megapixel(MP)resolution.LearntoturnofftheAutoFlashsoyourimagesaren’truinedbyaflashburstoroverexposedwithtoomuchlight.Ifyouhaveachoicebetweenasmartphone,digitalpoint-and-shootcamera,digitalSingleLensReflex(SLR)camera,orMirrorlessFour-Thirds(M4/3)camera,alwaysselecttheonewiththelargestimagesensor.Thelargerthesensor,themorelightwillbeavailabletothecameralenstorecordtheimage,resultinginabetterpicture.LearnmoreaboutdigitalimagesensorsandfindtheimagesensorsizeofyourowngearatCameraImageSensor<cameraimagesensor.com>.
DIGITALCAMERAPROS DIGITALCAMERACONS
versatile,affordablegoodforalmostanyitembestdevicetodigitizeoversizeand3-DobjectsexpandablestoragewithremovableSDstoragecardsfastforcreatingdigitalimages
requiresgoodlightneedsatripodforbestresultsmostconsumercamerasofferJPG-onlyfileformatnumberofscansislimitedbydeviceorstoragecardbatterypowered,soyoumayneedextrascan’tscannegatives,film,orslides
DOCUMENTCAMERAS
Documentcamerasaren’twell-knownoutsideofschoolswheretheyhavelargelyreplacedtheoverheadprojectorofpastclassrooms.Newtechnologyhasmadethesecamerasaviablealternativeforfast,high-qualityscansofphotosanddocuments.ThetinycameraispositionedonanadjustablearmconnectedbyUSBcabletoacomputer.Softwareincludedwiththedevicecapturesanythingwithinviewofthecamerainphotosandvideosforscreendisplayorasadigitalfile.
HistorianscanusedocumentcamerastoquicklydigitizedocumentsandphotosinJPG,TIFF,orPDFformat.Becausetheitemrestsonthetableordesk,there’snoneedtomanipulateaboundbookorfragileoversizephotoontoascanningbed.Andtheweighteddocumentcameraarmactslikeatripodtoholdthecamerasteadyforashake-freeshot.Itmaybenecessarytoextendthecameraarmheighttodigitizelargeritems.Theintegratedlightaidsimagecaptureinlow-lightsituationscommontolibrariesandarchives.
DocumentcamerasarepoweredthroughaUSBcableconnectiontoyourWindowsorMaccomputer,andscannedimagescanbesavedtothecomputer,anSDcard,USBflashdrive,orotherstoragedevice.
Fast,high-qualityscansmakethemgoodportabledevicesfordigitizingmanyitemsquickly,especiallyforresearchdocumentsorphotoalbumpages.
Lookforthehighestresolutiondocumentcameras,suchasthenewSolo8modelsfromHoverCam<www.thehovercam.com>.
DOCUMENTCAMERAPROS DOCUMENTCAMERACONS
createsfastdigitalscanspermittedinmanyarchivesandlibrariesdoesn’tdamagedocumentsorphotoscompactandsturdyoffersmultipleresolutionsandfileformats,includingTIFFintegratedlightishelpfulindarklibrariesvideooptionsareusefulfordemonstrationsautomatedscanningfunctionsspeedlargescanningprojectsUSBpowered(noneedforbatteries)multiplefilestorageoptions
moreexpensivethanatypicalscannerordigitalcameraheavierandbulkierthanadigitalcameramayneedtoextendcameraheightforlargeitemsnooptionforscanningnegatives,film,orslides
SMARTPHONESASSCANNERS
Itdoesn’ttakeanyspecialskillorequipmenttocaptureacceptableimagesofarecipeorrestaurantreceiptusingyoursmartphonecamera.Mostmobilephonesincludeacameralensandbuilt-insoftwarethatrivaldedicatedpoint-and-shootcamerasforoutdoorshootinganddoagoodjobindoorswithadequatelight.
Smartphonecamerastaketerrificphotos,butcapturingagoodscannedimageisnotthesameassnappingavacationscene,sosmartphonesaren’talwaysthebestchoicefordigitizingphotographs.Thesmallimagesensorlimitstheamountoflightthatthecameralenscantakein,makingithardertocaptureasharpimageinlow-lightsituations.Becausegenealogiststypicallydigitizephotosanddocumentsindoors,thislimitationcanresultinfuzzyimages.
Enterscanningapps.Scanningappsaredesignedspecificallytoaddressthechallengesoflow-lightdocumentcapture.Scanningappsofferfeaturessuchascropping,deskewing,lightcorrection,andvariousfileformatoptions.Someofthemostpopularscanapps:
CamScanner(Android,iOS)<www.camscanner.com>DocScan(iOS)<ifunplay.com/docscanapp.html>GeniusScan(Android,iOS,WinPhone)<www.thegrizzlylabs.com>HandyScanner(Android)<www.halfmobile.net>Prizmo(Mac,iOS)<www.creaceed.com/prizmo>ScannerPro(iOS)<readdle.com>TurboScan(iOS,Android)<turboscanapp.com>
TaketimetoinvestigateappsavailableforyourAndroidoriOSdeviceandlearntousetheirfeatures.Ifyou’reconsideringusingyoursmartphoneasyourscanner,youmay
wanttogetsomeadditionalgear,includingascanningapp,acameragrip,andatripod.It’salsogoodtobemindfulofthelimitedbatterylifeandstorageoptionsformostsmartphones.SeetheAppendixforacompletelistofscanningresources.
SMARTPHONEPROS SMARTPHONECONS
convenient(youmayalreadyhaveone)smallandportablecandigitizeitemsofnearlyanysizeorformatsafeforfragileandolditemspermittedinmanyarchivesandlibraries
requiresgoodlightscansmaybebetterwithatripodJPG-onlyfileformatcanbeexpensivetopurchasenumberofscansislimitedbydeviceorstoragecardmaydrainyourdevice’sbatterycan’tscannegatives,film,orslides
ESSENTIALSCANNINGACCESSORIES
High-qualitydigitalimagesareeasiertoachievewithafewsimpleaccessories,suchas:
amicrofiberglasscleaningclothasoftartist’sorphotolensbrush
Helpfulaccessoriesforscanningwithadigitalcameraorsmartphone:
astandardrigid-legtripodaflexible-legtripod(suchastheJobyGorillaPod<www.joby.com>)amicrofiberlensclothwiredorwirelessshutterremoteascanningappforsmartphonescanningextrabatteriesandmemorycards
WHENTOCALLINTHEPROS
Althoughdigitizingiseasyandaffordableusinghomeequipment,therearetimeswhenitmakessensetouseaprofessionaldigitizingservice,especiallywhenyouneedtoscananykindoffilm.Becausenegatives,slides,andmoviefilmholdmoredetailthanprintedphotographs,eachframeneedstobescannedatahigherresolution,whichtakesmoretimeperscan.Forexample,afull-color600dpiscanofaprinted3x5.5-inchblack-and-whitesnapshottakesabouttwenty-fiveseconds.Incontrast,scanningthe2.5x4.5-inchBrownienegativeofthesameimageintherecommended2400dpiresolutiontakesabouttwominutes.Ifyouneedtoscanonehundrednegatives,thescanningtimealone—notincludingsetup—willrequirenearlythreeandahalfhours.Doyouhavethetimeavailableforthisproject?
Youmayhaveadifferentsituationandwanttodigitizeonlyafewslidesormovies,butlacktheproperequipment.Sendingyourworktoaprofessionalservicewillbemoreeconomicalandefficientthanpurchasingandlearningtooperateanewscannerforonlyoneproject.
Professionaldigitizingservicesvaryfromhigh-qualityprofessionalswhodoallworkon-sitetoautomatedscanningby“big-box”storeswhosendcrate-loadsofphotosoverseasforcheapturnaround.Don’tletthisscareyouawayfromseekingoutareputablecompanytohelpyoudigitizeyourfamilyphotos,negatives,slides,andmovies.Herearethekeyfeaturestolookfor.
Localbusiness,on-sitework:Callaheadandaskifyoucandeliveryourphotos.Takeasmallorderandthenaskforatour,orlookaroundandobservetheequipmentandprocess.Ifyouneedtoshipyourphotos,askwhattheintakeandtrackingprocedureinvolves.Equipment:Someautomatedequipmentisacceptableformodernphotos,butask:Howdoesthecompanyworkwithfragilephotos,negatives,andslides?Fileformats:Makesuretheydeliveryourscansbacktoyouinaformatyoucanuse,suchasJPGorTIFF.Imageadjustment:Isthisavailable?Canyourequestuntouchedimages?Filedelivery:SomecompaniesofferInternetdownloads,flashdrives,orexternalharddrives.Besureyouknowhowyourdigitalcopies(andthehardcopiesyoudropoff)willbereturnedtoyou.Cost:Becarefulaboutselectingaservicebasedonpricealone.Testanewfirmwithasmalljobbeforecommittingtoabiggerproject.Lookforonlineandlocaldiscountcoupons,andaskaboutdiscountsforreturncustomers.
9ScanningTactics
ThefirsttimeIscannedaphotographofmygrandmotherandzoomedintoviewthedigitalimageonmycomputerscreen,Ifeltashiftinattitudetowardmyphotoinheritance.Insteadoffeelinglikeafamilymemberviewinganoldsnapshot,Ibecamearesearchhistorian,scrutinizingthephotoforcluesinmygrandmother’sjewelry,clothing,andsurroundings.Thedigitalimageallowedmeacloseexaminationoftheimage,andwhenIlookedatmyscanofthephoto’sreverseside,Idiscoveredfainthandwriting.Withafewadjustmentsinmyphoto-editingsoftware,Iwasabletoreclaimthefadedhandwritingandreadthecaptionidentifyingthedateandplacethephotowastaken.AfterIfinishedworkingwithphotoclues,Itouchedupadigitalcopytouseinaphotobooktosharewithmysisterandextendedfamily.
Digitizingfamilyphotoswithascannerorcameradoesmuchmorethanpreserveimagecopies.Asingledigitalimagecanbeshared,restored,reprinted,andusedincountlesscreativefamilyhistoryprojects—allyouneedisascannerordigitalcamera.
BEFOREYOUBEGIN
Beforeyoubeginanydigitizingproject,taketimetolearnaboutyourequipmentandhowtoaccessthefullrangeofitsavailablefeatures.Whenusingaflatbedscanner,turnonitsProModetoviewalloptionsforyourscanningproject.Thiswillallowyoutoaccessthefullrangeoffeaturesofferedbyyourscanneranditsscanningsoftware.You’lllikelyneedtoturnoffAutoModetoaccessthecustomorprofessionalfeatures.Whenusingadigitalcameraorsmartphonecamera,taketimetounderstandhowtoturntheflashonandoff,howtosetthecameraresolution,andhowtoconfirmthedateandtimearecorrect.
WorkingWithFileFormats
MostfamilyphotographersandgenealogistscaptureimagesinJPGformat.Thisisthedefaultfileformatforconsumerdigitalcameras,smartphones,andtablets.YoumayhaveheardthatJPGfileslosesomedataeverytimethefileisopened,edited,andsaved.ThisispartofthecompressionfeaturethatkeepsJPGfilessmallenoughtobeeffectivefore-mailingandonlineuse.EachtimeyoueditandsaveaJPG,aneweditedversionoverwritesandcompressestheoldversion.Afeweditsandsavesdon’tappreciablyalter
theimageformostofus,butmanyedits,tweaks,crops,andadjustmentscanleaveyouwithavirtuallyunusable,pixelatedimage.
Whenyouuseascannertocaptureimages,youhavemanymorefileformatoptionsincludingTIFF,alosslessuncompressedimageformat.TIFFfilesdonotusefilecompression,andyouroriginalfiledoesnotdegradeinqualitywitheacheditandsave.Ifyoucropandadjustthecolorofanoriginalandsaveyouredits,however,theoriginalfilewillbeoverwrittenbythechanges,andyouwillbeunabletoreverttotheoriginal.
Theopen-standardPortableDocumentFormat(PDF)isathirdcommonfileformatoftenusedbyfamilyhistorians.PDFisusefulforcreatingadocumenttoholdmultiplepagesofscannedresearchmaterials,buttheadjustmenttoolsarelimitedandmaynotgiveyouenoughoptionstoenhancecolorandadjustcontrastwhenyouneedtoreadandtranscribeolddocumentsandfadedhandwriting.It’sbettertostickwithTIFForJPGformatsforscannedphotosanddocumentsandthencombinethefilesintoaPDFdocumentforarchiving.Forphotographs,scanusingTIFFformatwhenpossible.
TIPJPGvs.TIFF
JPGisafileformatthatusescompressionwhensavingfilesandiscalledalossyfileformatbecauserepeatedopeningandsavingofJPGfilesdeterioratestheimagequalityovertime.TIFFisafileformatthatdoesnotusecompressionwhensavingfilesandisconsideredalosslessformatbecauseitmaintainsitsqualityovertime.
HOWTOSCANANHEIRLOOMPHOTO
Whenyou’rereadytostartdigitizingyourfamilyphotos,prepareasturdysurfacetoholdyourscannerandphotographs.Iliketoworkwithtwofoldersorsmallboxestoholdphotos,labeledToBeScannedandScanned.ThishelpsmeavoidlosingmyplaceifI’minterruptedduringthescanningsession.Usethischecklisttoguideyouthrougheachstepinpreparingyourequipment,yourphotos,andyourscannersettings.
Viewatextversionofthistable
ScanningTipsStarteachscanningsessionbycleaningthescannerglass.Washyourhandsbeforehandlingphotos.Handlephotosonedgesorwearwhitecottongloves.Removelightdustordirtfromphotographsbylightlyusingasoftartist’sbrush.
STEP1:WASHHANDSANDCLEANSCANNERGLASS.Starteachscanningsessionbycleaningtheglassbedofthescannerwithasoftmicrofiberclothlightlydampenedwithwaterorglasscleaner.Avoidsprayingdirectlyontheglass.Repeatthisstepfrequentlyduringlongscanningsessions.Oldphotosoftenleavedustandbitsofcrumblingpaperontheglassbedafterhandling.Cleantheglassoften.Also,washyourhandsorwearwhitecottonglovesbeforehandlingphotos.
STEP2:CLEANPHOTOS.Useasoftartist’sbrushtolightlydustoffanyloosedirtfromyourphotographprints.Donotuseanerasertoremovemarksorsmudges;instead,relyonphoto-editingsoftwaretotouchupandrestore.
STEP3:SETFORMATTYPE(REFLECTIVEORFILM).Photographsprintedonpaperare“reflective”documents;thatis,thelightemittedbythescannerisreflectedbackintothedevice.Negatives,slides,andmoviefilmaretransparentandallowthelighttogothroughtheitem.Choosetheappropriatesettingforyourphotoorfilm.
STEP4:SETRESOLUTION.Scannerresolutionissetindotsperinch(dpi),areferencetotheratioatwhichtheoriginalimageisconvertedfromprinteddotstodigitalpixels.WhenIstartedscanningmyphotocollection,Ifollowedadviceto“usethehighestresolutionpossible”andsoondiscoveredthattheresultingfileswereenormousandfarlargerthannecessary.Inowfollowaprotocoladoptedbymuseumsandarchivesthatneedtoprocessmaterialefficientlyandeffectively,andscanmostphotosat600dpi.
I’vefoundthata600dpiscanofa4x6-inchprintwillprovideagood-quality8x10-inchenlargementorexcellentsame-sizereproductionoftheoriginal.Whenmyoriginalisextremelysmall—forexample,asinglefaceinalargegroupphotooratinyschoolpicture—Isetthescannerresolutionto1200dpiandmakeanadditionalscanfocusingontheindividual.Film,slides,andnegativesholdmoreinformationthanprintedphotosandshouldbescannedatahigherresolutionaswell,typically2400to3200dpi.RefertotheScanningGuidelinescharttoseerecommendedsettingsforvariousphototypes.
STEP5:SETCOLORCHOICE.Select24-bitcolor.Asfamilyhistoriansandarchivists,ourgoalistopreservephotographsanddocumentsinanear-originalform.Youcaneasilyaccomplishrestorationandenhancementinphoto-editingsoftwareworkingfromafull-
colorimageoftheoriginalphotographordocument.Scaneverythinginfullcolor,includingblack-and-whitephotographsandhandwrittendocuments.
Yourscannermayhaveseveraldifferentcolorchoicesusedbygraphicartistsfordesignandprinting,alongwithoptionsfor8or16bits/channel.ItypicallyusethestandardsRGB(Red,Green,Blue)at8bits/channel(24bitstotal);thisallowslatermanipulationofthecolorchannelsinmyphoto-editingsoftware.
STEP6:TURNONADJUSTMENTOPTIONS,IFDESIRED.Ifyouwanttoapplyimageadjustmentstotheoriginalscanandsaveeditingtime,youcandosointhescanningsetup.Themostcommonadjustmentsincludecolorrestorationtoautomaticallyadjustforfadedcolorprintsanddustremoval,anddigitalICEtoremovedustandscratches.
STEP7:SETFILE-NAMINGANDFILE-SAVINGPREFERENCES.OnanEpsonscanner,theseoptionsarefoundinasecondwindowaccessedwiththeFolderbutton.Forarchive-qualitydigitalcopies,selectTIFFformatwheneverpossible.SavenewscanstoyourSCANSfolder.
STEP8:PREVIEWANDCROPIMAGE.PlaceyourphotoontheglassscanningbedandclickthePreviewbutton.Ifyoudon’tseethePreviewbutton,youmaybeoperatingintheautoscanningmode.ClicktheModedrop-downmenuandselectHome,Office,orProfessionalMode.IrecommendProfessionalModeforfullaccesstoallfeatures.Tocroptheimage,clicktheMarqueeselectionbuttonandnotethedottedline.Thisdefinestheareathatwillbescanned.Clickanddragthedottedlinetoselecttheentirephoto.Iliketoincludetheborder.
STEP9:SCANFRONTANDBACK.Alwaysscanthefrontandbackofthephototocaptureanyhandwrittenremarksorphotographer’sinformationthatcouldhelpidentifyanddatetheimage.UsethesamefilenamewiththesuffixRforRecto(rightside,orfront)andVforVerso(reverseside).Orusesequentialnumbersinbatchfilenamingwithoddnumbersindicatingtherightsideandevennumbersindicatingthereverse.
HEIRLOOMPHOTOSCANNINGCHECKLISTSTEP1:Washyourhands.Cleanthescannerglass.STEP2:Lightlydustthephoto.STEP3:SetformattoPHOTOGRAPH(orREFLECTIVE).STEP4:Setresolutionto600dpi.STEP5:Setcolorto24-bitcolor.STEP6:Setadjustments(optional):ColorRestoration,Descreening,etc.STEP7:Setfile-savingandfile-namingtoTIFF.SavetodesktopSCANSfolder.STEP8:Previewandcrop.STEP9:Scanthephoto’sfrontandback.
HOWTOSCANMULTIPLESNAPSHOTSATONETIME
Ifyouhavescannedslidesorastripofnegatives,youmayhavenoticedoptionstoscanmultipleimages.Youcansavetimebyscanningmultiplephotosordocumentsaswell.Forbestresultswhenscanningmorethanoneitematatime:
Leaveaclearlydefinedspacebetweentheimagestohelpthescanneridentifyeachitem.Groupitemsofthesametype:allblack-and-whitephotoswithgoodcontrast,allcolorportraits,allcolorsnapshots,etc.Groupitemsofthesamesize.Leaveroomattheedgeoftheglassdocumentbedsothescancapturestheedges.
ThefollowingstepsareforusinganEpsonflatbedscanner.Otherbrandsofscannersshouldhavesimilarsoftwareoptions.
STEP1:PLACEPHOTOS.Washyourhands(orwearwhitecottongloves)andcleanthescannerglass.Placeyourphotosordocumentsontheglassdocumentbedleavingaboutahalfinchbetweeneachphoto.
STEP2:CHOOSESCANNERSETTINGS.Forphotos,use600dpi,24-bitcolor.AlwaysscaninColorModetocapturethefullrangeofcolor.(SeetheScanningGuidelineschartfordetails.)
STEP3:SELECTFILENAMES,FILEFORMAT,ANDSCANFOLDER.Choosethelocationofthefoldertoholdyourscannedimages.(IuseadesktopfolderlabeledSCANS.)Enterthefilenameprefixfortheimagesandsetthestartnumberforyourindividualphotofiles;choosethefolderwhereyouwantthescanstogo.SelecttheTIFFfileformatandclickOK.
STEP4:PREVIEWTHESCAN.Inthemainscanningwindow,clickPreview.Youwillseeapreviewofalltheitemsonthedocumentbed.Youshouldseeaselectionmarquee(dotted-linerectangle)aroundoneitemoraroundtheentiregroup.Ifyoudonotseetheselection,clicktheMarqueetoolbutton(indicatedbythearrow).Usingyourmouse,grabanyofthedottedlinesandadjusttocompletelyenclosethephoto.It’sokaytohavewhiteedgesshowingoutsidetheborderofthephoto.Ifyouprefertohaveawiderorthinnerborderonyourphoto,makethemarqueelargerorsmaller.Everythingyouseeinsidethedottedlineswillbeincludedinthescan.
STEP5:SELECTIMAGESTOSCANANDDUPLICATESELECTIONMARQUEE.CopythefirstselectionrectangleanduseittoselectanotherimageonthedocumentbedbyclickingtheDuplicateMarqueetool.Thedottedlinearoundyourfirstimagewillbecomeasolidlineandanewdotted-linemarqueewillappear,andthenumberofimageswillchangefromonetotwo.
Useyourmouseandclickanywhereinsidethisdotted-linemarquee.Holddownthemousebuttonandthepointerwillturntoahand;dragthedotted-linemarqueetothenextphoto.Ifallthephotosarethesamesize,youshouldbeabletoenclosethenextimagewithoutadjustments.
STEP6:SELECTADDITIONALIMAGES.Repeatasmanytimesasneededtoselecteachindividualitemonthepage.ClicktheDuplicateMarqueebuttonanddragthenewdotted-linerectangletoselecteachimage.Noticethattheimagecountchangesasyoumakeadditionalselections.Theactivephotowillhavethedottedlines.
STEP7:COMPLETEIMAGESELECTION.ClicktheAllbuttontoindicateyouwanttoscanallselections.Eachimagewillbeenclosedbyadottedlineshowingthatitisselectedforscanning.
STEP8:SCANIMAGES.Inthemainscanningwindow,clicktheScanbutton.Whenfinished,yourfolderwillincludetheindividualscannedimagesautomaticallynamedandnumberedaccordingtoyoursettingsintheFileSavewindow.
HOWTOSCANAPORTIONOFAPHOTO
MostofthetimeIscananentirephoto,includinganybordersoredgingontheprint.Earlytwentieth-centurysnapshotswereoftenprintedwiththedateinthewhitemargin,andmyancestorsoftenaddedhandwrittencommentsinthemarginaswell.Whenphotosarepastedonanalbumpage,Iwanttokeepthecontextandanycommentswiththepictures,soIalwaysscanorphotographtheentirepageasareference.Thisinformationcanhelp
identifymysterypeople,locateancestralhomes,andprovidecluestofamilygroups.Buttoworkwithanindividualphotoforrestorationoranotherproject,Ineedahigh-resolutionfileofanindividualprint.
Aphotoscannedat300or600dpimaybeblockyandpixelatedwhenaportionisenlargedforaprintedpedigreechartorlargefamilytree.Butscanningalargephotooralbumpageatahigherresolutioncreatesahugeimagefileandrequiresmeasurablylongerscanningtime.Icanachievethebestresultwithasmallersizefilebyusingthescannertocroptheimageandscanonlytheselection.Thistechniqueisusefulwhenyouneedto
createindividualmugshotsforafamilytreechart.focusonanindividualinagroupphoto.scanindividualphotosdisplayedaspartofagrouponanalbumpage.deletedamagedareasofaphoto.eliminateunnecessaryanddistractingbackgrounds.
Inthisexample,Iamgoingtocropandenlargeindividualfacesforaprintedchart.Theoriginalsnapshotis3.5inchessquare.Atthestandardsettingof600dpi,theheadshotswillprintatabout1inchsquare.SettingtheTargetSizewillconfirmthefinalsize.
STEP1:PLACEPHOTO.Washyourhands(orwearwhitecottongloves)andcleanthescannerglass.Placeyourphotoontheglassdocumentbed.
STEP2:CHOOSEPORTIONTOSCAN.WiththephotoonthescannerandtheimagedisplayedinthePreviewwindow,adjusttheMarqueetooltoincludeonlytheselectedface.
STEP3:SELECTRESOLUTION.Adjustthescannersettingstoscanat600dpi.Createa1x1-inchsquaretargettemplate:InthemainscanningwindownexttoTargetSize(seeA),clickonthedrop-downmenuandselectCustomize(seeB).Enteranewuser-definedTargetSizeName:1x1andsetthewidthandheightat1.00inches(seeC).ClickSaveandOKwhenfinished(seeD).
STEP4:MAKEFINALCHANGES.ClickontheZoombuttonandadjustyourselection.Themarqueewillretainthe1x1shapesetasthetarget.Ifyouwanttochangeit,gobacktothemainscanningwindowtoselectadifferentTargetSize.
STEP5:SCANPHOTO.Whenyouarepleasedwiththeselection,pressScan.
HOWTOSCANNEGATIVESANDSLIDES
Ifyouarefortunatetoownoldslidesornegatives,youwillachievethebestresultsbyscanningthefilminsteadoftheprintedphotographforyourdigitalimagecopies.Clean,well-preservedfilmretainscrisp,sharpdetailthatisoftenlostinolderprints.
Toscannegativesorslides,youwillneeda“film/slidecarrier.”Thisisaplasticaccessorythatholdsthefilmabovetheglassscanningbed.Manyflatbedscannersarebundledwiththeseaccessories;all-in-oneprinting,scanning,andcopyingdevicestypicallydonotofferslideandfilmscanningorthesoftwaretosupporttheoption.
Negativesandslidesshouldbehandledmuchthesamewayasforscanning.Onlytouchthefilmontheedges;avoidtouchingthesurfaceoftheimage.Refertoyourscanner’suserguideforinstallationinstructionsforthefilmcarrierandrecommendedsettings.
Achievinggoodresultswithfilmscanningrequirespatienceandabitoftrialanderror.Bepreparedtoexperiment.Inaddition,scanningfilmrequiresahigherresolution,1800dpiormore,whichaddstimetothescanningprocess.
Ifyouaredigitizingmanyslidesornegatives,youmaywanttoconsiderusingascanningservice.Searchlocallytofindacompanywhereyoucandropoffyouritems;askforrecommendationsfromfriends.Avoidshippingnegatives,film,orslides,ifpossible,tominimizethechanceoflossordamage.
Toscanfilmstripsorslides,youwillneedtoremovethedocumentmatontheinsidecoverofthescannerlidtoallowthelighttopassthroughthetransparentfilm.Consultyouruserguideforinstructionsonremovingthedocumentmatandcorrectlyinstallingthefilmcarrier.
FollowthisprocessforscanningfilmwiththeEpsonV500orasimilarscanner.
STEP1:CONNECTCOVERCABLE.Confirmthatthecovercableisconnectedtothescanner.
STEP2:REMOVEDOCUMENTMAT.Removethedocumentmatontheundersideofthecover.
STEP3:CLEANSCANNINGWINDOW.Cleanthescannerfilmtransparencywindowbywipinggentlywithacleanmicrofibercloth.
STEP4:ATTACHFILMCARRIER.Placethefilmcarrierontheglassflatbedscanningsurface.
STEP5:INSERTSLIDESORFILM.Putslidesorfilmintothecarrierwiththeshinysidedown.Closescannercover.
STEP6:SELECTSCANNINGOPTIONS.Setthescanningselectionsinthesoftwarewindow:
DocumentType:FILMFilmType:selectColorPositiveFilm,ColorNegativeFilm,orB&WNegativeFilmResolution:2400dpi
Usethesameresolutionforblack-and-whiteorcolororiginals.Duetothehigh-resolutionandTIFFfileformat,scanningwilltakesometime.Bepatient.
STEP7:PREVIEWSCAN.Previewthescan;selecttheimageusingtheselectionMarqueetool.
STEP8:SCAN.Afterscanning,removefilmorslides.Replacethedocumentmatwhenfinishedwithyourfilm-scanningsession.
HOWTODIGITIZEWITHYOURCAMERA
Whenyouneedtodigitizefragileoroversizephotographsthatcouldbedamagedwhenmaneuveredontheglassscannerflatbed,useyourdigitalcameraasyourscanner.Adigitalcameramayalsobegoodtodigitize
photosinalbumsorscrapbooks.imagesinboundbooks.photosinbulkycardboardmats.framedphotographs.acollectedgroupofphotos.
PrepareYourCamera
Useyourcameratocapturetheoriginalphotographinitspresentcondition.Resisttheurgetoaddin-camerafiltersforblack-and-white,sepia,orothercreativeeffects.Youalwayscanmaketheseadjustmentslaterinphoto-editingsoftware.Whendigitizingforpreservationandpossiblefuturerestoration,it’sbesttocapturethefullphotoincolorinitspresentcondition.Checkthatyouhavethefollowingsettingsselectedonyourcamera:
Maximummegapixels(atleast5MP)Flash:OFFFilters:NONEFormat:JPGAutoWhiteBalance:ONDateandTimeStamp:OFFImageStabilization(ifavailable):ON
Ifyouaredigitizingmanyphotosawayfromhome,takealongextrabatteries,abatterycharger,andextramemorycards.
PrepareYourCameraGear
Successfuldigitizingwithadigitalcameradependsonawell-exposed,sharpimage.Youwillhavethebestsuccessshootinginnaturallightusingatripodtostabilizethecameraandaremoteshutterreleasetoeliminatecamerashakefrompressingtheshutterwithyourfinger.Helpfulgearfordigitizingphotographswithacamera:
asturdy,adjustabletripodasmallflexible-legtripod,suchastheJobyGorrillapod<www.joby.com>asmartphonegripandtripod(ifyoushootwithyourphone)aremoteshutterrelease(wiredorwireless)
HOWTODIGITIZEFRAMEDPHOTOS
Tophotographitemshangingonawall,placethecameraonasturdytripodwiththecameralensaimeddirectlyattheitem.Turnofftheflashandusetheself-timerorremoteshuttertosnapthephoto.Ifreflectionfromtheglasscausesdifficulty,tryaCircularPolarizingFilteravailablefromcamerashopstominimizetheglare.Alternatively,youcouldremovetheglassfromtheframe,ifpossible,tominimizeglare.
HOWTODIGITIZEOVERSIZEPHOTOSANDALBUMS
Tophotographoversizeitemssuchasindividuallargephotographsorphotoalbumpages,mountyourcameratohangupsidedownonthetripodwiththecameralensaimeddirectlydownattheitem.Turnofftheflashandusetheself-timerorremoteshuttertosnapthephoto.
Somecameratripodsfeatureareversiblecentermountpolethatcanbeusedtopositionyourcameradirectlyoverthesubject.Whenthisisn’tavailable,I’veusedasecond,smalltripodwithflexiblelegstoholdthecamerainplace.FlexibletripodsfromJobyGorrillaPodareavailableformostcamerasizesandmodels.
HOWTODIGITIZEUSINGAMOBILEDEVICESCANNINGAPP
Asmartphoneortabletcameraisagreatmobilescanningtool,especiallywhenusedwithascanningappsuchasTurboScan,GeniusScan,orDocScan.Thesespecialtydeviceapplicationslocatetheedgesofyourphototo“deskew”(straighten)anywarpedshapesandcropoutunwantedbackground.Inaddition,scanningappsallowyoutoaddafilenametoeachscanandadjustbrightness.
FollowthesestepstoseehowTurboScanmakessmartphonescanningevensmarter.
STEP1:OPENAPPANDSELECTCAMERA.Whenthecameraviewopens,positionyourdevicetoviewthephotoyouwanttoscanandpresstheshutterbuttontocapturethescan.
STEP2:PREVIEWANDADJUSTIMAGE.InthePreviewwindow,adjustbrightnesswiththegraybuttonsalongthebottomoftheimage.Rotateusingtheleftorrightarrows.Togglebetweenblack-and-whiteorcolorbytappingthePhoto-B/W-Coloroption.
STEP3:ADJUSTFRAME.TapFrametoadjusttheedgesofyourcapturedimage.Taponthecornersofyourimagetoadjusttheframe,ifneeded.TapDonewhenfinishedadjustingtheframeortomovetothenextwindow.
STEP4:ADDFILENAME,SHARE,ANDSAVESCAN.TapthePenicontoaddafilename.TapthePage+icontoaddasecondpagetoyourscan.TaptheShareicon(thebracketandarrow)toe-mail,print,orsavetoyourCameraRoll.TapClosewhenfinished.
10HeirloomPhotoStorage
Myfamilyphotocollectionincludesamotleyassortmentofbeautifulcaseddaguerreotypes,fadingcabinetcards,black-and-whitescalloped-edgesnapshots,andborderless4x6-inchprints.Whileallphotosshouldbestoredinarchivalcontainers,eachdifferentkindofprintrequiresaslightlydifferentpreservationmethod.Mostphotocollectorsfinditefficienttoorganizetheircollectionforlong-termarchivalpreservation;familyhistoriansalsowillwanttosavecluesthatmightrevealthestoriesbehindthephotographs.
Inthischapter,I’llsharepracticaltipsfororganizingyourphotooriginalsanddiscussbasicarchivaltechniquestohelpyouselectappropriatestoragecontainerstohouseyourcollection.
ORGANIZEYOURPHOTOSFORPRESERVATION
Whenyougatheryourfamilyphotos,film,andalbumsfordigitizing,maintaintheoriginalorderofanysmallerphotogroupingstoaidinlearningmoreaboutthephotos.Asmuchaspossible,organizeandstorephotosofthesamestyle,format,andsizetogetherinonecontainer.MakeacopyoftheHeirloomPhotoInventoryFormandstoreacopywitheachphotostoragecontainer.
Tomakethebestuseofstoragecontainersandavailablespace,I’veadoptedthisstrategyformyowncollection.Here’showIorganizemyheirloomimages:
Casedimages(daguerreotypes,ambrotypes,andtintypes)arewrappedindividuallyinfour-flapenclosuresandstoredverticallyinasmallarchivalboxwithacomputerprintoutinventoryoftheboxcontents.Oversizephotosarestoredinarchival-qualityplasticsleevesinsidealargeshallowarchivaldrop-frontbox.IattachanHeirloomPhotoInventoryFormtodescribetheboxcontents.Looseblack-and-whitesnapshotsaregroupedbyeventand/orsubjectinarchivalphotoenvelopeswithahandwrittenlabelidentifyingthecontents.Theseenvelopesarestoredverticallyinanarchival“shoebox”thatholdsallenvelopesfirmlyuprightwithoutslouching.
Negativesbenefitfromcoolerstoragetemperatures.Negativesareplacedinsidearchivalnegativeenvelopesandstoredinsideanarchivalbox.Thisboxisstoredinthecoolestareaofmyhome.OldPolaroidprintstendtosticktogetherwhenstacked;printsareinterleavedwitharchivaltissueandstoredverticallyinsideanarchivalbox.
TIPUseArchivalTissue
Interleavingtissueisalightweightarchivalpaperthatwillhelpprotectphotosfromscratches.
Ultimately,howyousortandorganizeyourphotocollectionwithineacharchivalstoragecontainerdependsonyourpersonalpreference.Somehistoriansliketoorganizebydate,whileothersorganizebysubject.Iorganizemyowntwentieth-centuryphotoschronologicallybyyearandevent,butIsortmyolderfamilyphotosbysubject.
TipsforHandlingPhotos
Whenyouhandleyourheirloomfamilyphotos,besureto
wearwhitecottonglovesorwashyourhandsbeforehandlingphotosorfilm.avoidtouchingthesurfaceofthephoto;handlebytheedges.avoidlightandheatnearphotosandfilm.workonaflat,stablesurface.Alargetablecoveredwithacleansheetorlargepieceofcleanpaperisagoodoption.useasoftartist’sbrushtogentlyremovedustordirt.avoidwritingdirectlyontheprint.Useonlyasoftleadpenciltojotdownnotesonthereverseside.
CHOOSINGARCHIVALSTORAGECONTAINERS
Yourstorageneedswillvarydependingonthequantityandformatofyourphotos.Thevarietyofarchivalphoto-storageoptionscansometimesbeconfusing.Manufacturersusethetermarchivaltoindicateanykindofstoragecontainer,whetherornotitistrue“archivalquality”bymuseumstandards.Lookforcontainersthatareacid-freeandlignin-free.Theseproductshavebeenmanufacturedspecificallytoprolongthelifeofpaper-baseditemsbyavoidingacidicwood-pulpmaterials.
Viewatextversionofthistable
Ifyou’veeverseenanewspaperthatturnedyellowbecauseitwasleftinthesuntoolong,youcanrecognizethedamageofacidicpaper.Yourphotoscansufferpermanentstainsifstoredinsideoradjacenttonewsprintornewsclippings.Photosstoredinsideatypicalhigh-acidcontentcardboardshoeboxwilldeterioratefasterthanphotosstoredinatruearchivalcontainer.
TheArchivalStorageGuidechartinthischaptergivesspecificideasforstoringdifferentkindsofphotographs.
TheProblemWithPlastic
Plasticcontainersofferingwaterprooforwater-resistantstoragemaybeappealingforphotopreservation,buttheyarenotrecommended.Moisturecaneasilybecometrappedinsidethecontainer,allowingmoldandmildewtotakehold.Museum-qualityarchivalboxesareabetterchoice.Theheavycoatedcardboardisa“breathable”naturalmaterialthatallowssmallamountsofaccumulatedmoisturetoevaporate.
Notallplasticisnecessarilyabadchoice,however.Ifyouwanttoshareheirloomphotosatareunionorwithotherfamilymembers,youmaywanttoplaceindividualimagesinsideaprotectiveplasticsleeveorenclosure.LookforarchivalplasticthathaspassedthePhotographicActivityTest(PAT),alaboratorytestthatmeasureshowwellthestorageenclosureinteractswithphotosandfilm.
Checkoutarchivalstoragecontainersfromthesecompanies:
AaronBrothers<www.aaronbrothers.com>Brodart<www.shopbrodart.com>Gaylord<www.gaylord.com>HollingerMetalEdge<www.hollingermetaledge.com>
Alwaysusearchivalsleeves,folders,andboxesthathavepassedthePATtesttostorephotosandfilm,andkeeptheminacool,drylocation.Storemostprintsvertically,ratherthanstackedhorizontallywherepressurecancauseabrasionandscratches.
LayeredStorageSolutions
TheancientEgyptiansweremastersofarchivalstorage.Theycreatedlayersofstoragethatsurvivedcenturiesbyplacingtreasuresinsideroomswithinroomswithinrooms.Inhandlingourhomearchives,wecanborrowafewlessonsfromthepastbyusinglayerstoprotectourfamilyphotosandkeepsakes.
ArchivalLayer1:Enclosure.Thefirstenclosureforanyitemshouldbearchivalquality.Thisisthefirstlineofdefenseagainstlight,acid,andotherenvironmentalhazards.Forphotographs,albums,andfilm,chooseacid-free,lignin-freepaperorPAT-approvedplasticenvelopesorsleeves.ArchivalLayer2:Container.Organizeandsupporttheseenclosuresbyplacingtheminsidealargerarchivalboxorbinder.Labeltheboxclearlyontheoutsidewiththecollectionnameandcontents.
Viewatextversionofthistable
1. ArchivalLayer3:Homearchive.Storetheboxesandbinderstogetherinasuitablehomearchivelocatedinsideyourhome.Avoidstoringimagesinbasements,attics,garages,orshedswherefluctuatingtemperatureandhumiditycanhastendeterioration.
TheArchivalStorageGuidelistsrecommendedbestpracticesforsafelystoringyourphotos,albums,film,andslides.Formoreinformationonorganizingandpreservingphotos,consultHowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes.
Viewatextversionofthistable
PART3Create
DoyourememberUncleJoe’svacationslideshows?Endlessphotosofdesertlong-shotsandfolkswhowerealmost,butnotquite,inthepicture.Familyphotocollectionsaremeanttobeshared,butsittingaroundacomputerlookingatdisorganized,uneditedphotoscanbeunbearable.
Genealogistsspendalotoftimewalkingthroughcemeteriesandstudyingdeathrecords.Butsometimeswe’reworkingsodiligentlytobreakthroughabrickwallproblemorcompleteabranchofthefamilytreethatweputoffsharingandpublishingourfamilyhistoryuntilthedaythatthestoryis“finished.”
Insteadofreachingforthefinishline,thinkofyourfamilytreeasaliving,breathingorganismthatcontinuestogrowwitheachpassingseason.Selectasinglebranchtoshapewithwell-craftedstories,orhandpicktheperfectancestortofeatureinaspecialtribute,andthensharethosestoriesandphotosinabookordigitalpublication.
Inthissection,you’lldiscoverhowtotakeyourphotoprojects(andyourgenealogyresearch)fromfrumpytofabulouswithstep-by-stepinstructionsandideas.Ourtwenty-fiveprojectsfeatureprintandonlinephotocreationstomakeonyourcomputeroryoursmartphoneortablet.
Althoughyoucanreadandusetheindividualprojectsinanyorder,thecardandcollageprojectspresentfundamentalskillsthatwillbeusefulformore-complexcreations.Inaddition,Chapter11introducesyoutocoreprojectskillsforlimitlessdigitalphotocreations.Projectboardstohelpyouplanyourcalendarandphoto-bookprojectsarealsoincluded.
Beforeyoustartanyphotoproject,you’llwantto
1. selectprojectphotosandplacecopiesinadesktopfolderforeasyuploading.Usefull-resolutioncopiesorrefertophotoservicewebsitesforrecommendedimageresolution.
2. readthestep-by-stepinstructionsandplanyourprojectusingtheprojectboardsprovided.
Allprojectsareratedbasedonthetimetocomplete(notincludingtimespentselectingandpreparingphotosandworkingwiththeprojectboard):
lessthananhour(quickie)lessthanthreehours(goodforaweeknight)threetosixhours(completeoveraweekend)
Allowmoretimeforbigprojectswhereyouneedtowritetextorcompilefamilytreeinformation.
ProjectTimeRatings
<1hour
<3hours
3–6hours
YoucanvieweachprojectinfullcolorandfindadditionalideasandinspirationontheHowtoArchiveFamilyPhotoswebsite<www.thefamilycurator.com/archivephotos>.ThefollowingisalistofprojectsinPart3ofthisbook.
Card,Collage,andScrapbookingProjects
PhotoThank-YouCardwithShutterfly
CreativeEffectsCollageMousePadwithShutterfly
HolidayGreetingCardCollagewithSnapfish
AncestorCollageWithPicMonkey
FacebookCoverPhotoCollagewithPicMonkey
DigitalScrapbookingTributePagewithSnapfish
CalendarProjects
WallCalendarwithMixbook
PerpetualCelebrationCalendarwithAdoramaPix
It’saParty!Calendar
AYearintheLifeCalendar
KitchenDutyCalendar
SmartphoneandTabletProjects
PhotoLabelingwithMoldivCollagePhotoEditorApp
TombstoneEnhancementwithSnapseedApp
PhotoBookwithMosaicMobileApp
FamilyHistoryTimelinewithTreelines
AudioPhotoBookwithShutterflyPhotoStoryApp
FabricandHomeDécorCraftProjects
VintageHolidayPhotoPillowwithSpoonflower&PicMonkey
PhotoQuiltBlock
Photo-BookProjects
CustomPhotoBookwithSnapfish
Auto-FillBirthdayBookwithMixbook
FamilyYearbook
HeirloomReproductionBook
PhotoBookforBusyPeople
GrandparentandGrandchildMemoryBook
RememberingandCelebratingBook
11CorePhoto-ProjectSkills
Successfulphotoprojectsbeginwithaplanandadvancepreparation.IlearnedthehardwaythathomeworkpaysoffwhenIcouldn’tfindthefull-bleedoptionforthephotocalendarpageIwasdesigning.Ididn’tknowthisoptionwasunavailableonthewebsiteIwasusing.I’dalreadyuploadedandadjustedmyimages,buttheonlysolutionwastostartoverwithadifferentservicethatdidofferfull-bleedphototemplates.YoucanbesureIdouble-checkedtheotherfeaturesIwantedformynextproject.
Inthischapter,I’llintroduceyoutousingaprojectboardaswellastosomekeytermsyou’llneedtoknowinordertoplanandexecuteyourphotoprojects.Plus,I’llgiveyoutipsforfeaturestoconsiderwhenselectinganonlinephotoserviceforyourproject.
LEARNTHELINGO
Whenworkingwithdigitalphotosandonlinephotoservices,therearelotsoffeaturesandjargontolearn.Beforestartingaphotobook,calendar,orotherproject,orworkingwithyourdigitalfamilyphotos,learntheseessentialphototerms.Sometermsrefertothephysicalphotoproject,whileothersrefertodesignfeaturesandspecifications.
aspectratio:referstotheshapeoftheimageandwhetheritishorizontalorverticalinorientation;apicturethatis2x2inchesisasquare;4x6inchesishorizontal;aspectalsocanbeexpressedinpixels,suchas4000:6000(4,000pixelsby6,000pixels)autoadjust/colorcorrect:atooltocorrectbasiccontrast,balance,andexposureinanimagebackground:thecolor,texture,ordesignoftheoverallprojectpageoritembinding:howcalendarandbookpagesareboundtogether,eitherbyglue(perfectbinding),stitching,staples,spiral,orcombbindingbleed:describesapagelayoutwheretheimagerunsofftheedgeofthepage;afullbleedcoverstheentirepageextendingtoallfouredgesofthepagewithoutanyborderorbackgroundshowingborders:thedesignelementthatframesyourphoto;itcanbeanythingfromasimplelinetoafancygraphicframecollage:amulti-photolayoutcover:theoutsidejacketenclosingthebookpages;includesfront,back,andspine
crop:cuttingoutunwantedelementsinanimagetofocusonthesubject;somephotoservicesinstructuserstouploaduncroppedimagesandcropwithintheprojecttoallowforbordersandlayoutdesigndigitalscrapbooking:usingacomputer,software,anddigitalimagestocreateadigitalpagelayoutofbackgrounddesigns,photos,text,andembellishmentsthatcanbeprintedonahomeprinteroracommercialsitedpi(alsoppi):dotsperinch(orpixelsperinch)isameasureoftheimageresolution;high-resolutionimagesareusually300dpiorhigher;low-resolutionimages(suchasforWebuse)maybe72dpiembellishment:thistermisborrowedfromscrapbookerswhooftenaddcharms,ribbons,andephemeratopagedesigns;digitalphoto-bookandscrapbookembellishmentsmaylookthree-dimensional,buttheywillprintlikeclipartonthepagefillflash:aphoto-editingfeatureusedtoimprovedark,underexposedareasinanimagewithoutaffectingtheotherpartsofthephotofilter/effect:allowsyoutochangeanimage’scolorimagetoblackandwhiteorsepia,oranynumberofothercolors;cangiveyourphotosanartistic,creativeflairwithfiltersandcreativeeffectsflip:turningoveraphotoorpagelayoutasifitwereapagesothateverythingonthepageorimageisreversed;sometimescalledmirrorJPG:acompresseddigitalfileformatwidelyacceptedfordigitalphotoprojectslandscape:horizontalorientationforyourimagesandprojectpage;popularformostprojectslayout:theindividualpagedesignortemplatethatincludesthepagebackground,images,text,clipart,andembellishmentsmattefinishpaper:slightlytexturedmattefinishproducesasofterimagepaperweight:expressedinpounds(suchas80#or100#),thisindicatesthequalityorthicknessofthepaper;premiumpaperisheavierthanstandardpaperportrait:verticalorientationforyourimagesandprojectpagesred-eyeremoval:atoolthateliminatesthered-eyeappearancecausedbyacameraflashreflectinginasubject’seyesresolution:ameasurementofimagequalityexpressedindpiorppi;checkyourphotoserviceforrecommendedphotoresolutionforyourproject;thedreaded“resolutiontoolow”warningindicatesyourimagewillnotprintwell(seedpiformoredetails)
rotate:turninganimageclockwiseorcounterclockwisesatinfinishpaper:smoothsemiglosspaperthatproducesasharp,colorfulimagesize:theoveralldimensionsofthephotobook,card,calendar,orotherprojectspine:theedgethatcoverstheglueorotherbindingandattachesthepagestothecoverofabook;thespineusuallyshowsthetitleandauthorofabooksquare:allfoursidesofyourimageorprojectareequal;apopularoptionforInstagramorbookscreatedwithmobileappstextbox:theplacewhereyoutypeyourtexttheme:theoveralldesignorstyleofyourphotoprojectTIFF:anuncompressedimageformatgoodforarchival-qualitypreservationimages;TIFFfilesaregenerallylargeandnotacceptedbymostonlinephotoservices
USINGAPHOTO-PROJECTBOARD
Aprojectboardhelpstoorganizeyourideasandremindyouofspecificfeaturesofferedbydifferentservices.Aprojectboardisalsousefulifyouareplanningaheadandneedmorephotosforaproject.Pinacopyoftheprojectboardtoyourbulletinboardnotingtheimagesneeded.
Whenyou’vecompletedtheproject,theprojectboardsheetcanhelpyourememberwhatonlineserviceyouusedandhowmuchyoupaidifyouwanttoordermorecopies.Scanandsavethesheetstoyourcomputerorfilethehardcopiesforlaterreference.
Projectboardsareavailablefortwospecificprojecttypes:calendars(seeChapter13)andphotobooks(seeChapter16).Eachprojectboardincludesthreesections:
ProjectSnapshotwithnotesonoveralldesign,size,andstyleProjectServiceswithnotesonwebsitefeaturesandcostProjectLayout/Designwithyourideasforpage-by-pagelayouts,designsketches,orothernotes
Usetheprojectboardplanningsheetsinwhateverwayworksbestforyou.Hereareafewsuggestionsforusingthem.
Ifyouhaveaclearideaforyourprojectbutaren’tsurewhatservicetouse,startwiththeLayout/DesignorSnapshotsectionsanduseyournotestoevaluatewebsites.Ifyouarelookingforinspiration,browsephotoservicesforideas,notingthemesorstylesyoulike.Ifyouaren’tsureyouhaveenoughphotosforyourproject,usetheLayout/Designsectiontooutlinetheproject.Identifygapsandlistnewphotosyou
mightneedtolocateorshoot.Ifyoudon’thaveenoughpicturesforaphotobook,considermakingacalendarorcollage.Ifyouhavefoundaprojectyou’dliketocustomize,listthespecificfeaturesorelementsyouneedintheLayout/DesignandSnapshotsectionsandcompareservicestofindonethatoffersmostofthesefeatures.
SelectingPhotos
Whenitcomestofamilyphotoprojects,it’sokaytoplayfavorites.Chooseonlythebestphotographsforyourproject.Ifaless-than-bestimageistheonlyphotoavailable,useadjustmentsandspecialeffectstomakeitworkseamlesslywiththeotherphotosinyourproject.Trytochooseimagesthatworkwelltogether.PlaywithcroppingandAutoAdjustfeaturesofferedonmostonlinephoto-projectwebsitestoseeyourphotosimproveinstantly.
Whenselectingimagesforyourphotoprojects,lookforimagesthat
areinfocusandhavegoodcontrastandlighting.havegoodcomposition,suchastightcroppingorframingthateliminatesdistractingbackgroundsandextrapeople.workwelltogetherintermsofstyle(suchassimilarclothing,color,setting,ortheme).
SelectinganOverallTheme
Whetheryouaredesigningaphotobook,acalendar,oraholidaycardcollage,mostprojectswillbenefitfromaunifyingthemethatsetstheoveralltoneandmood.Athemealsocanhelppulltogetherimagesthatdon’tquiteseemtogotogether.Forexample,ahodgepodgeofsnapshotsworksbettertogetherundertheheading“FamilyMilestones”thaninarandomdisplay.
PHOTOSERVICEFEATURES
Youdon’tneedtobeagraphicartisttomakeagreatphotobook,butithelpstounderstandsomeoftheoptionsandfeaturesyou’llfindonphoto-projectwebsites.Comebacktothissectionforarefresheratanytimeandlookforprojectshighlightingfeaturesyou’dliketoexplore.(Foracompletelistofphotoservices,seetheAppendix.)
ProjectStyles,Sizes,andMaterials
Anonlinephotoserviceisonlyasgoodastheprojectsitoffers.Wanttoprintatinyphotobookmeasuring3.5x2.75inches?TheonlyoptionisMyPublisher<www.mypublisher.com>.Lookingforamedium-size8-inch-squarebook?Takeyourpickfromseveralbookpublishers.Someservicesofferpremiumpapers,matteorglossyprinting,slipcases,dustjackets,andcutoutcovers.Alloftheseoptionscanbeconfusingifyoujustwanttomakeasimplephotobook.
Onewaytohelpnarrowyourchoiceswhengettingstartedistolistanyspecialrequirementsonyourprojectboard.Notallservicesofferpremiumpaper,leathercovers,lay-flatbinding,orotherdeluxeoptions,solookforthesefeatureswhenexploringoptions.Photositesaddnewproductsfrequently,soit’sagoodideatorevisitsiteswhenstartinganewproject.
DesignThemesandStyles
Inphotocreationjargon,thetheme(alsoknownas“style”or“design”onsomesites)istheoveralldesignforyourproject.Adesignthemeappliestotheentireproject,includingcover,pages,fonts,andcolors.Featuredprojectswilloftenshowathemenamesuchas“KidsQuotes”or“SummerParty.”Theprojectwillincludeacoordinatedsetofdesignedbackgroundpages,fonts,stickers,orotherclipartandphototemplates.Thismakesiteasytoquicklycreateaprofessionallydesignedbookorotherprojectbysimplydroppinginyourownphotosandcaptions.Mostsitesoffertheoptiontocustomizesomeorallofthethemeelements.
Someservicesallowyoutochangethethemeafteryouhavealreadystartedaproject;withothersyoumayhavetostartover.It’sagoodideatocheckthisfeaturebeforeyouspendtoomuchtimeworkingonyourproject,becauseitcanbefrustratingtofindoutyoucan’tswitchtoadifferentdesignwhensomethingisn’tworkingout.
Photoservicesusedifferenttermsforthesamefeature:
Bookstyle:MyPublisherDesign:MixbookTheme:Blurb,SnapfishStyle:Blurb,Bookify,ShutterflyTemplate:Blurb,Bookify
TIPTestFirst
It’sgoodtoplayaroundwithatestprojectbeforecommittingtoomuchtimewithanyoneservice.Youwanttomakesurethatyouwillbeabletochangepagebackgrounds,deletephotoframes,andaddtextblocksifthesefeaturesareessentialtoyourproject.
LayoutOptions
Allservicesusethetermlayouttorefertotheindividualdesignforbookpages,cards,prints,posters,andgifts.Thelayouthelpsconveytheoveralltoneandmoodforyourproject:
Full-pageimages,alsocalledfull-bleed,presentaclean,modernlook.Framedorborderedphotosaretraditionalorclassic.Tiltedimagesconveyafunandwhimsicalmood.Captionsandtextoverlayappearmodern.Largeblocksoftextlendabookfeeltoyourproject.
Whenyouchangeapagelayout,youmayneedtoadjustphotoplacementorre-cropsomeimages.Chooselayoutswithimageblocksinthesameaspectratioasyourphotographs:Averticalportraitneedsaverticalphotolayout.Takeadvantageofspecialfeaturesofferedbysomeservicessuchasusingatwo-pagespreadtoshowoffagreathorizontalphotograph.
AutoCreate
Photobookscanbetime-consumingprojects,sotosavetime,mostservicesofferatoolthat“automagically”placesphotosintoyourbookdesign.Youcanthengobackandcustomizetextandpagelayouts.Youmaynotwanttousethisfeatureifyou’dliketomaintaincompletecontrol,butifyou’reinahurryorhavealargepoolofimages,autocreatecansavetime.Eachservicehasitsownversionoftheauto-createfeature:
Autofill:SnapfishAutoFill:MixbookAutoflow:Blurb,BookSmartSimplePath:ShutterflySimplePublisher:MyPublisher
BordersandBackgrounds
Borders,frames,andpagebackgroundsgoalongwayinsettingthetone,mood,andstyleforyourproject.Useafaintfull-pageimageasthepagebackgroundforamodernlook,andoverlayacroppedcolorversionofthesameimagetocreateastunningdesignelement.Experimentwithdifferentphotoborderstofindlinewidths,shapes,andcolorsthatenhanceyourproject’stheme.
Tochangeanimageborder,clickontheimagetoselectitandthenapplythechange.Somesiteswillhavetheframepresetaspartofthepagelayout,butyoumaybeabletoselecttheframeanddeleteitifyou’dliketotrysomethingdifferent.
Text
Howandwhereyoucanaddandmodifytextisimportantifyouwantyourphotoprojectstoincludelongcaptionsorjournaling,orformattedtextblockslikeacookbook.Mostphotoservicesofferlayoutoptionswithassortedtextblocks,butyoumayneedmorecustomizationthanthesimpledesignsofferedforphoto-intensiveprojects.Instead,ifyou’recreatingaphotobook,youmaywanttoexplorepublishingsitesfavoredbyauthorsandprofessionalphotographerssuchasBlurb<www.blurb.com>andmyPhotoPipe<www.myphotopipe.com>.
Stickers,ClipArt,andEmbellishments
Scrapbookerswillfindawealthoftheme“stickers,”clipart,andotherembellishmentstouseinpagedesign.Snapfish<www.snapfish.com>andMixbook<www.mixbook.com>arefavoritesfordesigningembellishedpages.Tousestickers,draganddropfromthedesignwindowtoyourpage.Rotateandresizeasyouwouldanyphoto.
Collaboration
Somephotoservicesmakeiteasytoinvitecontributionstoyourphotoproject.Thisishelpfulifyouarecoordinatingaschoolororganizationyearbookthatwillincludemembers’photosandsnapshotsofactivitiesfromthroughouttheyear.Specialyearbookthemescanguideyourdesignandmakeiteasytocreateanattractivebookforyourorganization.Collaborationfeaturesarealsoimportantifyou’reworkingwithotherfamilymembersonaphotoproject.
SELECTINGAPHOTO-PROJECTSERVICE
Tomanageyourphotoservicechoices,useonemainserviceforphotouploads,sharing,andprintorders.Thisallowsyoutoconsolidateyourimagesinonelocation.Uploadphotosasneededforspecificprojectsatsecondarysites.Tochoosewhichsiteisbestformanagingyourphotosorforcreatingthephotoprojectsyouwant,usetheOnlinePhotoServiceComparisonWorksheet.
Tips
Onlinephotositeschangeeveryday.Tokeepupwithnewfeatures,templates,andspecials,subscribetothesite’se-newsletters.Savemoneybyplanningahead.Don’twaittocheckoutseveralphotoservicesuntilyouneedaquickphotobookforareunionorwanttoprintyourholidaycollagecard.Spendafewhoursplayingaroundwithatestprojectondifferentphoto-projectsites.Whenyouregisterasauser,thesiteswillsendyoue-mailswithspecialdiscountoffersthatcansaveyoualotofcash.
Viewatextversionofthistable
12Card,Collage,andScrapbookingProjects
Notecards,holidaycards,invitations,andannouncementsareamongthemostpopularfirst-timeprojectsformanyphotolovers.Photowebsitesmakeiteasytocreategreatpersonalstationeryforanyoccasion,andcreativeeffectsletyoushowcaseoneimagebymakingyourownpop-artcollage.
Thephoto-cardprojectsinthischapterareagoodplacetobeginifyou’renewtousingonlinephotoservicesorifyou’dliketocreateapersonalizedgreetingcard.You’lllearnwhattolookforwhenselectingasuitableimageandhowtouploadyourdigitalfiles.Plus,step-by-stepinstructionswillguideyouincustomizingyourprojectforprintingandsharing.
Thecollageprojectswillintroduceyoutousingfreeonlineeditingtoolsusefulforallkindsofphototasks.Adigitalcollageisanartist’scanvasjustwaitingtoshowcaseyourfavoritephotosinunusualandartisticways.Lookbeyondtheold-schoolcollagetechniquethatassemblesmanydifferentphotosononecanvas.Tryusingvariationsofonephototocreateapop-art-stylecollage.Includecolorandtextblockstoaddinterestandfocusastorylinetoyourproject.
Youcancreateacollageforalmostanyphotoproject—prints,notecards,mousepads,pillows,ortabletcases.Generally,you’llwanttochooseaprojectthatshowsoffmediumtolargephotos.Acollageoftwelveimagessizedfora3x5notecardwillhavetinypictures.
Exploreyourfavoriteprojectwebsitesbeforeyouuploadyourimages.
Inaddition,ifyoulovescrapbookingwithpaperandstickers,youmightbesurprisedtodiscoverhowfastandfunitcanbetocreatedigitalscrapbooklayoutsusinganonlinephotoservice.Youcanselectascrapbook-stylethemeandadddigitalstickers,ribbons,andotherembellishments.Experimentwithcolor,texture,andfonts.Andifyoudon’tlikesomething,theUndobuttonmakesiteasytostartoveragain.
Digitalscrapbooking,alsoknownas“digiscrapping”oronlinescrapbooking,ispopularwithphotocrafterswhowanttousecomputergraphicstocreatepagelayoutswithdigitalphotographs.Scrapbookersusestand-alonesoftwaresuchasAdobePhotoshopElements<www.adobe.com>andMyMemoriesSuite<www.mymemories.com>toworkoffline
designingbooks,layouts,andotherprojects.Photo-bookservicessuchasAdoramaPix<www.adoramapix.com>,Shutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>,andSnapfish<www.snapfish.com>haveadaptedthistechniquetotheirfeaturedlayouts.
TIPCollageUses
Usethetechniquesinthesecollageprojectsforanycreationfeaturingmultiplephotographs.Mostphotoservicesoffercollage-styleprintsandposters,aswellascollagepagetemplatesforphotobooksandcalendars.
BEFOREYOUBEGIN
Forallphotoprojects,placeacopyofyourJPGimagesinadesktopfolderlabeledPHOTOPROJECTS.Here,theywillbeeasytolocateanduploadtothephotoservice,andyou’llavoidaccidentallychangingtheoriginals.Foraphotogreetingcardorcollage,chooseanimagethathasalltheelementsofagreatphotographandthatconveystheoveralltoneofyourproject.
Forgreetingcards:Lookfora300-dpiimagethat’sthesamesizeorlargerthanyourintendedcard.Forinstance,anyfull-sizephotoshotwithyourdigitalcamerashouldbefine,butavoidusingasmall,croppedportionoftheimage.Ifyouscanaphotoforthisproject,settheTargetSizeatthesamesizeorslightlylargerthanyourintendedgreetingcard.Mostscannedprintshaveacceptableresolution,butagain,avoidusingasmall,croppedportionoftheimage.Forcollages:Useathemeordesignideatotietogetherthedifferentphotos.Throughouttheyear,collectgoodphotosoffamilymembersyoumaywanttouse.Lookforsimilaritiesintheimagesyouchoose—likeclothing,color,setting,theme,orcreativefilter.Remember,eachphotoispartofthelargeroverallcollagedesign.Whenitcomestoacollage,lessismore.Usethefewestphotosneededtotellyourstoryinthelargestsizeavailableforthedesign.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
PHOTOTHANK-YOUCARDWITHSHUTTERFLYTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
1photo
Goodfor… yourselforagift
Designideas incorporateasocialmediaprofilepicture,afavoritephoto,pet,landscape,orhobby
ProjectOverview
Creatingacustomnotecardisagoodintroductiontoonlinephotocreations.Mostwebsitesuseasimilarcard-creationprocess,socheckoutseveraldifferentservicesbeforedecidingwhichonetouseforthisproject.Considerthesequestions:
Whereareyourdigitalimagesstored?IftheyarealreadyhostedonawebsitesuchasShutterflyorSnapfish,itmightbeeasiesttousethesamesiteforyourproject.Whatcarddesignsareavailable?Stylesandtemplatesvarywidely.Youmayfindexactlywhatyouwantonadifferentservicethanyouusuallyuse.What’sthecost?Frequentspecialoffersforheftydiscountsorfreeshippingmakeitworthwhiletocomparepricing.
Forthisproject,I’mdesigningathank-younotecardtousewithmyblog,TheFamilyCurator<www.thefamilycurator.com>.
Instructions
STEP1:SELECTCARDDESIGN.LogintoShutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>andselectCards&Stationery,LinenSnapshotThankYoucard.ClicktheorangePersonalizebuttontocustomizethecard.Whenyouselectacard,besureithasthesameaspectasyourimage,orbepreparedtocropoutsignificantpartsofthephoto.Somecardsareofferedeitherinverticalorhorizontalformat,andyoucanchangetheaspectafterselectingthedesign.Youcanresizeandcropinthedesignphaseofyouronlineproject.I’veselectedahorizontalflatcard.
STEP2:IMPORTPHOTO.ClicktheGetPhotosbuttontoimportaJPGimagefromyourcomputerorShutterflyaccount.
STEP3:EDIT,CROP,ANDADDTEXT.Clickthephototoeditandadjustcropping.Adjustthecolor;ifyouwish,addadifferentspecialeffecttoeachphoto.ClickDonetosaveyourchanges.Clickonthetextboxtotypeanytextandadjustlineplacement,font,orfontsize.
STEP4:PREVIEWANDORDER.ClickthePreviewbuttontoreviewyourwork.ClickAddtoCart,orclickSaveandgiveitanamesoyoucanorderlater.Whenyoupurchasecards,youwillbeabletoselectcardstockandotherspecialfeatures.Somesitesofferpremiumlinedenvelopesorspecialtypapersthatcanbefunforaspecialoccasion.
TIPSaveMoney
Photo-projectwebsitesrunfrequentsales,especiallyaroundholidays.Lookaroundfordiscountsonshippinganddifferentprojecttypesbeforestartingyourproject.Signuptoreceivee-mailsanddownloadaphotoservice’smobileapp(ifavailable)tolearnaboutadditionaldeals.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
CREATIVEEFFECTSCOLLAGEMOUSEPADWITHSHUTTERFLYTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
1photowithgoodcontrast
Goodfor… giftsforgrandparents,executives,computerusers
Designideas useimagesofachild,pet,oranythingelseimportanttotherecipient
ProjectOverview
Acollageprojectdoesn’thavetouseseveraldifferentimages.It’salsoagreatwaytoshowcaseasinglephotobyapplyingspecialfiltersandadjustments.Mostphoto-projectsitesofferthesecreativefiltersasphoto-editingoptions,oryoucanapplyfiltersinyourownphoto-editingsoftware.
Special-effectsadjustmentsworkbestwithahigh-contrastimage.Somethingwithasimplesubjectandunclutteredbackgroundwillworkwell,althoughinterestingtexturesanddesignscanwork,too.Tryseveralphotostofindonethatwillgiveyouthelookyouprefer.Don’tworryaboutcroppingtheimagefornow;you’llseewhyasweworkthroughtheproject.
Thisprojectshowsyouhowtomakeafunandunusualcreativecollagemousepad.Youcanadaptthesametechniquesforalmostanyprojectthatoffersacollagetemplate,includingholidaycards,greetingcards,photobooks,prints,orposters.
Forthisproject,Iselectedaphotowithsharpcontrastandacrispgeometricimage.It’sfuntoplaywithrotatingtheimagesothebabyappearstobelookingathimself.Whenyouchooseanimageforyourproject
lookforanimageinyourcollectionwithastrongfocalsubject,likeaclose-upportraitoraninterestingobject.avoidbusy,clutteredimageswithtoomuchdetail.
considerimageswithstripes,boldtextures,orstronglines—theyaddinteresttothedesign.disregardcolor,butlookforstrongcontrast.Viewpotentialimagesthroughdifferentfilterstoseepossibleadjustments.importthefull-sizeimageandcropasneededintheonlineprogramsoyoucanadjustforthecollageborderandshape.
Instructions
STEP1:SELECTMOUSEPADDESIGN.SignintoShutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>andselecttheMousePadoptionundertheProductmenu.SelecttheGalleryofNinethemeandclickthePersonalizebutton.ClicktheLayouttabtoseedifferentoptions.Choosetheeightphotoslayout.
STEP2:IMPORTANDPLACEPHOTO.ClicktheGetPhotobuttonandfollowthepromptstoimportaphotofromyourcomputerphotoprojectfolderorotherlocation.Thegreencheckmarkconfirmsyourselection.Placetheimageinthelayoutbyclickingonthephotointhephototrayanddraggingittotheappropriatesquare.Repeattoplacetheimageinalleightphotoblocks.
STEP3:CROP,EDIT,ANDAPPLYEFFECTS.OpentheEditwindowbyclickingonceontheimageafterit’splacedonthetemplate.Themousepad’scurvededgescausesomeofthephototobecutoff,socroptheimagetofitthespace.Chooseadifferentcreativeeffectforeachimage:B&W,ColorTone,SoftFocus,Saturate.Usetheslidertoolstomakeeachimagelookdifferent.Trydifferentcolors,blur,andintensity.Rotatethephotoforvariety.Experimentandhavefun.
STEP4:ADDTEXT.ClickthecentertextblockbelowtheLayoutstabinthesidepaneltoopentheTextEditwindow.TypeyourdesiredtextusingtheReturn(orEnter)keytoforceanewline.ChangethebackgroundcolorofthecentertextsquarebyclickingontheBackgroundstab.
STEP5:PREVIEWANDORDER.ClickonthePreviewbuttontopreviewyourproject.SaveyourdesignforlaterorordertheproductnowbyplacingitinyourShoppingCart.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
HOLIDAYGREETINGCARDCOLLAGEWITHSNAPFISHTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
assortedfamilyphotos
Goodfor… familieswithcollegestudentsordistantfamilymembers
Designideas chooseaunifyingthemeforyourphotos:clothing,season,oractivity
ProjectOverview
Wedon’talwayshavetheluxuryofselectingoneperfectphotoforourfamilyholidaygreetingcards.Sometimesyouhavetoworkwithwhateverimagesyoumanagetobeg,borrow,orstealfrombusyorreluctantfamilymembers.Whatcanyoudowhenyouhavenocontroloverthephotoshootoreventhephotoselection?Howcanyoudesignagreatholidaycardthatincludesseparatefamilygroupsorchildrenwheneveryonelivesfarapart?
Thisprojectacceptstheannualchallengeofcreatingaholidaygreetingcardwhenthefamilymemberscan’tallbeinthesamepicture.Itshowshowyoucanadjustfiveverydifferentimagestocreateaunifiedlook.Carefulcroppingandconvertingtoblack-and-white,plusafewothercreativetechniques,cantransformaholidaycollagecardfromdulltodynamite.
Instructions
STEP1:SELECTCARDDESIGN.LogintoSnapfish<www.snapfish.com>andchooseacollage-styleholidaycardforfourormoreimages.Ihavesixphotostoworkwithforthisproject.Assembleyourphotoimagesinafolderonyourcomputerdesktop.
STEP2:IMPORTANDPLACEPHOTOS.Importthephotosanddragthemintosuitableplaceholdersinthetemplate.
STEP3:EDIT,CROP,ANDCHANGECOLOR.Clickoneachphototocrop.Eliminatedistractingdetails.Changephotosfromcolortoblackandwhitetogiveaunifyingappearance.
STEP4:ADDTEXT.Addtextinthegreetingbox.
STEP5:PREVIEWANDORDER.Previewthecardandthenorderorsaveuntillater.
MoreHolidayPhotoCollageIdeas
Holidaycollagecardsaren’tjustforsharingnewbabiesandchildren.Therearemanydifferentoptionsforcreatingcollagesforuseonholidaycards.Hereareafewideas:
Youryearinreview:Usephotosofyourpersonalhobbiesorprojects,orselectyourfavoriteimagesfromtravelsnapshots.Thenandnow:Usephotosfromyourownchildhoodholidays.Vacation:Summervacationsnapshotscanbeagoodchoiceforaholidaycollagecard.Familymilestones:Sometimestheonlyphotosavailablearethoseyou’vecollectedthroughouttheyearatvariousfamilygatherings.Youmayhavephotosofgraduates,newbrides,andayoungfamilyinfrontoftheirfirsthome.Singletheme:Chooseasubjectthatmostfamilymembersenjoyandtellyourfamilyphotographersthatyou’recollectinghigh-resolutiondigitalimagesfortheannualcard.Noformalphotoshootrequired.ParentslovetoshowoffkidsinsoccerandLittleLeagueuniforms.Teamfanscansendsnapshotsfromaballparkorwearingafavoritejersey.Grandkidscansendaselfiefromtheirsmartphone.
TheBradyBunchstyle:UseindividualportraitstocreateacollagesimilartotheoneintheopeningcreditsofTheBradyBunch.Ifclothingcolorsaretoodistracting,useimageadjustmentstocreateblack-and-whiteimagesoraddaretroimagetone.Outtakes:Moviebloopers,orouttakes,havealwaysbeenafunsurpriseattheendofafeaturefilm.Familyphotoshootsoftenendupwithasimilarsetofimages.Afteralongandboringphotosession,youmayfindyouhaveonesoncrossinghiseyes,anotherknucklinghisbrother,someonestickingouthertongue,andabsolutelynotonesinglegoodshotofeveryoneinthegroup.Don’tfightit.Pickatemplateformultipleimagesandchooseafewtoshowcasethespunkandspiritofyourgroup.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
ANCESTORCOLLAGEWITHPICMONKEYTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
assortedancestralportraits(clearwithgoodcontrast)digitizedinJPGformat
Goodfor…
greetingcards,posters,bookcovers,timelines,familyhistorybooks
Designideas
showcasephotosofdifferentancestorsinthesameoriginalformat,orseveralphotosofoneancestor
ProjectOverview
Showcaseafamilylineorpivotaleventsinyourancestralhistorywithaneasy-to-makephotocollageusingscannedimages.ThefreeonlinephotoeditorPicMonkey<www.picmonkey.com>willdothebasiceditingchores;allyouhavetodoisgatheranassortmentofphotosinJPGformat.Youcansavetheresultingcollagetoyourdesktopforprintinglateroruseitonagreetingcard,smallposter,orbookcover.
Instructions
STEP1:UPLOADPHOTOSTOPICMONKEY.GotoPicMonkey.HoverovertheCollageiconatthetopofthescreenandchooseUploadFromComputer.Navigatetoyourphotos,select,andupload.Yourphotoswilldisplayinthephotoselectiontray.
STEP2:SELECTLAYOUTANDPLACEIMAGES.ClickontheLayoutsicon.Selectalayoutwithasuitablenumberofimages(youcanchangethislater).Draganddropimagesintothelayout.
STEP3:EDITANDCROP.ClicktheEditicontofine-tuneimagecroppingandplacement.
STEP4:SAVE.Whenyou’refinished,clickSave,andyouwillbepromptedforfilesizeandformat.Iwanttousemycollageforabookcover,soIamsavingitatthehighestsetting(PicMonkeycallsthis“Sean”).
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
FACEBOOKCOVERPHOTOCOLLAGEWITHPICMONKEYTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
2to5photos
Goodfor… updatingFacebooktimelinecover/header
Designideas featureaseasonaldesign,specialoccasion,oryourfavoritephotos
ProjectOverview
Digitalimagesandonlinephotoservicesmakeiteasytocreatecustomheadersforyoursocialmediapagesandprofilepictures.YoucancreatecustomprofilepicturesandheadersforTwitter<www.twitter.com>,Pinterest<www.pinterest.com>,Facebook<www.facebook.com>,andothersites.
Bloggers,Pinterestpinners,andsocialmediafansusePicMonkey<www.picmonkey.com>todesignthesecreations.PicMonkeymakesiteasytocustomizeimageswithtext,addspecialeffects,cropphotos,andaddseasonalembellishments.Basicfeaturesarefreeandofferenoughvarietyformostusers.TheRoyalesubscriptionoffersad-freedesigningandmoredesignoptions.
Instructions
STEP1:GOTOTHEPICMONKEYWEBSITE.Notethatyoudon’tneedtoregisterorlogintousethebasicdesignfeatures,butyoucan’tsaveyourdesigntoPicMonkeywithoutregisteringforanaccount.
STEP2:CHOOSECOLLAGEOPTION.HoverthecursorovertheCollageicon;selectFacebook.
STEP3:CONNECTTOFACEBOOKACCOUNT.ClicktheConnecttoFacebookbutton.WhentheFacebookConnectwindowpopsup,clickOkay.Whenyouseeasecondwindowwiththemessage“PicMonkeywouldliketoposttoFacebookforyou,”clickOkaytopermitPicMonkeytopostyournewtimelinecover.
STEP4:SELECTPHOTOS.YouwillseeawindowofphotospostedtoyourFacebookaccount.Clicktoselectindividualphotos;acheckmarkwillappearonthephoto.ClickOpentoopenthephotosinPicMonkey.
STEP5:ADDMOREPHOTOS(IFDESIRED).ThephotosyouselectedinFacebookwillappearinthePicMonkeywindow.Toaddmorephotosfromyourcomputerorotherlocation,clickOpenPhotosandthennavigatetoyourcomputerfilesandchoosethephotosyouwant.
STEP6:PLACEPHOTOSINCOLLAGELAYOUT.ClicktheLayoutsiconandchooseFBCover.ClickonthePhotoicon(topicon)tomakethephotosvisibleagainanddragphotosintothecollagelayout.
STEP7:ADJUSTBORDERSANDBACKGROUND.ClickontheBackgroundtab(Paletteicon)toadjusttheborderwidth.ClickontheSwatchestab(Tagicon)toadjustbackgroundpattern.
STEP8:ADDTEXTANDEDIT.SelectafontandclicktheAddTextboxtobringupthetextbox.Typeyourtext,andthenselectcolorandalignment.Dragthetextboxandplaceitinyourdesign.Dragtheedgestoadjustfontsize.
STEP9:SAVEANDSHARE.ClickSavetobringupthePicMonkeySavewindow.SelectthemiddlePiercesizeoptioninJPGformat.Saveittoyourcomputer.ClicktheSharebuttontosharetoFacebookorothersocialmediasites.
STEP10:SAVEASFACEBOOKTIMELINECOVER.TosetyourcollageasyourFacebookcover,clickthecoverimagetoChangeCoverandnavigatetothenewimage.Dragintopositionandsave.
TIPShutterflyAppForFacebook
Shutterfly’s<www.shutterfly.com>FacebookappisanotheralternativeforchangingandcustomizingyourFacebookheader(akacoverphoto).Tousetheapp,simplysignintoFacebookandtypeShutterflyCoverPhotointheFacebookSearchbox.ClicktheGetStartedbox.Then,addphotosfromyourFacebookPhotosoryourcomputer.Draganddropeachphototothedesign.Clickonceonthephototocropandposition.SaveyourcoverphototoyourFacebooktimelinebyclickingthebuttontoSetCover.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
DIGITALSCRAPBOOKINGTRIBUTEPAGEWITHSNAPFISHTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
2(ormore)photos
Goodfor…
asinglecustomizedpageforatributebookorspecialoccasion
Designideas
shareaspecialmemory,tellajokeorhumorousstory,uselettersoftheperson’snametodescribehis/herpersonality
ProjectOverview
Milestoneeventssuchasbirthdays,anniversaries,andretirementstypicallygeneraterequestsforcards,photos,andsharingmemories.Ifyouhaveafewgreatimagesinyourphotocollection,youcancreateabeautifultributepageinunderanhourusinganonlinedigitalscrapbooktool.Someonlinephotoservicesalsooffertheoptiontoprintindividualpagesonyourhomeprinter.Beforeyoubeginyourdigitalscrapbookproject,you’llwanttodecidewhetheryouwillprintathomeusingSnapfish<www.snapfish.com>oroptforprofessionalprintingwithShutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>orMixbook<www.mixbook.com>.
Forthisproject,IusedSnapfishsoIcouldprinttheprojectonmyhomeprinter.Notallphotoservicecompaniesofferdigitalscrapbookingortheoptiontoprintpagesathome(Snapfishisoneofthefewonlineservicesthatoffersaprint-at-homeoption),sobesuretheserviceyouusehasthefeaturesyouneedbeforeyoubeginyourproject.Tofinddigitalscrapbookingoptionsonphoto-projectwebsites,tryusingtheSearchboxtosearchforscrapbookorlookunderoptionsforprintsorprint-at-homeprojects.
Ifyouareapaperordigitalscrapbookerinterestedinexploringtheworldofonlinedigitalscrapbooking,taketimetolookforaservicethatoffersyourfavoritefeatures,including
theavailabilityoftraditionalscrapbooksizepages,especially12x12-inch.theavailabilityandvarietyofembellishments.scrapbook-styletitles,quotations,andheaders.layered-lookframes.
customizablebackgroundpagesandtextures.3-Dlookingembellishments.templatesdesignedbyprofessionalscrapbookers.theoptiontoprintindividualpagesonahomeprinter.theoptiontoorderprofessionallyprintedindividualpages.
Somephotoservicesoffertheoptiontoprintyourlayoutathomeororderindividualprofessionalprintsoffull8x8-inchor12x12-inchpages.Thisisagreatoptionifyouwanttobuildascrapbookafewpagesatatimeorcontributeaspeciallayouttoagroupproject.Ifyoualreadyusedigitalscrapbookingsoftwareonyourcomputer,youcanuploadcompletedlayoutstoonlineserviceswithoutusingtheirdesignprogram.
Asyou’reworkingonyourdigitalscrapbookingproject,youmaywantto
createyourownlayeredframesforphotosbyaddingcolorblocksandusingthelayerbuttontoSendBackorSendForward.createspecialquotesorheadersinAdobePhotoshopElementsusingyourowncomputerfonts.SelectandsaveasaJPGimage.Importthetextandplaceinyourlayout.useimagesasbackgroundtocreateyourownuniquebackgroundpaper.purchasedownloadabledigitalscrapbookpapersandembellishmentsfromdigitalscrapbookingsitestouseinyourowncreationsinPhotoshopElementsordigitalscrapbookingsoftware.
Instructions
STEP1:SELECTPAGEDESIGN.Signintoyourselectedphotoserviceandnavigatetothedigitalscrapbookcreationpage.OnSnapfish,thisisProjects>PrintatHome>8.5x11-inchPhotoBook.
STEP2:UPLOADPHOTOS.Uploadyourimagesanddragtheselectedphotostotheselectionbox.
STEP3:SELECTATHEME.ChooseLandscapeorPortraitorientationforyourpage.Selectatheme.I’musingtheFamily:Storytellingtheme.(Thisthemeisalsoavailableforafullphotobook,butyouwillbepresentedwithasinglepageforyourdigitalscrapbookpage.)
STEP4:PLACEPHOTOSANDEDITTEXT.SelectthePageLayouttabandchoosetwophotoswithtext.Draganddropthelayoutontothepage.Draganddropyourphotosintotheimageboxes.Clickinthetextboxestoedittext.
STEP5:REVIEWANDPRINTPAGE.ClicktheReviewbuttontomovetothenextstep.Youmayseeawarningthatsomephoto-bookpagesareempty.Don’tworry.ThefinalstepshouldgiveyoutheoptiontoPrintorSaveyourpage.Loadcoverstockorphotopaperinyourhomeprinterandprint.
13CalendarProjects
Formanyyears,mysister-in-lawpresentedeachfamilywithawallcalendarshowcasingthebestphotosofthepreviousyear.Itwasalwaysgreatfuntoseehowmuchthecousinshadgrownandhoweveryone’shairstylesandhairlineshadchanged.Nowthatmydaughter-in-lawhascontinuedthisannualtradition,she’saddedmyfavoritefeature—birthdatesandanniversariesprintedrightonthecalendargridsowenevermissadate.
We’veallseenfamilyphotocalendarsthataremore“fun”thanfabulous.YouknowthecalendarsI’mtalkingabout:lotsofpictures,somegood,somenot-so-good,andsomethatleaveyouwondering,“Whatweretheythinking?”Whyspendyourtimeandmoneycreatingacalendarthat’sjustho-humwhenyoucanmakeaphotocalendarsogreatthateveryonehatestoturnoverthelastpage?Customphotocalendarsareagreatprojecttostretchyourphoto-projectskillsandcreateuniquemementosthateveryoneinthefamilycanenjoy.Thebestpartaboutacustomcalendaristhatit’sself-limiting—youhaveacoverandtwelvepagestotellyourstory.
BEFOREYOUBEGIN
Thecalendarprojectsinthischapterwillgiveyouideastoshowcaseyourfamilyandtheirfavoriteevents,hobbies,orplacesinamonthlycalendarthatbeginswithanymonthandisassimpleorcomplexasyouwish.Youcanuseonephotopermonthorten.Someofthemosteffectivephotocalendarsuseasinglestandoutphotopermonth,eachselectedtoportrayathemeorspecialsubject.Ifyouwanttocreateamonthlycollageordisplaymultipleimagesononepage,checkoutthephotoselectiontipsinChapter12forsuggestionsonhowtohelpimagesplaywelltogether.Andifyoudon’thavequiteenoughphotosforallthecalendarpages,plantoshootnewimagestofillinthegaps.
Theestimatedtimelistedforeachprojectinthischapterdoesn’tincludethetimespentplanningyourideaswiththeCalendarProjectBoardandselectingphotos.DoallplanningwiththeCalendarProjectBoardandphotopreparationbeforeyoustartyourproject.
UsingtheCalendarProjectBoard
CreatingafabulousphotocalendarwillbefasterandeasierifyoutaketimetoplanaheadusingtheCalendarProjectBoard.Togetstarted,printacopyoftheCalendarProject
Boardandworkthroughthevariousoptions,thinkingaboutthetheme,colors,andphotosyou’dliketouse.Youmaychangeyourmindlater,buttimespentorganizingyourideaswiththeCalendarProjectBoardwillmakeitmuchfasterandeasiertocreatetheactualcalendar.
SNAPSHOT:Startbywritingdownaworkingtitleforyourcalendar,andthenmakenotesofthefonts,colors,andotherdesignelementsthatwillhelpconveythisidea.Notethatifyouwanttoincludespecialeventsonthecalendargridorusefull-bleedimages,you’llwanttoselectaphotoservicethatoffersthesefeatures.Ifyou’reincludingspecialdatesorholidays,createaseparatelistofthosedatessoyouhaveitreadywhenyoubegintheproject.
SERVICE:Explorephotowebsitestoselectaservicewiththefeaturesyoulike.Youmayhaveafavoritephoto-projectwebsite,butIencourageyoutoexploreothersitesforuniquefeaturesandinspiration.UsetheCalendarProjectBoardtomakenotescomparingdesignandprintingoptions,prices,andshippingtimesthatworkbestforthisparticularproject,yourbudget,andtimeframe.
Dependingonyourvisionforyourcalendarproject,you’llwanttoknow:
Canyouincludefull-bleedimages?What’sthemaximumnumberofphotosforcalendarlayouts?Canyouaddcustomevents,suchasbirthdaysandanniversaries,tothecalendargrid?Canyouaddphotostothecalendargrid?Canyouaddanddeletebackgroundimages,clipart,andembellishments?
LAYOUT:Sketchindividualpagelayoutsandmakealistofthephotosneededforeachpage.ThiswillhelpyoudiscoverifyouneedtoselectaCollageorMulti-PhotoLayoutforthepage.
SelectingaCalendarTheme
Aneffectivephotocalendarneedsmorethangoodorevengreatphotos.Asuccessfulphotocalendarislikeaphotobook:Itshouldtellastoryinphotos.Butunlikeaphotobookthatcanhavemanypages,yourcalendarislimitedtotwelvepagesplusacover.Thinkofitasashortstoryorvignetteinsteadofanovel.
SelectingCalendarPhotos
Afterdecidingonathemeandoverallstyleforyourcalendar,it’stimetomakeyourfinalimageselections.Prepareanyprintimagesyouplantousebyscanningthemataminimumof300dpiinfullcolor.Gatherallyourimagesinafolderonyourcomputerdesktop,includingafewextraimagesjustincaseyoudon’tlikesomephotoswhentheyareplacedintotheprojecttemplate.
Selectonlyphotoswithsharpfocusandgoodcontrast.Avoidgrainy,blurry,poorlyexposedimages.Usedifferentphotostylessuchasportraits,groupshots,andscenestoaddinterestandavoidrepetition.Chooseafewclose-upsofpeople,pets,andthemeitemslikebirthdaycakeorChristmastreeornaments.Selectlongviewsthatsetthescene:alush,greenbackyardoraroomfilledwithpartydecorations.Includephotossnappedatdifferenttimesofday:earlymorning,twilight,andnight,aswellasduringtheday.Considerthecolorsofclothing,furnishings,andfood.Balancebrightswithdarkertonestoavoidacluttered,hodgepodgelook.ThinkaboutthephotosinyourcollectionandcheckoutcalendarprojectsonShutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>,Mixbook<www.mixbook.com>,Snapfish<www.snapfish.com>,andotherpopularphoto-projectwebsites.FindmoreinspirationonPinterest<www.pinterest.com>boardsbysearchingforphotocalendar.
PreparingCalendarPhotos
Createadesktopfolderforyourcurrentproject,andaddcopiesofyourselectedimages,text,clipart,orothergraphics.AllphotosshouldbeinJPGformatatfullresolution.Checkthephoto-projectserviceforrecommendedphotosizestoensureyourphotosaren’ttoolargeortoosmall.
Shouldyoucrop,edit,andenhanceyourphotosbeforeimportingtoyourcalendarproject?There’snorightanswertothequestion.Someservicesmakeiteasytocropandenhancephotosasyouarebuildingeachpage.Otherservicessuggestuploadingcamera-readyimages.Igenerallytryoneortwoimagesbeforeuploadingmyentireprojectimagefileandplacingthemonthepagetoseeiftheywillneedfurtheradjusting.Sometimestheservicerecommendscroppingafterplacement.
CALENDARPROJECTBOARDHOWTOUSETHISPROJECTBOARD1. Thinkaboutwhatyouwanttoincludeinyourcalendarandwhatyouwantittolooklike.Jotdownyourideas
intheSnapshotsection.2. Explorephoto-servicewebsitestofindonethathasthefeaturesyouwant.Makenotesonwhatyoufindinthe
Servicesectiontocompareyouroptions.3. Sketchindividualpagelayoutideas(photosandtext)intheLayoutsection.
SNAPSHOT
Calendartheme/workingtitle
Style(monthly,weekly,appointment)
Size
Tone(classic,lively,modern)
Colors
Photostyle(framed,full-bleed)
Fonts(script,fun,traditional)
Includespecialdates
Includeholidays
Quantitytoprint
SERVICE
PossibleWebsites DesignandCost
1
2.
3.
CALENDARPROJECTBOARDLAYOUT:IMAGESANDDESIGNIDEAS
Cover January February
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
March April May
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
June July August
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
September October November
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
December
________________________________________________________________________
Whatstorywillyoutell?
Yourcalendar’sstorycanbeassimpleas“FamilyBirthdays”or“AYearintheGarden.”Beginwithanoverallcalendarthemeandthengathertogethersuitableimagesorstartwithphotographsthatshouttheperfectmessage.IfinditeasiestifIactuallygivemycalendaraworkingtitlethatsetsathemeandhelpsmemaintaintheoverallfocusthroughoutthetwelve-monthdesign.Withalittletweaking,myworkingtitleoftenbecomesthecoverheadline.Aworkingtitleof“FamilyBirthdays”mightbecome“MillerFamilyCelebrations”or“TheMillersCelebrate.”
SAMPLECALENDARPROJECTBOARDSNAPSHOT
Calendartheme/workingtitle
AYearattheLake(WallCalendar)
Style(monthly,weekly,appointment)
monthly,full-bleedandlargeimagecollage,narrowwhiteborderbetweenphotos
Size wallcalendarwithsquares
Tone(classic,lively,modern) simple,modern
Colors colorimages,black/whitetext
Photostyle(framed,full-bleed)
full-bleed
Fonts(script,fun,traditional) bold,modernfont
Includespecialdates familybirthdaysandanniversaries
Includeholidays yes
Quantitytoprint 4
SERVICE
PossibleWebsites DesignandCost
1.Shutterfly.com 8x11-inchor12x12-inchoptions,PhotoGallerystyle,startsat$21.99for8x11size
2.Snapfish.com SimplyElegant,photoframedonblack,nofull-bleeddesigns,$19.99
3.Mixbook.com 11x8.5-inchcalendar,ClassicPhotos,LandscapeCalendaroption,startsat$19.99
SAMPLECALENDARPROJECTBOARDLAYOUT:IMAGESANDDESIGNIDEAS
Cover January February
full-bleedimage:viewofhousesign
SNOW! collage:indoorcabinfun
March April May
latewinter Easterparty summercabindecorations
June July August
collage:lakeviews quiltandflag;July4party onthelake:sailboats,canoes
September October November
beforeandafter:remodeling collage:birdfeedersandbirds Thanksgivingonthedeck
December
cozypictures
CalendarProjectTipsLetyourcalendartellastory—thestoryofyourfamily’sannualcelebrations,familyandancestorbirthdays,oranotherthemeimportanttoyouortherecipientofthecalendar.Chooseimagesthatcomplementoneanotherandvarychoices—fromclose-upsofindividualstogroupshotstomorecasualorformalimages.Scananyimagesyouplantouseinyourcalendarataminimumof300-dpiresolution.(Thiswaythey’llprintnicelyandwon’tbeblurry.)
Beforeyoubegin,gatherallyourimagesandplacetheminafolderonyourcomputerdesktopforeasyaccessanduploading.SomeonlinephotoservicesacceptonlyJPGimages,soconvertyourimagestoJPGformatifneeded.Considercroppingimagesafteryouuploadthemsoyoucanseehowtheyfitfirst.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
WALLCALENDARWITHMIXBOOKTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
12photosormore
Goodfor… families,singles,couples,clubs,groups,anyone
Designideas highlighttheyearinreview,celebrations,recipes,orseasonalandholidayfavorites
ProjectOverview
Thisstep-by-stepguidewillwalkyouthroughcreatingatwelve-monthphotowallcalendarusingMixbook<www.mixbook.com>.Thisprojectwilldemonstratesomeoftheuniquefeaturesofferedbythisservice,includingfull-bleedimagesandcustomizedcalendarnotationstomarkbirthdaysandanniversaries.
Instructions
Afteryou’veorganizedyourideasontheCalendarProjectBoard(refertothesampleprojectboardtoseehowthisisdone)andplacedcopiesofyourimagesinadesktopprojectfolder,you’rereadytostartcreatingyourcalendar.
STEP1:SELECTACALENDARDESIGN.SignintoMixbookandselecttheCalendaroption.ClickontheClassicPhotosimagetoselectthistheme.OntheOrderingOptionspage,usethedrop-downmenustoselecttheformat,size,andstartmonth.IhaveselectedtheLandscapeCalendar,11x8.5inches,StartingJanuary2016.ClicktheStartCalendarbuttontobegincustomizingyourcalendar.
STEP2:ADDEVENTSANDHOLIDAYS.TheMixbookEditorwillopeninafull-pagemodeanddisplaytheEventCalendar.Youcanenterpersonalbirthdaysoranniversariesnoworlater.ClickontheAddNewEventbuttontoaddbirthdaysandanniversaries.ClickontheHolidaystabtoselecttheholidaysyouwouldlikedisplayedonthecalendargrid.ClosetheEvent.ClicktheUpdateCalendarbutton.
STEP3:UPLOADPHOTOS.ClicktheAddPhotosbuttonanduploadyourpicturesfromyourcomputerorfromInstagram,Facebook,oranotherwebsite.Thumbnailimagesofyourphotoswillappearinthephototray.TheMixbookEditorautomaticallysavesyourworkeveryfewminutesandwhenyouexittheEditor.
STEP4:PLACEANDEDITPHOTOS.Toplaceaphotointothelayout,draganddropitontothepage,orusetheAddPhotosbutton.AdjustthephotousingthePhotoEditingToolbar.Toeasilyfilltheentirepagewiththephoto,clicktheFillBackgroundWithImageiconontheToolbar.Toeditthetitle,double-clickthetextblockandreplacesample/placeholdertitlewithyourowntitleandyear(inthisexample,WelcometotheCabin).Navigatetothenextmonth’spagebyclickingthepageiconsatthebottomoftheDesignwindow.
STEP5:CUSTOMIZETHEDESIGN.ClicktheLayoutstabtofindalternatelayoutstofitthenumberofphotosandtextblocksoneachindividualpage,andaddphotosforeachpage.UsetheBackgroundstabtochangepaperbackgroundcolorsandtexturesifdesired.ClicktheStickerstabtoadddecorativeimagesortextblocks.ClicktheManageEventsbuttontocustomizethedateblockswithbirthdays,anniversaries,andholidays.
STEP6:PREVIEWANDORDER.ClicktheOrderbuttontopreviewandorderyourcalendar;yourcalendarwillopenintheMixbookwebsitewindow.Previewthecompletedcalendar,checkingcarefullytobesureyouhavenotyposorerrors.UsetheEditoptiontogobackandmakeanychanges.Whenyou’reready,clicktheAddtoCartbuttontopurchasethecalendar.YourcalendardesignwillbeavailableintheMyProjectssectionofMixbook.
TIPUsingtheToolbar
ClicktwiceontheimagetoopentheToolbarifit’snotvisible.Hoveryourmouseovereachicontoseeadescriptionofthetool.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
PERPETUALCELEBRATIONCALENDARWITHADORAMAPIXTime 3to6hours,dependingonthenumberofcustomeventsentered
Youwillneed…
12photosormore
Goodfor… holiday,wedding,shower,orbirthdaygift
Designideas
useyourbestphotostobeenjoyedformanyyears;highlightfavoritepeopleandplaces
ProjectOverview
Ifyou’dliketotrycreatingacalendarwithouttheexpectationforanencore,considermakingacalendarthatnevergoesoutofdate.Thisperpetualcalendarisahandyreminderofannualcelebrationssuchasbirthdaysandanniversaries,andprovidesaplacetoaddnotesfornewbabiesandnewlyweds.Insteadofthetypicalcalendargridwithyearandmonth,aPerpetualCelebrationCalendarincludesdatesandspacetomarkbirthdays,anniversaries,andotherannualevents,anditremainscurrentyearafteryear.
Althoughseveralphoto-projectservicesoffercustomphotocalendars,thedatedcalendargriditselfisusuallyanintegralpartoftheoveralldesignthatcan’tbeeditedordeleted.AtAdoramaPix,however,thecalendarisamoveableelementyoucanedit,delete,ormove.Followthestep-by-stepinstructionstocreateyourownperpetualcelebrationcalendar.
TIPOrderingOneCopytoTest
Ifyouplantoorderseveralcalendarsforgiftsandiftimeallows,it’sagoodideatoorderonecopyfirst.Thisallowsyoutomakeanycorrectionsorchangesbeforeplacingalargeorder.
Instructions
OrganizeyourideasandphotosusingtheCalendarProjectBoard.You’llwanttofeatureyourverybestimagesbecauseit’slikelythiscalendarwillbedisplayedformanyyears.Makealist,bymonth,ofthebirthdays,anniversaries,andeventsyou’dliketoincludeonyourcalendar.
STEP1:SELECTACALENDARDESIGN.LogintoAdoramaPix<www.adoramapix.com>andnavigatetotheCalendarprojects.Nameyourcalendar,selectyourpreferredsize,andchoosethetwelve-monthstyle.Selectyourpaper.SelecttheBasicCalendarTheme(youcanchangethislater).ClicktheStartEditingbutton.
STEP2:UPLOADPHOTOS.AdoramaPixcanuploadimagesfromyourcomputerorfromyourphoto-managementsoftware.Followthepromptsprovidedforuploading.ClickOKtoexittheUploadwindow.
STEP3:PLACEPHOTOS.TheEditwindowwillshowyourimagesontheleftwithyourprojectinthemainpanel.ThetabsalongtheleftsideofthewindowallowyoutochangeoptionsforImages,Backdrops,Frames,Text,Stickers,Layouts,Cover,andSettings.Thescrollingwindowattherightindicatestheprojectpages.Click1-2toeditthefirstspread.YoushouldseethespreadforJanuary.SelectanddragaphotofromyourphototraytotheJanuaryspread.
STEP4:REPLACETHECALENDARGRIDWITHTEXT.Deletethecalendargridbyclickingonceonthecalendar.Thegridwillbehighlightedinorange,andaselectionboxwillappeararoundthecalendarwithafloatingtoolbox.ClickDeleteontheToolbox.Addatextboxforthenameofthemonth.ClicktheTexttab.Dragittothetopofthecalendarpage.TypeJanuaryCelebrationsintheboxandselectyourfont,size,andcolor.
Tocreatethemonthlydates,clicktheTexttabanddragatextboxtothepage.Selectaplainfont,about10-pointsizeinadarkgraycolor.Typeaspaceandthennumbersfor1through16.Addunderscoresaftereachnumber.Afterthefirstline,usecopy/pastetoaddthelinesaftertheremainingnumbers.
UsetheLineSpacingbuttontoexpandthespacingbetweeneachlinetoabout185.Pullthehandlesofthetextboxclosetotherowofnumbers,andwiththeboxselected,clicktheCopybuttonintheToolbox.ClicknexttothefirstcolumnofnumbersandclickthePastebutton.Changethenumbersto17through31.Adjusttheboxestoalign.
STEP5:REPLACEMONTHGRIDSWITHTEXT.Nextwe’lltakeashortcuttocompletingtherestofthecalendarpages.Whenyou’vefinishededitingthedateboxes,clickthemonthheader.ThenclicktheAddItemiconatthebottomofthewindowandselectthefirstcolumnofnumbers.ClicktheAddItemiconagainandselectthesecondcolumn.Withallthreeelementsselected,clicktheCopySpreadbuttonontheToolbox.Thethreetextboxesshouldbehighlightedinred.
Navigatetothenextmonthlyspreadbyclickingthearrowsatthebottomofthewindow.ClickthePasteSpreadbuttonintheToolbox.Themonthnameanddateswillbepastedtothenewpagespread.Clickinthetextboxestoeditthemonthlytitlesandthedatesasneededandaddnamesforbirthdaysandanniversaries.
STEP6:PLACEMONTHLYPHOTOS.PlacephotosoneachcalendarspreadbydragginganddroppinganewphotofromtheImagestabtothepage.Toadjusttheimageplacement,clicktwiceforthephotoedittoolbarandmovetheimagewithintheframe.
STEP7:SELECTACOVERIMAGE.Selectyourfavoriteimageforthecoverandeditthetextforyourtitle.
STEP8:PREVIEWANDORDER.Previewyourcalendarandorder.
TIPDaysPerMonth
28 February
30 April,June,September,November
31 January,March,May,July,August,October,December
PROJECTIDEA
IT’SAPARTY!CALENDARTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
12photosormore
Goodfor… families,grandparents,clubs,teams,groups
Designideas useamoderndesignforfull-bleedpagetemplates;selectatemplatewithframes
ProjectOverview
Celebratefamilybirthdaysorspecialoccasionswithatwelve-monthcalendarthatmakeseachbirthdaypersonthestarofthemonth.Beginbylistingallthefamilymemberswiththeirbirthdatesorspecialeventsandsortthelistbymonth.UsingtheCalendarProjectBoard,listthenamesoreventsnexttoeachmonth.Sketchpossiblepagetemplateideasforeachmonth,andmakenotesaboutthefonts,colors,andotherdesignelementsyouwouldliketouse.
TipsandTechniques
Findphotosfrompastbirthdaycelebrationstofeatureonthebirthdayperson’sspecialmonth.Fillinwithmorephotosforamontageorcollageeffect,orjustpickonefabulousimageandrunitfromedgetoedge.Featurethebirthdaypersonwithasnapshotfromhisschooldays,sportsevents,orhobbies.Thecalendarcoversetsthethemeandtoneforyourentireproject.Picktheonebestphotoandrunitfull-bleed,fromedgetoedge.Overlayaheadlineannouncingtheyearandtheme,suchas2016Celebrations.Ifyouhaveamonththat’sshortonfamilybirthdays,looktoyourfamilypets,ancestors,orspecialoccasionsfordatesandphotostoinclude.Lookbeyondyourcurrentphotocollectionifyouhavemonthswithoutfamilybirthdays.ScanMom’srecipeofeveryone’sfavoritebirthdaycake.Bakethecake,
takeaphoto,andincludeitonthepage.Fillthegapsofano-celebrationmonthwithbirthdaybloopersorpost-partyphotos.Ifyouhavetoomanyphotos,includepicturesalongwiththeeventinformationrightonthecalendargrid(afeatureofferedatsomewebsites).
PROJECTIDEA
AYEARINTHELIFECALENDARTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
12photosormore
Goodfor… anyonewithacamera
Designideas tryamodernlookwithfull-bleedimages;useaframewithacoloredbackground
ProjectOverview
Ifyou’veeverwantedtojoinaPhoto-a-DayProjectbutfeltitwastoobigofacommitment,youmightliketotryaYear-in-the-LifeorPhoto-a-Monthcalendar.Thisisalsoagoodprojectifyoudon’thavemanyimagesavailable—onegoodphotopermonthisallyouneedtocreateanattractivewallcalendaryouwillenjoydisplayinginyourhome.
TipsandTechniques
Planaheadandshootphotosthroughouttheyearfornextyear’sedition:
Yourgardenoryardthroughtheseasons:Varytheimageswithclose-ups,longviews,andportraits.Seasonsandholidays:Photographdecorations,parties,food,orobjectsthatconveythespiritoftheseason.Newfamilymember:Babies,kittens,andpuppieschangesofastfrommonthtomonththattheymakegreatsubjectsforphotostoenjoylongafterthenewbornstage.
BonusCalendarIdeas
HomeSweetHome:Designacalendarthathighlightsyourfamilyhomethroughouttheyearoryourchildhoodhomeovertime.Usephotosofthefrontofthehouse,aclose-upofthefrontdoororporch,themailbox,thebackyardgarden,andinteriorphotosofthefamilygatheredinthekitchenordiningroom,oraroundtheChristmastreeinthelivingroom.
PlayBall:Featureyourfamilyall-starsorcreateatributetoyourfavoritecollegeorproteamwithamonthlysportswallcalendar.Useteamcolorsandlogostosetthethemeandincludephotosofuniforms,printedprograms,andsouvenirs.Includefavoritefamilygamessuchascroquet,ping-pong,darts,orbocceball.CommemorativeCalendar:Createawallcalendartoshowcasethehistoryofalocalorganizationcelebratingamilestoneanniversary(tenth,thirtieth,fiftieth,etc.).Theorganizationmightbeachurch,aLittleLeagueclub,oranonprofitgroupyousupport.Includethen-and-nowphotosoftheorganization’sactivities,members,andbuildings.Designthecalendarasagiftforeachmemberorasafund-raiser.Workwithothermembersoftheorganizationtogatherphotosandhistoricalinformation.
PROJECTIDEA
KITCHENDUTYCALENDARTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
12photosormore
Goodfor… anyonewholikesfood,cooking,orgrandma’sbaking
Designideas usebrightcolorsfortrendydishesorvintagecolorsforoldrecipes
ProjectOverview
Foodblogginghasbecomeahotnewcareer,butfoodcalendarshavebeenaroundforalongtime.Andwhynot?Everyonelovesseeingtheirfavoritedishesincrisp,beautifulcolor.
TipsandTechniques
Createacalendarthatshowsoffyourfamilyfoodheritagewithphotosofspecialdishesfromeverymonthoftheyear:Grandma’sstuffinginNovember,EasterhaminApril,andaspecialbirthdayice-creamcakeinyourbirthdaymonth.TakeaphotooftheoriginalrecipeinGrandma’shandwritinganduseitlikeaphotoalongwithasnapshotoftheprepareddish.Considerincludingphotosofthecook,herkitchen,orevenherfavoriteapronandspoon.Eachmonth,featureaseasonalrecipeandphotooftheprepareddish.Addthecook’sphotoforfamilyheirloomrecipes.Don’tfeellimitedtofamilycooking.Createacalendartosharefavoriterestaurants,souvenirmenus,andmealsenjoyedinyourhometownandonyourtravels.
14SmartphoneandTabletProjects
MobileappsforAppleiOSandAndroiddeviceshavemadephotoeditingintoagame.Withafewtapsofyourfingeronyourtabletorsmartphonescreenyoucanaddorremovecolor,turnphotographsintocartoons,orcreateafast-and-easyphotobook.Therearesomanyappstochoosefromthatitcanbehardtoknowwheretostart!
Thischapterhighlightsmobileappsthatareespeciallyhelpfultofamilyhistorianslookingfornewwaystosharestoriesandengagefamilymembersinunderstandingtheirancestry.IfyouenjoyusinganiPad,KindleFire,orAndroidtablet,you’lllikedesigningyournextfamilyhistoryprojectfromyourfavoritechairinsteadofyourhomeofficedesk.
BEFOREYOUBEGIN
PhotoappsformobiledevicesareamongthemostpopularappsintheiTunesAppStore<itunes.apple.com>andonGooglePlay<play.google.com>.Checkforafreeappeditionbeforepurchasingthefullversion.Manytimesthefreeversionwillgiveyouagoodideaiftheprogramsuitsyourneeds.LookattheVersionHistorytonotewhentheappwaslastupdatedandifthedeveloperappearstobeactivelyworkingontheprogramtokeepitrunningsmoothly.Itendtoavoidappsthatarestillin1.0versionstatusaftermonthsofavailability.Readreviews.Visitthedeveloperwebsiteformoreinformation.
Mostphoto-sharingandshoppingwebsitesalsohavemobileversions.IfyourphotosareonasitesuchasShutterflyorSnapfish,besuretocheckouttheirphoto-creationappsforyourdevice.Herearesomeofmyfavoritemobileappsforediting,specialeffects,andphotoproducts:
Photogene(iOS)MoldivCollagePhotoEditor(iOS,Android)Snapseed(iOS,Android)
Youcanevencreatephotobooksrightonyoursmartphoneortablet.Thesearemyfavoriteappsforcreatingphotobooks:
KeepShot(iOS,Android)KodakMomentsHDTabletApp(iOS)Mosaic(iOS,Android)
ShutterflyPhotoStoryforiPad(iOS)
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
PHOTOLABELINGWITHMOLDIVCOLLAGEPHOTOEDITORAPP
Time lessthan1hour
Youwillneed…
1ormorephotos
Goodfor… addingtextblockstomultipleimages
Designideas addacaptiontoaphoto;scanasignatureimagetoimportforacollage;addsourcedocuments
ProjectOverview
TheMoldivCollagePhotoEditorappiseasytolearn.SwipefromtheleftsideoftheapptorevealthemenubarwithalinktoYouTubetutorialsandinspiration.Thetutorialgivesaquickoverviewtogetstarted.Thefreeversionhasenoughfeaturesformostusers:Youcanmakecollages,addspecialeffects,orlabelphotoswiththeapp.Thisprojectshowshowtoaddlabelsorcaptionstoaphoto.
You’llneedtohavecopiesonyourtabletorsmartphoneofthephotosyouwanttouseintheproject.MovephotosfromyourcomputertomobiledeviceusingacloudstorageservicesuchasDropboxorGoogleDrive,aUSBconnectionbetweenyourcomputerandmobiledevice,orviaWi-Fitransfer.OpenthephotosonyourdeviceandsavethemtoyourCameraRollorPictureGalleryforaccessbytheapp.
Instructions
STEP1:DOWNLOADANDINSTALLMOLDIV.DownloadandinstallthefreeMoldivCollagePhotoEditorappfromtheiTunesAppStoreorGooglePlay.(IcreatedthisprojectonmyiPad.)
STEP2:SELECTSTITCHTOADDALABEL.WhenMoldivopens,you’llseeaselectionofcollagelayouts.ChooseStitch.
STEP3:SELECTPHOTOS.YourCameraRoll/PhotoStream/Gallerywillopen;choosethephotosyouwanttousebytappingtoselect.Tapthecheckmarkwhenfinishedselecting.
STEP4:ADJUSTTHEFRAME.TapFrameAdjusttoincreasethemarginsortoaddashadoworborder.Tapthephotowhenyou’refinishedadjusting.Changethebackgroundifdesired.
STEP5:ADDTEXT.TapTtobringuptheTextToolandtypeyourcaption.TaptheLabelicontoformatthetextboxwithabackgroundandborder.Whenfinished,tapOK.Movethetextboxestolabelpeopleorplacetheminthemarginarea.
STEP6:SAVEANDSHARE.Whenyou’refinished,taptheShareicontosaveyourworktoyourCameraRollorshare.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
TOMBSTONEENHANCEMENTWITHSNAPSEEDAPPTime lessthan1hour
Youwillneed…
tombstonephotos
Goodfor… enhancinghard-to-readengravingorhandwriting;viewingdetails
Designideas improvereadabilityofinscriptionsordocuments
ProjectOverview
Whenyouonlyhaveonehourinacemetery,theresultingtombstonephotographsmightbealittlelessthanperfect.IwasdisappointedwhenaheadstonephotoItookonelateafternoonwasdifficulttoread,butenhancingthesharpnessandzoominginwiththeLoupetoolintheSnapseedappmadeiteasytoconfirmmybestguessoftheinscription.
SnapseedisownedbyGoogleandavailableforbothiOSandAndroidmobiledevices.ItsfeatureswilllookfamiliartoGoogle+PhotosusersbecauseGooglehasintegratedSnapseed’seditingfunctionsfordesktopusers.
Instructions
STEP1:DOWNLOADANDINSTALLSNAPSEED.DownloadandinstallthefreeSnapseedappfromtheiTunesAppStoreorGooglePlay.
STEP2:OPENAPHOTO.ClickOpenPhotoandnavigatetoyourCameraRollorAlbumtoselectaphoto.Theleftsideofthewindowshowsavailableeditingoptions.
STEP3:ENHANCEDETAILS.SelectDetailsforyourphototoopeninfullwindowview.(Note:ThecommandsmaybeslightlydifferentoniOSandAndroiddevices.)Rubyourfingerovertheportionofthephotoyouwanttosharpen.NoticethatthenumbersincreaseintheSharpeningindicatoratthebottomofthewindow.
STEP4:USETHELOUPE.TaptheLoupe(theMagnifyingGlassicon)anddragitaroundtheimagetozoominandenhancedetails.
STEP5:GETHELP.TaptheQuestionMarkintheupperrightcorneratanytimeforhelp.UsethebackarrowtoUndoanyaction.
STEP6:COMPAREANDSAVE.Toviewtheoriginal,presstheCompareicon.Whenyouliftyourfinger,theeditedversionwillappear.EditsarenotsaveduntilyoucheckApply.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
PHOTOBOOKWITHMOSAICMOBILEAPPTime lessthan1hour
Youwillneed…
20photos
Goodfor… athank-yougift,vacationsouvenir,orjustafunsurprise
Designideas rememberavacation,funweekend,reunion,orvisitwithfriendsorgrandkids
ProjectOverview
Inthemobileappworldofphoto-bookcreation,Mosaic<heymosaic.com>standsoutforitsuniquephototilecover,beautifulinterface,andquickturnaroundtime.IfyouorderaMosaicbooktoday,youcangetitinfourdays.Thisisn’tthebookforfancybackgrounds,text,andembellishments.It’sallaboutcreatingasharp,attractivephotobookquickly,withoutmuchfuss.
Instructions
STEP1:DOWNLOADANDINSTALLMOSAIC.DownloadandinstallthefreeMosaicappfromtheappstoreforyourdevice.
STEP2:REGISTERANDSTARTCREATING.ClicktheCreateaNewMosaicbuttonandyourCameraRollandAlbumswillappear.
STEP3:SELECTPHOTOS.YourCameraRollwillopen;choosethephotosyouwanttousebytappingtoselect.ChoosefromFacebookorCameraRoll,orimportphotosfromanotherlocation.Selectedphotosappearinthetrayatthebottomofthescreen.Dragtorearrange.TaptheoriginalphotoinyourCameraRolltodeselect.Exactlytwentyphotosmustbeselected.ClickNextwhenyouarefinished.
STEP4:PREVIEWANDORDER.Tapthebooktoviewthepages.Yourphotoswillautofillthetwenty-pagebookwithphotos.Shufflecoverphotosifdesired.Whenready,placeyourorder.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
FAMILYHISTORYTIMELINEWITHTREELINESTime 3to6hours
Youwillneed…
photosofanheirloom,researchimages,mapimages,ornewspaperclippingimages
Goodfor… documentingthestoriesbehindheirlooms;creatingatimelineofanancestororfamilyline
Designideas
illustratethetimelinewithyourdigitizedresearchdocumentsandmemorabilia
ProjectOverview
Treelines<www.treelines.com>givesgenealogistsanewonlinetoolforcreatingillustratedtimelinestosharefamilystories,memoirs,andhistories.Createdin2013byNewYorkgenealogistTammyHepps,Treelinesisanaward-winningandpopulartoolfordocumentingfamilystories.ThisWeb-basedprogram,whichyoucanuseinaWebbrowseronyourcomputerortablet,guidesyoutobuildatimelinewithshorttextblocksandphotosthatyoucanshareprivatelyviae-mailorpubliclyontheTreelinesCommunitypage.EverythingyoudoonTreelinesisprivatebydefaultuntilyoudecideyouarereadytoshareyourstorywithothers.
EachindividualpageinaTreelinesstorycanholdtext,aphotowithcaption,andpagedecorations.AtimelinerunningacrossthebottomoftheStorywindowhighlightsdatesfeaturedinthestory.Twoormorepeoplecanworktogethertofillinstoriesandeventsaboutafamily.
YoucanuploadaGEDCOM(theuniversalfamilytreecomputerfileformat)toTreelinestospeedupstorybuildingandgiveyouaframeworkforaddingstoriesonefamilybranchatatime.Names,places,dates,andeventshelpbuildsearchablekeywordsforyourstory.FindinspirationforyourstoryandTreelinestutorialsintheGettingStartedsectionoftheTreelineswebsite.Ifyoudon’thaveafamilyphotographtouseinyourtimeline,useacensusimageoryourancestor’ssignaturefromadocument.Thinkabout
imagesthatwillmakeyourstorycomealive:newsclippings,maps,countyhistories,andhistoricalimagesfromdigitalarchives.
Instructions
STEP1:SETUPYOURFAMILYTREE.SignupforafreeaccountorloginwithyourFacebookaccountatTreelines.Bydefault,anythingyouaddisprivateuntilyouchangeyouraccountsettings.You’llbepromptedtosetupyourfamilytree.Select“IDon’tHaveaTreeYet”toenterafewnamesatatimeforyourfirststory.YoucanaddaGEDCOMtreelater.
STEP2:CONFIRMYOURACCOUNTSETTINGS.ClickyourusernameinthemenubarandclickPublicProfiletoedityourusername,uploadaprofilepicture,andaddyoursocialmedialinks.ClickSettingstoadjustprivacy.ClickStoriestobegincreatinganewstory.
STEP3:UPLOADATREEORADDNAMES.Foryourfirststory,usenamesyouaddedatsign-inandaddmorenamesforyourstorymanually.
STEP4:CREATEYOURSTORY.TheTreeWizardwillbuildyourfirsttreefromanyinformationyou’veentered,orclicktheJumpRightInlinktogetstarted.
STEP5:ADDPHOTOSWITHCAPTIONS,TEXT,PAGEDECORATIONS,ANDEVENTDETAILS.
Promptswillguideyouthroughaddingtext,photos,andpagedecorations.Treelinesworksbestwithonlyafewlinesoftextoneachpage.Ifyoustarttowritealongnarrative,you’llgetawarningtokeepitshort.Thinkofitlikeastoryonindexcardswhereyoutrytobuildsuspensesoyourreaderflipstothenextpage.Formattextwithboldoritalics,increasefontsize,andaddpagelinks.Remembertoaddname,place,date,andotherdetailsintherightpanel.Thedateisusedtobuildthetimelineacrossthebottomofthepage.
STEP6:INSERTANDMOVEPAGES.Reorderpagesinthestorybydraggingapagetoanewlocation.Clickthegreenplus(+)signtoinsertoraddnewpages.
STEP7:PREVIEWANDPUBLISHYOURSTORY.TogglebetweentheWriteandPreviewbuttonstoworkonyourstory.ClickthePublishbuttonwhenyou’refinished.
STEP8:SHAREANDPRINT.Confirmyourprivacysettingsandshareyourstorywithfriendsandrelatives.DownloadaPDFcopytoyourcomputerwiththeDownloadlinkunderyourAccountSettings.
MoreIdeasforTreelinesStories
UseTreelinestohelpuntanglefamilyrelationships.Eachpersonwillhavehisorherownlineonthestorytimeline—makingiteasytoseewheredatesoverlapandrelationshipsintersect.Remembertoenterdate,place,andnameinformationwitheachpagetousethisfeature.Treelinescandocumentthehistoryandmilestoneeventsofyourgenealogysociety.Useittocreateaslideshowtoshareyourgroup’sgrowth,changingmembership,andpastofficers.Createanillustratedtimelineofafamilybusiness,pastorpresent.Includedigitalimagesofphotos,maps,andbusinessdocuments.Createamemorialtributetohonoranancestor.Recordtheprovenanceofafamilyheirloomormakeanalbumoffamilykeepsakesandtheirchainofownership.
PROJECTIDEA
AUDIOPHOTOBOOKWITHSHUTTERFLYPHOTOSTORYAPPTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
assortedfamilyphotos,photosofheirlooms,researchimages
Goodfor…
interviewingrelatives,identifyingunknownpeopleinimages,andrecordingfamilyheirloominfo
Designideas
tryamodernmagazinedesignforadocumentary-styleprojectwithaudiointerview,oraheritagetheme
ProjectOverview
Oneofmygreatesttreasuresisanaudiorecordingofmymotherandhersistertalkingabouttheplacestheylivedaschildren.Ilovetheideaofleafingthroughaphotoalbumandlisteningtotheirvoicesastheytalkaboutthepicturesonthepage.WiththeShutterflyPhotoStoryappforiPad<www.shutterfly.com/photo-book-ipad-app>,youcanmakeadigitalphotobookwithaudioclipstoshareviae-mailorFacebook,aswellasaprintedbookforyourcoffeetable.
The“doodle”featureinPhotoStoryletsyoudrawdirectlyontheiPadscreentopointoutfeaturesofaphotooridentifypeopleinagrouppicture.Combinetheannotatedpagewithathirty-secondaudioclipforapersonalizedcommentary.TheprintversionofthebookincludesQRcodesthatyoucanscanwithyoursmartphonesoyoucanheartherecordings.
TipsandTechniques
Getstartedbyselectingastyleandsizebook;youcanswitchtoanotherstyleorchangelayoutslater.ImportphotosfromyourShutterflyoriPadphotoalbumsorfromFacebookorInstagram.Tousephotosfromyourcomputer,it’seasiesttouploadthemtoyourShutterflyaccountfirst,thenselectthealbumandphotosyouwanttouse.Photosareautomaticallyplacedinyourbook,butyoucanrearrangeimagesandpageslater.
Toannotatephotosduringaninterview,youwillneedtohavethephotosonyouriPadandselectDoodleonaPhotofromtheDoodlemenuinthePhotoStoryapp.Prepareanalbumofunidentifiedphotostosharewithrelativesandrecordtheircommentsasaudiofiles.UsetheDoodlefeaturetolabelpicturesastheytalk.Createanheirloomalbumandrecordstoriesaboutyourfavoritefamilykeepsakes.Recordshortaudioclipswitheachrelativeatyournextfamilygathering.Ifyouhaveschoolchildreninyourfamily,theymayhavealreadycreatedfamilystoriesaspartofShutterfly’sspecialschoolproject.SeelessonplansandlearnmoreatPhotoStoryfortheClassroom<www.shutterfly.com/photostoryclassroom>.
15FabricandHomeDécorCraftProjects
Intheearliestdaysofphotography,imageswereprinteddirectlyonassortedmaterialsincludingcloth,metal,glass,andpaper.Today’spopularphoto-printingandtransfertechniquesandtechnologyalsocanprinttoaspeciallypreparedsurfacesuchasburlap,canvas,orglass.Projectsinthischapterwillshowyouhowtocreateaphotokeepsakebyprintingyourfavoritefamilyphotosonfabricviaprofessionalprintingservicesandat-homeprinting.
Professionalservicesusescreenprintingorothermethodstocopythedesignonfabricorpaperwithpermanentink.ThecustomfabricserviceSpoonflower<www.spoonflower.com>offersprofessionaldesignservicestohomefabricdesigners.Spoonflowercustomprintingworksmuchlikeaphoto-bookservice:Uploadyourphototoadesigntemplate,selectfabricandquantity,andwaitforyourordertoarriveatyourhome.
TIPEmbraceFabric
Spoonflowerletsyouprintyourowncustomimagesonfabricssuchascotton,silk,knit,suede,andlinen,sogetcreative!PrintanimageofGrandma’shandwrittenrecipeonfabrictocreateateatowel.Createacanvastotebagwithameaningfulimageonit.GetmoreideasforfabricprojectsonSpoonflower’sblog<blog.spoonflower.com>andonPinterest<www.pinterest.com/spoonflower>.
Homeofficeprintingisagoodsolutionifthematerialyou’reusingissmallenoughtofitinanink-jetorlaserprinter,makingitpossibletoprintdirectlyonafabricorplasticsurface.Somematerialsarespecificallydesignedforeitherink-jetorlaserprinting,somakesureyoupurchasethecorrectformatforyourhomeprinter.
BEFOREYOUBEGIN
Thinkbeyondpaperforwaystoshareyourfamilyhistoryphotosthroughoutyourhome.I’malwaysinspiredbyuniqueprojectspostedontheWebandsocialmedia,especiallyPinterest<www.pinterest.com/FamilyCurator>andHouzz<www.houzz.com>.
Youdon’thavetobeanexpertsewertoenjoyphotoprintsonfabric.Spoonflowerofferscustom-printlinentowelsreminiscentoftheold-fashionedannualcalendartowelsmygrandmotherdisplayedinherkitchen.Spoonfloweralsoprintsonsilkorpolyestercrepe,whichcanmakeaneasysilkscarfthatneedsonlyasimplehand-sewnhem.
Whenchoosingphotosforfabricprojects,considernotonlytraditionalphotographsoffamily,butalsopartsoforentirefamilyhistoryresearchdocumentimagessuchasacensusimageoranewspaperarticleclipping.Forbestresults,you’llwanttoedityourimagesinphoto-editingsoftwarebeforeuploadingthemtoSpoonflower.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
VINTAGEHOLIDAYPHOTOPILLOWWITHSPOONFLOWERANDPICMONKEY
Time 3hoursplussewingtime
Youwillneed…
1photo,printablefabric
Goodfor… holidaydecorating,customgifts
Designideas putthen-and-nowphotosonthefrontandback,ormakeamultiple-photocollage
ProjectOverview
Homedecoratingcatalogsandglossyholidaymagazinesarefilledwithelegantfabricprojectsthatyoucanduplicatewithyourownphotosandscannedartcustom-printedonthefabricofyourchoice.Whileink-jetprintinglimitsyourprojectstoletter-sizefabricsheets,custom-printedsilk,linen,cotton,andcanvasareavailablebytheyardinfullbolt-widths.Youcanusetheselargerprintedfabricstomaketotes,pillows,quilts,clothing,ordrapery,orasupholstery.
Thisprojectisdesignedwiththeonlinephoto-editingprogramPicMonkey.IscannedavintageholidayphotoanduploadedittoPicMonkeyforcroppingandembellishing.YoucansavethecompletedimagetoyourcomputeranduploadittoSpoonflowertoprintasa16x16-inchdecoratorpillow.
Instructions
STEP1:PREPARETHEIMAGEINPICMONKEY.OpenPicMonkey<www.picmonkey.com>andselecttheDesigniconatthetopofthepage.
STEP2:UPLOADTHEIMAGE.ClicktheOpenbuttontouploadyourimage.
STEP3:ADDAFRAMEORBORDER.IntheEditwindowtotheleftofyourimage,selecttheFrames(pictureframe)icon.ChooseSimpleEdgeandchangetheoutercolortoblack0thicknessandtheinnercolortowhite90thicknesstoaddanold-fashionedphoto-printborder.
STEP4:ADDBACKGROUNDFORCLIPART.IntheEditwindow,selecttheOverlays(butterfly)iconandthenchooseGeometrics/Circleanddragthecircletoyourphoto.ChangetheOverlayColor1toredandColor2towhite;closetheOverlaywindow.
STEP5:ADDCLIPART.ScrolldowntoOverlay/Postalandfindtheglobepostmark.Dragthepostmarktothecircleyouplacedearlier.Changethecolortored;closetheOverlaywindow.
STEP6:ADDTEXT.IntheEditwindow,selecttheType(Tt)icon,selecttheSpecialElitefont,anddragthetextboxtoyourphoto.TypeNORTHPOLEinthetextboxandchangethefontsizeto75.
STEP7:ADJUSTTHETEXTANDSAVEYOURDESIGN.Clicktheright-handborderofthetextboxanddragitlefttomaketheboxsmaller;dragthetextboxtothepostmarkandplaceitintheopening,rotatingifneeded.ClicktheSavebuttoninthetoptoolbartosaveyourimagetoyourcomputerasahigh-qualityJPGfile.
STEP8:CREATEYOURFABRICINSPOONFLOWER.LogintoSpoonflower<www.spoonflower.com>andchooseCreateFabricfromtheCreatemenu.
STEP9:UPLOADDESIGN.Selectyoursavedimageonyourcomputer,confirmyourcopyright,anduploadyourfile.
STEP10:SELECTFABRICANDORDER.IntheDesignwindow,selecttheRepeat:Center,DesignSize:Bigger.UndertheChooseaFabricdrop-downmenu,selectadesiredfabric.UnderChooseaSize&Amount,selectFatQuarter.Addtotheshoppingcartandcompleteyourpaymentandshippinginformation.
STEP11:SEWTHEPILLOW.AfteryoureceivethefabricfromSpoonflower,cutthefabricandsewthepillowasdesired.
BonusIdea:CreateCustomGiftWrap
Inadditiontoprintingonfabric,severalonlinephotoservices,includingSpoonflower<www.spoonflower.com>,Shutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>,andZazzle<www.zazzle.com>,letyouprintyourowncustomgiftwrap.Hereareafewideasforcreatingcustomwrappingpaper.
HolidayCollage:Useagift-wraptemplateonShutterflysuchasHolidayStampsorFromSantaGiftTags.Personalizeitbyaddingfamilyphotosandaddingthefamilyname.Changeanycolorphotostoblack-and-whiteformatforacohesivefeeloravintagelook.SinglePhotoTile:Chooseasinglephototocreatetile-patternwrappingpaperatZazzle.Asimpleimage,withoutalotofdetail,worksbest.Youcanaddtextafteruploadingyourimage.YourOwnDesign:Tocreateone-of-a-kindgiftwrapforanyoccasion,usetheonlinephotoeditorPicMonkey<www.picmonkey.com>alongwithSpoonflower.You’llcreateadesignfromscratch,thenorderitthroughSpoonflower.Includeanytextontheimagebeforeyouuploadit.Afteryouuploadyourimage,youcanselectwhetheryouwantittoberepeated.
PROJECTIDEA
PHOTOQUILTBLOCKTime 1hour
Youwillneed…
1photo,printablefabric,suchasburlaporcanvassheet(availableatcraftstores)
Goodfor… transferringanimagetoprinter-sizefabric
Designideas printquiltblocks;smallpillowtops;quotations;othersmallfabricitems
ProjectOverview
Whenyouneedaquiltlabelorphotoprintedtofabric,looknofurtherthanyourink-jetprinter.Pretreatedfabricsheetsareagoodoptionifyouneedonlyafewcopies.You’llwantthefinalproducttobewashableandcolorfast.CommercialprintablefabricsheetsareavailablefromAvery,Dritz,ElectricQuiltCompany,andPrintedTreasures.Manyquiltersmaketheirownprintablefabricsheetswithfreezerpaperandchemicalproductstomakefabriccolorfast.Remembertoreverseanyimagesthathavewording.
TipsandTechniques
Selectandscanyourphotographat300dpi.Setthetargetsizeforyourintendedprintdimensionsorlarger.Remembertoincludeaseamallowancewhencalculatingprintsize.Openyourphotoinyourphoto-editingsoftwareorplacetheimageinawordprocessingdocument.Sizethephotoforyourprint.Choosethecorrectfabricforyourprinter,eitherink-jetorlaserink.Followthefabricmanufacturer’sdirectionstoprintorcopyyourphototothespecialfabric.Gentlyguidethefabricthroughthepapertrayifneeded.Settheprintasideandlettheinkdrycompletelybeforesewingorcutting.
16Photo-BookProjects
Everyonelovesstories,especiallystoriestoldinpictures.Ifyouhaveinheritedafamilyphotocollection,yourfamilystorymaybewaitingtobesharedwithafamilyhistoryphotobook.Andifyou’rebusysnappingphotosofeverydayfamilylife,youcaneasilyturndigitalbytesintodigitalbooks.
Thestep-by-stepprojectsinthischapterwillhelpyouplananddesignafamilyphotobookorafamilyhistoryphotobookusinganonlinebookservice.Ifyou’vemadesimilarbooksbefore,youmayhavefoundtheprocesstime-consumingorconfusing,orthoughttheresultsweremoreofahodgepodgeofpicturesthanameaningfulfamilystory.Inthischapter,you’llfindideastostreamlinetheprocessandcreateabookyouwillbeproudtoshare.
BEFOREYOUBEGIN
You’llfindtheentirephoto-bookcreationprocesswillbemuchfasterandsmootherifyoutaketimetousethePhoto-BookProjectBoardtoorganizeyourideasandyourphotosbeforestartingtocreateyourbook.Inaddition,you’llneedtofocusthestoryyouwantyourphotobooktotell.
Asinglephotobookcan’tcovereverything,soit’simportanttonarrowyourfocustoaspecificthemeortopic.Thinkcarefullyaboutyourpurposeforthisphotobookandtrytostateyourbook’sthemeinasentenceortwo.Ifthat’snotpossible,thetopicmaybetoobigforasinglephotobook.Athemeortopicwillhelpyoustayfocusedsoyou’renottemptedtoaddphotosthatdon’treallyfitwithyouroverallobjectives.Browsephoto-bookwebsitesforideasandthinkaboutthethemeandstoryline.Notewhatmakessomebooksbetterthanothers,andincorporatethoseideasintoyourproject.
Keepinmindthatfamilyhistoryprojectscanbemorecomplexthanatypicalvacationorannualfamilyphotobook.Genealogistsmusttrytofaithfullyshareancestralstoriesusingillustrationsandimagessuchasheirloomphotosandolddocuments,anddrawonhistoricalcontextandsocialephemeratomakethestoryinterestingandcompelling.
Writingafamilyhistoryphotobookdoesn’thavetobeahuge,complicatedproject.Insteadofpreparingamonumentalsix-hundred-pagedocument,focusonaspecific
individualorcouple,orononebranchofthefamilytree.Thiswillestablishthemainsubjectforyourbookandhelpyounarrowyourchoiceswhenselectingphotosandillustrationsandmakingdesignchoices.Dependingontheonlinephoto-bookserviceyouchoose,youmayneedtostaywithinamaximumpagelimit.Thisisprobablyagoodthing.Lessisdefinitelymoredesirablewhenitcomestocreatingafamilyphotobookthatyourfamilywillenjoy.
Ifyou’recreatingafamilyhistoryphotobook,allowextrapagesfor
atitlepagewithauthor,date,andpublicationplace.contactinformation,whichmaybeaddedtothetitlepageorbackpageandshouldincludeyourname,e-mail,and/orphonenumber.creditsoracknowledgements,whichmightincludeanoteofappreciationtofamilymemberswhosharedphotosorresearchmaterial.adedicationtothoughtfullyconveyyourpersonalremarksandfutureintentionsforyourfamilyhistory.footnotesorendnotes.Theseaddcredibilitytoyourfamilystoriesandgivefutureresearchersconfidenceinyourconclusions.Useaconsistentcitationstyleandincludeallpertinentdetailstohelpthereaderevaluateandlocateyoursources.EvidenceExplainedbyElizabethShownMillsprovidesacomprehensiveguidetocitingprintanddigitalsources.
UsingthePhoto-BookProjectBoard
MakeacopyoftheblankPhoto-BookProjectBoard.Eachsectionoftheprojectboardwillhelpfocusdecisionsforyourphoto-bookproject.
SNAPSHOT:InthissectionofthePhoto-BookProjectBoard,startbywritingdownaworkingtitleforyourbookandmakingnotesofthethemeaswellasdesignelements(colors,etc.)you’dliketouse.Considerfontsandotherelementsyouwanttouse.Forexample,atributetoyourfamilyathletes,pastorpresent,willlookgreatwithcollegeletterman-stylefontsandteamcolors.Abookhonoringyourmommightfeatureclipartwithherfavoriteflowersandcolors.
PHOTO-BOOKPROJECTBOARDHOWTOUSETHISPROJECTBOARD1. Decidewhattypeofphotobookyouwanttocreate.FillintheSnapshotandandAudiencesectionsofthe
projectboard.
2. Explorethetypesofphotobooksanddesignsofferedonphotoservicewebsites.MakenotesintheServicessection.
3. SketchplansfortextandimagesintheStoryboardLayoutsection.
SNAPSHOT
Photo-booktheme/workingtitle
Orientation/style(landscape,portrait,square)
Size
Tone(classic,lively,modern)
Colors
Photostyle(framed,full-bleed)
Fonts(script,fun,traditional)
Printoptions(lay-flat,specialtypaper)
Book-coverfeatures(photowindow,full-bleedimage,textonspine)
Quantitytoprint
Familyhistorydesignfeatures(pedigreechart,familytree,recordimages)
SERVICE
POSSIBLEWEBSITES DESIGNANDCOST
1.
2.
3.
AUDIENCE
Detailsaboutyouraudience
STORYBOARDLAYOUT:IMAGESANDDESIGNIDEAS
Spine ____________________
FrontCoverandPage1 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages2–3 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages4–5 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages6–7 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages8–9 ____________________________________________________________
____________________
Pages10–11 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages12–13 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages14–15 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages16–17 ________________________________________________________________________________
Pages18–19 ________________________________________________________________________________
Page20andBackCover ________________________________________________________________________________
Photo-BookTipsAsyouevaluateonlinephoto-bookservices,consideryourideasfromtheSnapshotsection.Considerthedesign/themestyles,bookstyles,andnumberofpagesallowed.Keepinmindyouraudience’sage,gender,interests,personality,andanyknownlikesanddislikes.Thiswillhelpyouchoosetheappropriatedesign,photos,andtextforyourbook.Beforeyoubeginyourproject,saveJPGcopiesoftheimagesinafolderonyourcomputerdesktopforeasyaccessanduploading.
SAMPLEPHOTO-BOOKPROJECTBOARDSNAPSHOT
Photo-booktheme/workingtitle Sisters
Orientation/style(landscape,portrait,square) landscape
Size 8.5x11inches
Tone(classic,lively,modern) classicwithmoderntwist
Colors colorimages,black/whitetext
Photostyle(framed,full-bleed) framed;full-bleedbackgroundimages
Fonts(script,fun,traditional) serifforoldfonts,sansseriffornewphotos
Printoptions(lay-flat,specialtypaper) lay-flat
Book-coverfeatures(photowindow,full-bleedimage,textonspine)
montageofallsisters,textonspine
Quantitytoprint 6
Familyhistorydesignfeatures(pedigreechart,familytree,recordimages)
pedigreechart
SERVICES
POSSIBLEWEBSITES DESIGNANDCOST
1.Shutterfly.com gooddesignthemesforthisproject;familytreechart
2.Snapfish.com canmixthemes;photosalreadyonSnapfish
3.Mixbook.com nicethemes;greatfamilytree
AUDIENCE
Detailsaboutyouraudience niecesanddaughters(ages22–32)
STORYBOARDLAYOUT:IMAGESANDDESIGNIDEAS
Spine booktitle
FrontCoverandPage1
cover:collagephotoofsisterspage1:Titlepage,author,date
Pages2–3 introwithtextandphotoofoldestsisters
Pages4–5 youngestsisters
Pages6–7 girlswiththeirmoms
Pages8–9 nieceswiththeirsisters
Pages10–11 nieceswiththeirmom
Pages12–13 meandSis
Pages14–15 MomandAuntFrances
Pages16–17 GrandmaandGreat-auntMercy
Pages18–19 Great-grandmotherMinniewithsisterMaud
Page20–21 Great-great-grandmotherMercywithsisters
Pages22–23 pedigreechartshowingallgenerations
Page24andBackCover
page24:thanksanddedicationbackcover:photoofoldestsisters(great-grandma,Minnie
&Maud)
Alsothinkabouttheoveralldesignstyle:modern,traditional,orplayful.Considerhowyouwillfeatureyourimagesandwhetherornotit’simportanttousefull-bleedortwo-pagespreadphotos.Noteanyessentialprintfeatures,includinglay-flatpages,printingonthespine,coverwindows,dustjacketsorleathercovers,andslipcases.Yournoteswillhelpyoucomparebookservicestofindthebestfitforyourproject.
SERVICES:Youmayhaveafavoritephoto-projectwebsite,butIencourageyoutoexploreothersitesforuniquefeaturesandinspirationtofindoneyoulikeforphoto-bookprojects.MakenotesonyourPhoto-BookProjectBoardtocomparedesignoptions,printingoptions,prices,andshippingtimes.Askyourselfthesequestionsasyouevaluateyouroptions:
What’stheminimumandmaximumnumberofpages?CanIcreatethecoverstyleIwant?Doesthisserviceoffertextonthespine?
CanIchooselay-flatpages,ifdesired?Dobuilt-indesignstylescomplementmyownbooktheme?CanIincludefull-bleedimages?Canphotosextendacrosstwopages?CanIaddanddeletebackgroundimages,clipart,orembellishments?Isthedesignsoftwareintuitiveandeasytouse?
AUDIENCE:Everyphotobookhasanintendedaudience—eveniftheaudienceisonlyyou.It’smorelikely,however,thatyou’recreatingafamilyphotobooktosharevacationmemories,birthdaycelebrations,orfamilyhistorywithothers.We’vecomealongwayfromfamilyslideshowsthatlefteveryoneyawninginthedarkafterthefourthcarouselofcolorimagesflashedonthescreen.Today’scustomphotobooksmakeiteasytotargetaudiencesofanyageorinterestlevel.
Toidentifyyouraudience,askthesequestions:
Whatistheirage?Wheredotheylive?Wherehavetheylivedinthepast?Whatactivitiesdoesyouraudienceenjoydoing?Whatmakesthemsmileorlaugh?Dotheysharefunnystories?Willanytopicsmakethemuncomfortableorsad?
Tocreateabookthatyouraudiencewantstoread,considerwhichstoriesandphotoswouldinterestthemmost.Includethephotosyoufeelareimportanttoshare.Andusethepropertone(perhapshumorousorconversational)tohelpyourreaderconnecttothepeopleandstoriesyoushareinthebook.
LAYOUT:IntheStoryboardLayoutsectionofthePhoto-BookProjectBoard,sketchindividualpagelayoutsandmakealistofthephotosyou’llneedforeachspread.Thinkaboutviewingyourbookastwo-pagespreadsinsteadofindividualpages.You’llhavemorelayoutspaceandstoryoptionswhenworkingwithtwofacingpages,includingextendedpedigreechartsandlargephotosthatrunacrossbothpages.Also,rememberthatodd-numberedpagesarealwaysontherightsideandeven-numberedpagesareontheleft.Alwaysincludeatitlepagewithyourphotobook’stitle,yourname,andthepublicationdate.
TIPDon’tGoFontWild
Manyfamilyhistorybooksincludegenerousamountsoftextandphotocaptions.Selectnomorethanthreefontstousethroughoutyourbook:onelargefontforheadlines,onefontfortextandcaptions,andoneforaccents.
TipsforSelectingandPreparingPhoto-BookImages
Photobooksaregreatprojectsifyouhaveadigitalphotocollectionyou’dliketoshowcase:snapshotsfromyourlastvacation,scannedimagesfromanheirloomphotocollection,orsmartphonephotostakenatabirthdayparty.Beforeyoubegin,takeadeepbreath,pulloutyourPhoto-BookProjectBoard,andstartlookingthroughyourphotosforimagesthattellthestoryyouwanttoshare.Considerthesetipsasyouselectphotostoinclude.
Lookforphotosthatarewell-composed,well-exposed,focused,andhavegoodcontrast.Ifyouabsolutelymustincludeapoorimagebecauseit’stheonlyphotoofaspecificperson,workaroundthephoto’slimitationsbyusingtheimageinthebestsizeforthephoto.Don’tforceasmall,low-resolutionphotointoalargeimagelayout.You’llbedisappointedwiththeresult.CreateafolderonyourcomputerdesktoptoholdJPGversionsofphotosforyourproject.Thisisnotapermanentarchive.YoucanmovethistoafolderforPastProjectswhenyou’refinished.Examineeachphotocloselyinyourphoto-editingsoftware.Thebestphoto-bookimageswillhaveahighenoughresolutionthattheycanbeplacedinabookofanysize.Chooseimageswithaminimum300dpiresolutionifyoucan.Ifyouhavelowerresolutionphotosyouwanttouse,considerusingtheminmulti-photolayoutsorasadesignelementratherthanafeaturephoto.Selectphotosthattellastory,showaperson’spersonality,sparkamemory,orevokeastrongemotionalresponse.BeawarethatmostonlinephotoservicesacceptJPGfilesonly.Editimagesasmuchoraslittleasyoulike.Inmostcases,simplyadjustthecolorandrepairdamageinyourphoto-editingsoftwarebeforeuploadingtoyourphoto-bookproject.
Photo-bookservicescancorrectred-eye,crop,andauto-adjustanimage,buttheycan’terasewaterspotsorrepairtornedges.Doadvancededitingwithphoto-editingsoftwarebeforeuploadingtheimagetoaphotoservice.Savecroppingforlater.Manytimesitisbettertocropafterplacingthephotointhepagetemplatesoyoucanadjustittofitacurvedordecorativeframe.Ifyoucroptootightlyinyourphoto-editingsoftwarebeforeplacingtheimageinyourproject,yoursubjectmaylosehisheadorfeettotheframe.Sortphotosbasedontheorderyouwouldlikethemtoappearinyourphotobook.Thiscansaveconsiderabletimewhenyou’rereadytocreateyourphotobook.Mostsitesofferanautofilloptionthatautomaticallypopulatespageswithyourphotos.Youcanmakeadjustmentsandrearrangephotostofinalizethedesign.Ifyouusephoto-managementsoftwaresuchasiPhoto,Picasa,orAdobeLightroom,youcanmakeanalbumorcollectiontoholdtheimagesyouwanttouseforaspecificphoto-bookproject.UsetheBatchEditfunctioninyoursoftwaretocreateanewcopyofeachimageintherecommendedJPGformatandrenamethefilessequentiallyforeasyimportingtoyourphotobook.Afteryoucreateanalbumorcollection,exportittoyourcomputerdesktopattheoriginalsizeandimagequality.
Photo-BookTermstoKnow
coverstamping:photo-bookoptionforaddingtextimprintedonabookcoverdie-cutcover:abookcoverthatfeaturesacutoutwindowtoshowcasethephotoonthefirstpage;thecoveritselfcanbesoftcover,hardcover,fabric,leather,orotherspecialtymaterialdustjacket:apapercoverwithflapsthatwrapsaroundandprotectsthecoverofyourbookendpapers:papercoveringtheinsideofthefrontandbackcoversofabookflush-mountbook:apremiumlay-flatbooktypicallyhaseachpageprintedonhigh-qualityphotopapermountedtoaninnercore,makingthefinishedpagethickerandstifferthananaveragebookpagegutter:theinneredgeofabookpagewherethepagesmeetatthebinding;ifyouliketousetwo-pagespreads,beawarethatportionsofyourimage(ortext)cangetlostinthegutterhardcover:thiscoverisproducedasahardcoverwithasmudge-resistantfinishimagewrapcover:thisfeatureallowsaphototoliterallywraparoundtheentirecoveroverthefront,spine,andbackofyourbookordustjacket
lay-flatbook:pageslayflatwithoutacenterseam;oftenfeaturespremiumpapermemorabiliaenvelope:aspecialenvelopeaffixedtotheinsidecoverofaphotobookforyourticketstubs,cards,andotherkeepsakespaddedcover:abookcoverwithalayerofpaddingaddedbetweentheprintedcoverandtheinnerboardtocreateasoft-cushionedcoverpagecount:thenumberofpagesinyourbook;mostphotobooksrequireaminimumoftwentypageswithoptionstoaddpagesforanextraper-pagecostslipcase:aprotectiveboxwithoneopensidethatprotectsthepagesofyourbookfromdustandlightsoftcover:thecoverisprintedonthickpaperorcardstock(likeapaperbackbook),oftenwithamatteorshinyfinishtwo-pagespread:referstoextendinganimageacrossthebinding/guttertocoverallorpartoftwopages
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
CUSTOMPHOTOBOOKWITHSNAPFISHTime 3to6hours(dependingonyourphoto-book-making
experience)
Youwillneed…
15photosormore
Goodfor… holidayandbirthdaygifts,aswellasfamilyreunions
Designideas focusonbrothersandsisters,cousins,ormultiplegenerations
ProjectOverview
Somefamilytreesarewell-balancedwithfairlyequalnumbersofmenandwomenlistedalongthetwigsandbranches;othersleanmoreheavilytowardasinglegender.Inmyownfamily,Icomefromalonglineofsistersiblingswithoutanybrothers.Althoughmyfamilyisnowfilledwithsonsandgrandsons,mysisterhascontinuedthefemaletraditionwithfourdaughtersandthreegranddaughters(plusoneadorablegrandson).Thisphoto-bookprojectcelebratesourfemalefamilyheritagewithphotosandstoriesaboutthesistersinourfamilytree.
Followalongwiththisproject,beginningwiththesamplePhoto-BookProjectBoardearlierinthischapter.
Instructions
UsethePhoto-BookProjectBoardtoorganizeyourideasandplanyourproject.SelectphotosandplaceJPGcopiesofyourimagesinafolderonyourcomputerdesktop.
TIPMixingPageThemes
TomixthemepagesinaSnapfishphoto-bookproject,draganddroptheindividualthemepagefromtheThemetraytoyourpagespread.
STEP1:SELECTABOOKDESIGN.SignintoSnapfish<www.snapfish.com>andselectPhotoBooksandthesizeandstyledesired.Forthisproject,I’mtryingoutthenewLay-flatBook.NoticethatthetoolbaracrossthetopofthepagehasoptionsforPhotos,Book,Theme,Personalize,andReview.Workfromlefttoright,beginningwithPhotos.
TIPRearrangeImages
Toquicklyrearrangephotosinamulti-photolayout,clicktheShuffleiconinthepagetab.
STEP2:UPLOADPHOTOS.ClicktheUploadPhotosbuttontoopentheUploadwindow.Enteranameforthealbumtoholdyourphoto-bookpictures.ChoosetherecommendedFastuploadspeedandclicktheSelectPhotosbutton.Navigatetothefolderyoucreatedearliercontainingyourprojectphotosandselectphotostoupload.ClickDone.
STEP3:CREATECOVERS.Placephotosinthecoverlayoutbydraggingthemfromtheleftphototabtothepagespread.
STEP4:ADJUSTANDEDITYOURCOVERPHOTOS.ClicktheHandiconinthecenterofthephototoopentheminieditingtoolbar;formoreeditingoptions,clicktheEditicontoaccesstoolsforred-eyecorrection,photoeffects,andzoom.Iappliedtheblack-and-whiteeffecttoeachcolorphotoandzoomedtocropexcessbackground.
STEP5:ADDATITLEANDSPINETEXTTOCOVER.ClickintheTitletextboxandtypeyourbooktitle.Selectfont,size,andcolor.ClickintheSpinetextboxandtypeyourtitleagain;selectthesamefontandcolor.Thesizewillneedbesmallertofitonanarrowspine.
STEP6:DESIGNTHETITLEPAGE.Clicktherightarrowbuttontomovetothefirstpagespread.SelectPageLayoutsintheleft-handtoolspanelanddragatext-onlypagetothespread.ClicktheAddTextboxandtypethebookname,yourname,andtheyear.Adjustthefontstyle,size,andcolorasdesired.
STEP7:ADDPHOTOSANDTEXTTOPAGESPREADS.Clicktherightarrowtomovetothenextpagespreadforpages2and3.DragaphotofromtheleftPhotostabtothelayout.To
adjusteffects,cropping,andsize,clicktwiceonthephototoopentheEditwindow.Clickonceinthetextboxtoaddtext.
STEP8:CUSTOMIZEPAGELAYOUTS.Customizeeachpagebyclickingthedesigntabsontheleft:PageLayouts,Themes,andEmbellishments.Alternately,customizebyclickingthedesigniconsinthepagetab:Shuffle,Gallery,andText.Draganddropselectionstoyourpagespread.
STEP9:ADDTEXTBOXESANDADJUSTSIZE.AddatextboxtoanypagebyclickingtheTexticoninthePagetab.Dragthecornerhandlestoadjustthesizeandpositionofthetextbox.
STEP10:VIEWPAGESPREADSANDTHECOMPLETEBOOK.Clickthepageviewiconstoviewallspreads.Continueaddingpagespreads,photos,andtextuntilyoucompleteallpages.
STEP11:REVIEWANDORDER.ClicktheReviewbuttononthetoolbartoopenaflipbookpreviewofyourbook.Carefullyproofreadeachpage.Printadraftandorderprintsifdesired.Placeyourorder.
STEP12:SHARE.ClicktheSharebuttontoe-mailalinkofyournewbooktofamilyandfriends,orclickthetabtoshareyourprojectonFacebook.
STEP-BY-STEPPROJECT
AUTO-FILLBIRTHDAYBOOKWITHMIXBOOKTime 3hours(dependingonyourphoto-book-makingexperience)
Youwillneed…
20photosormore
Goodfor…
souvenirofacelebration,event,orvacation
Designideas
choosearelevanttheme,organizephotoswithconsecutivenumbersforeasyautofilluploading
ProjectOverview
Creatingaphotobookdoesn’thavetobeahugechore.IusedadesignertemplateatMixbook<www.mixbook.com>toassemblethisfastlittlebirthdaysouvenirinafewhoursusingtheAutoFillfeature.Ittookaslongtouploadallmyimagesasitdidtoplacethephotosandfinalizethedesign.Thehardestpartwasfindingmycreditcardtoorderthebook.
Instructions
Mixbook’sAutoFilloptionwillimportimagestothebooklayoutusingthefile-nameorder.Usephoto-editingsoftwaretoorganizephotosinacollectionintheorderyouwantthemtoappearinthebook.(Note:Somephoto-editingprogramsuseAlbumstoorganizeasubsetofphotos.)Inmyphoto-editingprogramAdobeLightroom,IusedBatchRenamingtogiveeachfileanewnameandconsecutivenumber.IsavedaJPGcopyofthefilestoaprojectfolderonmydesktop.
STEP1:SELECTBOOKDESIGN.LogintoMixbook;selectasuitablebookdesign.IchoseBirthdayBrights.ClicktheCreateNowbuttontoopentheDesignwindow.
STEP2:IMPORTPHOTOS.Chooseallphotostoimport.
STEP3:PERSONALIZECOVERTEXT.Clickontextblockstochangethenameandresizetofit.Tochangethenumber8to3,IclickedontheStickerstabinthetopleftmenuandreplacedthe8withthecorrectnumber.
STEP4:PLACECOVERPHOTO.Draganddropaphototothecover.Clickontheimagetochangecroppingandenlarge.
STEP5:AUTOFILLPHOTOS.Toautomaticallyplaceallphotosinyourbook,clicktheAutoFillbuttonandwaitforthemagic.Fine-tuneplacementbymovingaroundphotosasdesired.
STEP6:PREVIEWANDORDER.Previewyourbook,refinethephotoplacement,andaddanytextyou’dlike.Whenyou’rereadytoorder,clicktheOrderbutton.
PROJECTIDEA
FAMILYYEARBOOKTime 3to6hours
Youwillneed…
assortedfamilysnapshots,teampictures,scannedimages(memorabilia)fromoneyear
Goodfor… featuringanyperson,couple,family,orancestors
Designideas makeitclassic,trendy,serious,orfun—whateveryouwish
ProjectOverview
Familiesdrowningindigitalphotosmightwanttotakeapracticalsteptowardpreservingthebestofthebestwithanannualyearbook-stylephoto-bookdesign.Insteadofprintingoutindividualsnapshotsandstuffingthemintoanalbum,pickonlythebestshotstoshowcaseinanannualphotobookmodeledafterahighschoolyearbook.
TipsandTechniques
UsethePhoto-BookProjectBoardtoplananoutlineofthebook,withattentiontothecolorsanddesignyou’dliketouse.Youcansavetimeandskipaheadbyusingoneoftheprofessionalfamilyyearbookthemesfeaturedatpopularphoto-bookwebsites.Everyyearbookneedsatitlepagewithpublicationdateandplace.Organizeyourphotoschronologically,beginninginJanuary.Breakupthemonthswithpagespreadsontheseason’ssports,activities,orcelebrations.Includeallfamilymembers.Remembertogivespacetothefamilypets.It’sfuntoaddvitalstatisticssuchasweightandheight,too.Scanorsnapphotosoftickets,programs,birthdaygifts,schoolwork,andothermemorabiliayou’dliketokeep.
Checkoutphotowebsiteyearbookdesignsforgreatideassuchaspagespreadslistingfavoritefoods,sayings,orpeople.Leaveapageforeveryoneinthefamilytoaddhisorhersignature,handprint,orpawprint.
PROJECTIDEA
HEIRLOOMREPRODUCTIONBOOKTime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed… scannedimagesofanheirloombook’spages
Goodfor… shortpersonalbooksorcollectionsoffamilycorrespondence
Designideas selectaprintbookthesamesizeandshapeastheoriginal
ProjectOverview
Alltoooften,one-of-a-kindfamilyheirloomsremaininthehomesandhandsoftheownerandaredifficulttosharewithotherfamilymembers.Ifyourancestorleftbehindajournal,diary,orabundleofcorrespondence,youdon’thavetobeabiographerorabookdesignertopreserveandshareitwithothers.Youcancreateadigitalreproductionoftheheirloomsoeveryoneinthefamilycanownapersonalcopyofyourfamilylegacy.
Thisprojectcreatesanheirloomreproductionbookyoucanmakeusinganonlinepublishingserviceandthensharewithyourrelativesatthenextfamilygatheringorreunion.Heirloomsthataregoodforthiskindofprojectincludesmallautographbooks,traveldiaries,recipecardcollections,andsmalldiaries.I’vehadsuccesswithreproductioneditionsofa1940shomeeconomicsnotebook,awartimephotobook,andalittleautographbook.Aimtofindabookthatistwentytothirtypagesinlength.Viewonlineversionsofmyprojectsat<www.thefamilycurator.com/heirloom-books>.
TipsandTechniques
Measureyouroriginalbookandchooseanonlinephoto-bookorpublishingservicethatoffersabooksizeclosetotheoriginalbookorslightlylarger.Scanthefrontandbackcoversandeachpageinorder.Numbereachfilenameconsecutivelylikethis:book-01,book-02,book-03.
SavemasterdigitalcopiesinTIFFformatanduploadJPGversionsforyourproject.UsetheAutoFillfeaturetoquicklyplaceyourdigitalimagesinyourproject.Addafewpageswithexplanatoryinformationabouttheauthorandbookcreationattheendofthebook.Includeyourcontactinformationastheowneroftheoriginalcopy.Ifyourimagesdon’tcompletelyfillthepage,selectabackgroundthatissimilarincolorandtexturetotheoriginalandapplytothebook.CreateandshareyourbookonShutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>orSnapfish<www.snapfish.com>andletrelativesordertheirowncopies,orpublishitwithBlurb<www.blurb.com>orLulu<www.lulu.com>toopensalestoawideraudience(makesureyoudon’tviolatecopyrightlawsifyouplantosellit).Alengthybookmaybecostlytoprint.ConsidersharingitasanonlinedigitalbookonScribd<www.scribd.com>orasane-bookpublication.
PROJECTIDEA
PHOTOBOOKFORBUSYPEOPLETime lessthan3hours
Youwillneed…
20to40photos
Goodfor… annualFacebookorInstagramyearbook
Designideas compileabookofphotosfromyoursocialmediaaccountoravacationbook
ProjectOverview
Don’tputoffsharingyourphotoswithfamilyandfriends.Asimpleauto-generatedphotobookisbetterthanphotoslockedinyourcomputerwherenoonecanenjoythem.Usethesetime-savingtrickstogetyourphotosoutofdigitalstorageandintothehandsofthepeopleyoulove.
TipsandTechniques
Createafolderonyourcomputerdesktopandstartcollectingimagesforyournextphoto-bookprojecttoday.Surfthephoto-bookwebsitesforideasandinspiration.Savetimelaterbyopeningaccountsandsubscribingtonewslettersforspecialdealsandcoupons.Allbookservicesallowyoutocreateandsaveyourprojects.Takeadvantageofafreeweekendtostartabookandthengobackandfinishitwhenyouhavemorephotosandmoretime.BrowsePinterest<www.pinterest.com>andEtsy<www.etsy.com>fordesigntrendsandlayoutthemeideas.StartaPinterestboardtosaveyourfavoritesandfollowmyEasyPhotoBookboardsat<www.pinterest.com/familycurator>formoretipsandinspiration.
PROJECTIDEA
GRANDPARENTANDGRANDCHILDMEMORYBOOKTime 3to6hours
Youwillneed…
assortedsnapshotsfromyourchildhoodoryourgrandchild’slife
Goodfor… giftsforgrandparentsoraunts/uncles
Designideas usebrightcolors,clipart,andfunfonts
ProjectOverview
Thisprojectblendsagrandparentjournalwithaphotoalbumtocreateaone-of-a-kindbookthatanygrandparentandgrandchildwillcherish.Thebookincludesplacesforhandwritingandlotsofdoodlestocapturespecialtimeswithphotosandhandwrittencaptions,likeourgrandparentsdidwithold-fashionedphotoalbums.
TipsandTechniques
UsethePhoto-BookProjectBoardtoplanpagespreadsandtopicsyouwanttoinclude.Createthebookwithyourgrandchild.Chooseasimplebookdesign.Forthebesteffect,useawhiteorlight-coloredbackground.CreateatitlepageasPage1thatincludesyourowntitleforthebook,yourname,yourgrandchild’sname,andthedate.Useafontpointsizeof12or14.Leaveroomundereachnameforyoursignatures.Forgetaboutmakingaperfectbookwithcomputer-generatedtypeandclip-art.Instead,encouragepersonalexpressionandfunwithcoloredarchivalpens,realstickers,andplayfulphotos.Usephotosyoualreadyhaveonyourcomputertopersonalizethepages.
Keepintouchwithgrandchildrenlivingfarawaybyaddingafewcaptionsandsendingthebookwithaninvitationtoaddmorenotesanddrawings.Ormakeitachallenge:Youcanaddnotesforthefirsthalfofthebookandsenditalongforyourgrandchild’scontributionbeforeaddingthenextsetofcaptions.Considerusingtopicsforatwo-pagespread(suchasbabypictures,yourfirstbirthday,yourparents,yourpet,yourfavoritetoy),andplaceaphotoofthegrandparentontheleftpageandaphotoofthegrandchildontherightpage.Addappropriatetext.Forexample,aspreadwithbabypicturesmightsays“Iwasborn…”
PROJECTIDEA
REMEMBERINGANDCELEBRATINGBOOKTime 3to6hours
Youwillneed…
photosoffamilymembers;scannednewsclippings,maps,andephemera;photosoffriends,homes,community
Goodfor…
bookofremembranceatmemorialservice;giftforfamilymembers;ancestorstories
Designideas
chooseaclassicortraditionaltheme;pickabold,colorful,andjoyousBookofLifedesign
ProjectOverview
Rememberingispartofhealing,andphotosareapowerfulaidingrievingthelossofsomeonewelove.Forthepersonwhocreatesthebook,theprocessofselectingphotosandwritingcaptionsandstoriescanprovideaplacetocelebrateandrememberthelovedone.Forthosewhoviewthebook,thephotoshelpkeepmemoriesaliveforanewgeneration.
Amemorialbookdoesn’thavetobesomberanddry.Colorfulpagesandlivelydesigncancelebrateaperson’slifeandconveyhisorherpersonality.Jokesandfunnystorieswillmakethebookmoreappealing,andrecipesorrepairtipswillinstructandentertainreaders.
TipsandTechniques
UsethePhoto-BookProjectBoardtoplananoutlineofthebook.Arrangephotoschronologicallyfrombirthforwardorbackwardthroughtheyears.Includephotosofmajorlifeeventsincluding:religiousmilestones(suchasfirstcommunionorbarmitzvah),highschoolorcollegegraduation,weddings,retirements,andmore.Includephotosofparentsandgrandparents,aswellasbabyandearly-childhoodphotos.Alsoincludephotosoftheperson’sinterestsoractivitiestheperson
participatedinsuchasemployment,militaryservice,volunteerwork,communityservice,churchmembership,hobbies,andsports.Includeabasicfamilytreeoutliningconnectionstosurvivingrelatives.Addquipsandquotesfromsiblingsandfriendsascaptionsforphotos.Scanephemerasuchasticketstubsfromafavoriteevent.Createphotocollagepagestoincludemultipleimagesonthesametopicsuchassiblings,wedding,orbirthdays.Decideifyouwanttoincludememorialtributessuchasascannedimagesofthenewspaperobituary,funeralserviceprogram,orfuneralguestbookoraphotoofthecemetery.
AppendixPhotoOrganizingandDigitizing
Resources
WEBSITES
AmericanInstituteforConservationofHistoricandArtisticWorks<www.conservation-us.org>
TheFamilyCurator<www.thefamilycurator.com>FamilyTreeMagazine<www.familytreemagazine.com>
BOOKS
EvidenceExplained:CitingHistorySourcesFromArtifactstoCyberspace,2ndEdition,byElizabethShownMills(GenealogicalPublishingCompany)HowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakesbyDeniseMayLevenick(FamilyTreeBooks)OrganizeYourDigitalLifebyAimeeBaldridge(NationalGeographic)PreservingYourFamilyPhotographsbyMaureenA.Taylor(PicturePerfectPress)ThousandsofImages,NowWhat?PainlesslyOrganize,Save,andBackUpYourDigitalPhotosbyMikeHagen(Wiley)
ARCHIVALSUPPLIERS
AaronBrothers<www.aaronbrothers.com>ArchivalMethods<www.archivalmethods.com>Brodart<www.shopbrodart.com>GaylordArchival<www.gaylord.com>HollingerMetalEdge<www.hollingermetaledge.com>
EQUIPMENTANDSERVICES
DigitalCameraAccessories
CameraImageSensor<cameraimagesensor.com>EyefiMobiSDcard<www.eyefi.com>JobyGorillaPod(tripod)<www.joby.com>
DocumentCameras
HoverCamSolo8<thehovercam.com>
MobileScanners
Flip-Pal<www.flip-pal.com>IRIScan(cordlessmobilescanners)<www.irislink.com>IRIScanMouse<www.irislink.com>LGMouseScanner<www.lg.com>MagicInstaScanMouse<www.vupointsolutions.com>MagicWandportablescannerwithWi-Fi<www.vupointsolutions.com>VisioneerRoadWarrior<www.visioneer.com>
DesktopScanningSoftware
HamrickVueScan<www.hamrick.com>SilverFastArchiveSuitebyLaserSoft<www.silverfast.com>
ScannerReviews
CNET<www.cnet.com>ImagingResource<www.imaging-resource.com>PCMagazine<www.pcmag.com>
All-in-OneandFlatbedScanners
Brother<www.brother.com>Canon<www.canon.com>Epson<www.epson.com>Hewlett-Packard<www.hp.com>
OnlineBackupServices
Backblaze<www.backblaze.com>Carbonite<www.carbonite.com>CrashPlan<www.crashplan.com>Mozy<www.mozy.com>
OnlinePhotoStorage
AmazonCloudDrive<www.amazon.com/clouddrive>AppleiCloud<www.apple.com/icloud>
Dropbox<www.dropbox.com>GoogleDrive<www.drive.google.com>MicrosoftOneDrive<onedrive.live.com>ThisLife<www.thislife.com>
Photo-EditingandProjectApps
KeepShot(Android,iOS)<www.keepshot.com>KodakMomentsforiPad(iOS)MoldivCollagePhotoEditor(Android,iOS)MosaicBook(Android,iOS)<www.heymosaic.com>Photogene(iOS)<www.mobile-pond.com>ShutterflyPhotoStoryforiPad(iOS)<www.shutterfly.com>Snapseed(Android,iOS)
TIPHowtoGetMobileApps
Unlessotherwisenoted,gotototheGooglePlayStore<play.google.com>todownloadAndroidappsandtheiTunesAppStore<itunes.apple.com>todownloadiOSapps.
TIPGetDownloadsFromThisBook
Todownloadtypable,printablePDFsoftheprojectboardsforyourownuse,goto<ftu.familytreemagazine.com/how-to-archive-family-photos>.Viewphotoprojectsinfullcolor,andfindadditionalideasandinspirationat<www.thefamilycurator.com/archivephotos>.
ScanningMobileApps
CamScanner(Android,iOS)<www.camscanner.com>DocScan(iOS)<ifunplay.com/docscanapp.html>GeniusScan(Android,iOS,WindowsPhone)<www.thegrizzlylabs.com>HandyScanner(Android)<www.halfmobile.net>Prizmo(Mac,iOS)<www.creaceed.com/prizmo>ScannerPro(iOS)<readdle.com>TurboScan(Android,iOS)<turboscanapp.com>
Photo-BookPublishingServices
AdoramaPix<www.adoramapix.com>Blurb<www.blurb.com>Lulu<www.lulu.com>Mixbook<www.mixbook.com>Montage<www.montagebook.com>MyPublisher<www.mypublisher.com>Shutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>Snapfish<www.snapfish.com>
Photo-ManagementSoftware
AdobeLightroom<lightroom.adobe.com>AdobePhotoshopElements<www.adobe.com>AppleiCloudPhotoLibrary<www.apple.com/icloud/photos>Picasa<picasa.google.com>
Photo-SharingServices
EyefiCloud<www.eyefi.com>Facebook<www.facebook.com>
Flickr<www.flickr.com>Google+Photos<plus.google.com/photos>Instagram<www.instagram.com>Photobucket<www.photobucket.com>Pinterest<www.pinterest.com>SmugMug<www.smugmug.com>
PhotoProducts
AdoramaPix<www.adoramapix.com>CafePress<www.cafepress.com>MyPhotoPipe<www.myphotopipe.com>Shutterfly<www.shutterfly.com>Snapfish<www.snapfish.com>Spoonflower<www.spoonflower.com>Vistaprint<www.vistaprint.com>Zazzle<www.zazzle.com>
ABOUTTHEAUTHORDeniseMayLevenickinheritedherfamily’sphotocollectionin2000,butwastakingpictureswithhergrandmother’sBrownieHawkeyelongbefore.Shesharestipsandtechniquesforpreservingandorganizingfamilyphotographsandheirloomsinherfirstbook,HowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes(FamilyTreeBooks,2012),atheraward-winningblogTheFamilyCurator<www.thefamilycurator.com>,andinmanyarticlesforFamilyTreeMagazineandotherpublications.
Deniseisafrequentspeakeratgenealogyconferences,seminars,andwebinars.SheisanativeSouthernCalifornianandenjoystravelinginpursuitofherMidwestandNewEnglandfamilyroots.DenisestudiedjournalismandliteratureatPepperdineUniversityandtheUniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara,andholdsamaster’sdegreeinEnglishliteraturefromClaremontGraduateUniversity.Shehasworkedasanewspaperreporter,publicationseditor,freelancewriter,andjuniorhighandhighschoolEnglishteacher.Visitherat<www.thefamilycurator.com>.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIappreciatetheeffortsofmanypeoplewhohelpedbringthisbook’sthree-yearjourneyfromideatoink.
Mydaughters-in-lawprovidedthesparkforabookaboutarchivingdigitalphotos.Afterthepublicationofmyfirstbook,HowtoArchiveFamilyKeepsakes,bothyoungmotherssaidthattheydidn’thavemanyfamilykeepsakes(yet!),buttheywouldlovesometipsformanagingtheirgrowingdigitalphotocollections.Ihopethishelps.
Mr.Curator,asalways,workedanextrashiftathomesoIhadmoretimeforthisproject,andbuiltmultiplecustomcopystandsatamoment’snotice.
MysisterDeannaCraigactedasmycreativeprojectcoordinator,suggestingandtestingphotoappsandprojects.TerryJaurequiworkedthroughmoreprojects,offeringlunchandhelpfulfeedback.Andmanyfriendsandfamilymemberskindlyallowedmetosharetheirphotosandfacesthroughoutthisbook.Thankyou.
IespeciallyenjoyedtheopportunitytoworkagainwithAllisonDolan,publisher,andDianeHaddad,editor,atF+W.AndmythankstoeditorDanaMcCullough,whocontributedcreativefamilyhistoryphotoideasaswellaseditorialexpertise.
AndmyheartfeltappreciationtoreadersandfriendsofTheFamilyCuratorblogwhoshareapassionforpreservingthepast.Thankyou.Ifour“eyesarethewindowstothesoul,”surelyphotographsaretheheartbeatofmemories.
CREDITSWiththanksto
PicMonkeyforuseofimagesinChapters12and15.ShutterflyandThisLifebyShutterflyforuseofimagesinChapters4,12,and14.AllThisLifeMaterials©2014Shutterfly,Inc.ReproducedbypermissionofShutterfly,Inc.
AdditionalthankstoAdobeLightroom,AdoramaPix,Dropbox,EpsonScanner,Flickr,Google+,Mixbook,Moldiv,Snapfish,Snapseed,Spoonflower,Treelines,andTurboScan.
4FREEFamilyTreeTemplates
decorativefamilytreepostersfive-generationancestorchartfamilygroupsheetbonusrelationshipcharttypeandsave,orprintandfillout
Downloadat<ftu.familytreemagazine.com/free-family-tree-templates>
MoreGreatGenealogyResources
HOWTOARCHIVEFAMILYKEEPSAKES
ByDeniseMayLevenick
FamilyPhotoDetective
ByMaureenA.Taylor
FamilyTreeHistoricalMapsbook
ByAllisonDolanandtheEditorsofFamilyTreeMagazine
Availablefromyourfavoritebookstore,onlinebooksellersand<shopfamilytree.com>,orbycalling(855)278-0408.
Joinourcommunity!<facebook.com/familytreemagazine>
HowtoArchiveFamilyPhotos.Copyright©2015byDeniseMayLevenick.Allrightsreserved.NopartofthiseBookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeansincludinginformationstorageandretrievalsystemswithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotebriefpassagesinareview.PublishedbyFamilyTreeBooks,animprintofF+WMedia,Inc.,10151CarverRoad,Suite200,BlueAsh,OH45242.(800)289-0963.FirstEdition.
OtherfineFamilyTreeBooksproductsareavailablefromyourlocalbookstoreoronlinesupplier.Visitourwebsiteatshopfamilytree.com.
eISBN:9781440341083
Thise-bookedition:April2015(v.1.0)
Tables
DIGITALPHOTO&VIDEOSTORAGEWORKSHEETConsideryourlong-termdigitalphotoandvideostorageneedsbyaskingyourselfthefollowingquestions.Circlethebestanswerforeachquestiontoformanoverallpictureofyourdigitalstorageneeds.
PHOTOS
Questions Minimal Average Large
Howmanyphotosdoyoutakeeachyear?Ifyouhavephotosinfoldersorganizedbyyear,checkthetotalfortwoorthreeyearstogetanannualaverage.
fewerthan250
250to1,000 morethan1,000
Whatsizearemostphotossnappedbyyourcamera?Openafileandskimtheimagefileinformationforaroughidea.Thefilesizemaybemeasuredin
kilobytes(KB)ormegabytes(MB).
under10MB
10to12MB morethan12MB
Whatformatdoyoushootwithyourcamera?MostmobiledevicesandcamerastakeJPGimages,resultinginamoderatefilesize.IfyouuseadigitalSLRmodel,youmaybeshootingRAWformat,whichcreatesverylargefiles.
JPG JPG RAW+JPG
Howmanyoldfamilyphotoswillyouscanthisyear?Checkfoldersofscannedimagestogaugeannualaveragesforfuturestorageneeds.
fewerthan250
250to1,000 morethan1,000
Whatfileformatdoyouuseforscanningphotos?ImagesscannedinJPGwillbemuchsmallerthanarchivalTIFFfiles.
compressedJPG
uncompressedJPG
TIFF
Howmanynegativesandslideswillyouscanthisyear?Film(negativesandslides)shouldbescannedashigh-resolutionTIFFfilestocapturethefinedetail
intheimage,resultinginlargearchivalfiles.
fewerthan50
51to200 morethan200
Howmanydigitalimageswillyouscanandphotographinlibrariesandarchivesthisyear?Numerousresearchtripscanaddconsiderablebulktoyour
digitalcollection.
fewerthan250
250to1,000 morethan1,000
Howmanydigitalimageswillyoudownloadwhileresearchingonlinethisyear?Onlineresearchandimagedownloadscanresultinalargenumberofimagefiles,althoughtheseareusuallysmallerPDForcompressedJPGfiles.
fewerthan250
250to1,000 morethan1,000
VIDEOS
Questions Minimal Average Large
Howmanyoldfilmmovieswillyoudigitizethisyear?Ifyouarearchivingalargenumberofoldhomemovies,youwillneedsuitablestoragespace.
none about1to5 morethan5
Howmanyvideosdidyoumakethisyear?Videofilesaremuchlargerthanphotoimages.You’llneedadditionalspaceifyoutakelotsofvideos.Large
quantitiesmayneedadditionalstoragespace.
fewerthan15
15to50 morethan50
Howmanysharedvideosandphotosdidyousavethisyear?Don’tforgetvideosandphotossharedwithyou.Videosdownloadedfrome-mails,cloud
storage,socialmedia,andwebsitescanaddtoyourstorageneedsbutshouldbearchivedwithyourotherfiles.
fewerthan15
15to50 morethan50
FINALQUESTION
Howmuchspaceiscurrentlyavailableonyourcomputerharddrive?Openyourcomputerinfotocheckfreeharddrivespaceandviewhowmuchis
currentlybeingusedbyyourdigitalfiles.
Returntomaintext
PHOTO-MANAGEMENTSOFTWARECOMPARISONSeehowthreepopularnondestructivephoto-managementprogramscompare.Whenyoubeginshoppingaroundforphoto-managementsoftware,usetheblankPhoto-ManagementSoftwareComparisonWorksheettoupdateinformationandcompareyouroptions.
SOFTWARE#1 SOFTWARE#2 SOFTWARE#3
Software AdobeLightroom AdobePhotoshopElements
Picasa
Website lightroom.adobe.com www.adobe.com picasa.google.com
Typeofsoftware(desktop,web-based)
CreativeCloudsubscriptionordownload
desktopsoftware download
Platform(PC,Mac) PCandMac PCandMac PCandMac
Softwarecost $149 $79.99 free
Annualfee withCreativeCoudsubscription
none none
Mobileappavailable Yes Yes,withAdobeRevel yes,withPicasaWebAlbums
Fileformatsaccepted JPG,TIFF,PNG,RAW,DNG,AVI,MOV,MP4
JPG,TIFF,PNG,PDE,GIF,PSE,PDF
JPG,TIFF,PNG,PSD,GIF,RAW,WMV,AVI,MOV
Easeofuse medium easy easy
FEATURES
Activeuserforum yes yes yes,onGoogle+
Automatedimporting yes yes yes
Batchediting yes yes yes
Batchrenaming yes yes yes
Convertsfileformats yes yes yes
E-mailofphotos yes yes yes
Integratedsyncorbackup
yes,withAdobeLightroomMobile
yes,withAdobeRevel yes,withGoogle+
Nondestructiveediting yes withlayers yes
Printingofphotos yes yes yes
SharesphotosdirecttoFacebook
yes yes no
Sharesphotostosocialmediasites
yes yes yes,onGoogle+
Tutorials/webinars yes yes yes
Returntomaintext
PHOTO-MANAGEMENTSOFTWARECOMPARISONWORKSHEET1. Exploreyouroptionsforphoto-managementsoftware.Fillintheblanksonthisworksheettocompareeach
software’smajorfeaturesandoptions.2. Rememberthattechnologychangesrapidly,soupdateyourcommentsifyoupostponepurchasingdecisions.
SOFTWARE#1 SOFTWARE#2 SOFTWARE#3
Software
Website
Typeofsoftware(desktop,web-based)
Platform(PC,Mac)
Softwarecost
Annualfee
Mobileappavailable
Fileformatsaccepted
Easeofuse
FEATURES
Activeuserforum
Automatedimporting
Batchediting
Batchrenaming
Convertsfileformats
E-mailofphotos
Integratedsyncorbackup
Nondestructiveediting
Printingofphotos
SharesphotosdirecttoFacebook
Sharesphotostosocialmediasites
Tutorials/webinars
Returntomaintext
CLOUDSTORAGESERVICECOMPARISONWORKSHEETCloudstorageservicesconstantlyintroducenewfeaturesandrevisestoragequotas,subscriptionplansandprices,andotherservices.Becarefulbeforecommittingyourentirephotocollectiontoanewservice.Usethischarttocomparefeaturesofthecloudstorageservicesyoumaywanttotry.
SERVICE#1 SERVICE#2 SERVICE#3
Servicename
ServiceURL
PRICING
Freeoption
Paidstorageoptions
Costper50GB
Costper500GB
FEATURES&SERVICES
Allowsvideos
Batchediting
Batchfilerenaming
Bulkdownloading
Compatiblefileformats
Detectsduplicates
Facialrecognition
Locationtagging
Privatesharing
Socialmediaintegration
Syncswithdesktopphotosoftware
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HEIRLOOMPHOTOINVENTORY&DIGITIZINGCHECKLISTSCANWITHAPLAN1. Gatheryourheirloomfamilyphotosandfilm,andlisteachitemontheinventoryform,notinganydamageor
preservationconcerns.2. Giveeachitemaprioritynumberfordigitizing.3. Moveyourheirloomphotosintotemporaryarchivalstorageanddigitizeoneboxatatime,beginningwith
high-priorityitems.Saveandbackupthedigitalimages.4. Asyoufinishdigitizing,placetheoriginalphotographorfilmintopermanentarchivalstorage,followingthe
guidelinesinChapter10.
PRIORITY PHOTOTYPE
ROUGHQUANTITY
CONDITIONNOTES
DIGITIZINGDEVICE
DATEDIGITIZED
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SAMPLEHEIRLOOMPHOTOINVENTORY&DIGITIZINGCHECKLIST
PRIORITY PHOTOTYPE ROUGHQUANTITY
CONDITIONNOTES DIGITIZINGDEVICE
DATEDIGITIZED
3 b/wsnapshots 1shoebox 1930s–1940sgoodcondition
officeflatbedorFlip-Pal
2 cabinetcards 12 good officeflatbedorFlip-Pal
3/25/2015
1 oversizesepiaprintsofhouseandfarm
4 1890s;poorcondition;damagedandfaded
DSLRandtripod
3/10/2015
2 slides 20carouseltrays
needtoviewandselectbesttoscan
sendtoscanservice
3/15/2015
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DIGITALSTORAGEOPTIONSBeforedigitizingyourheirloomphotos,consideryourdigitalstorageoptions.Usethischarttohelpyoucompareyouroptions—fromrecordableCDsandDVDstoexternaldrivesandonlinecloudstorage.
STORAGE CAPACITY LONGEVITY PROS CONS
CD/DVD CD:650MBDVD:4.7GB
2to5years inexpensive,handy,goodforphotoarchive
requiresburningsoftware;largetransfermayrequiremultipleCDs/DVDs
M-DISCarchivalDVD
4GBto25GB
1,000years longestratedarchivaldiscmedia requiresspecialburningsoftware
SDmediacard
varies dependsonread/writecycles
ultra-compact,high-speedtransfer,portable,solidstatestorage
expensive,impracticalforlargeamountsofdata
USB2.0/3.0flashdrive
4GBto1TB dependsonread/writecycles
inexpensive,goodfortravel,quickbackups,storespersonaldata
easytolose,highcostperGB,limitedstoragecapacity
externalharddrive
500GBto8TB
3to5years ultra-portableordesktopmodels,allsizesandprices,USB,FireWire,or
Thunderboltconnection
canbedroppedanddamaged
cloudstorage
infinite indefinite inexpensive,accessiblefromanywhere,gooddisasterbackup
mustmaintainsubscription;Internetsecurityposesrisks
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DIGITALSCANNINGEQUIPMENTOPTIONSFLATBEDSCANNER ALL-IN-ONE
SCANNERFLIP-PALMOBILE
SCANNER
Bestfor… anyphotoorfilmthatwillfitontheflatbed
photoprints 4x6orsmallerprintsorscanningonthego
Scansavedto… computerharddrive computerharddrive SDcard
Portable somemodels no yes
Permittedinmanyresearcharchives
yes notapplicable yes
Fileformats TIFF,JPG,PDF, TIFF,JPG,PDF JPG
Maximumscanningsize(ininches)
8.5x118.5x14
8.5x118.5x14
4x6*
Resolution(inpixels) 50to12,800 75,100,200,300,600,1,200
300,600
Speed average average average
Photoprints yes yes yes
Negatives/film/slides withcarrier no no
SOFTWAREFEATURES
Autofilenaming yes yes no
Batchscanning yes yes no
Color yes yes yes
Colorrestoration yes yes yes
Cropping yes yes no
Descreening yes yes no
DigitalICE yes no no
Dustremoval yes no no
*Largerphotosrequiremultiplescans.Theincludedsoftware“stitches”thecompleteimagetogetherafterthepartsarescanned.
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DIGITALSCANNINGEQUIPMENTOPTIONSWANDSCANNER SMARTPHONE/TABLET DIGITALCAMERA
Bestfor… scanningtext;notrecommendedforphotos
on-the-godigitizingofphotos
oversizephotos(useatripodandshutterremote)
Scansavedto… internalmemoryorSDCard internalmemoryorSDcard SDcard
Portable yes yes yes
Permittedinmanyresearcharchives
some yes yes
Fileformats JPG,PDF JPG(PDFwithapps) JPG,RAW
Maximumscanningsize(ininches)
varies varies varies
Resolution(inpixels) 300,600,900 varies varies
Speed average fast fast
Photoprints yes yes yes
Negatives/film/slides no no no
SOFTWAREFEATURES
Autofilenaming no yes,withapp no
Batchscanning no yes,withapp no
Color yes yes yes
Colorrestoration no yes,withapp no
Cropping no yes,withapp no
Descreening no yes,withapp no
DigitalICE no no no
Dustremoval no no no
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SCANNINGGUIDELINESWhat’sthebestscannertypeforeachtypeoffamilykeepsakeyouwanttodigitize?Whatresolutionisoptimalwhenscanningphotographs?Usethischartasaguidetohelpyouoptimizethescanningqualityfordigitizingyourheirloomphotosandotherkeepsakes.
ITEMTOSCAN RECOMMENDEDSCANNERTYPE
RESOLUTION FORMAT COLOR
Albumpages flatbedordigitalcamera 600dpi TIFF 24-bitcolor
Letters,documents flatbedordigitalcamera 300dpi TIFForJPG
24-bitcolor
Maps,largedocuments digitalcamera maximumdpi JPG*
Negatives,slides flatbedwithcarrierorspecialscanner
2400to3200dpi TIFF Transparency
Photographs flatbed 600dpi TIFF 24-bitcolor
Quilts,othertextiles digitalcamera maximumdpi JPG*
Smallbooks flatbedordigitalcamera 600dpi TIFF 24-bitcolor
3-Dartifacts digitalcamera maximumdpi JPG*
Tintypes,daguerreotypes flatbed 1200dpi TIFF 24-bitcolor
Workingdocument,researchreceipts,etc.
digitalcamera,mobiledevicecamera,orscanner
300dpiforprinting,72dpifordisplay
JPG 24-bitcolor
*ConvertandsaveimagesmadebyadigitalcamerainJPGformattoTIFFcopies.PlacetheTIFFcopiesinyourPhotoLibraryandbackthemupinyourImageVault.
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HEIRLOOMPHOTOINVENTORYFORM1. Useasanindividualboxorfoldercatalog.Printacopyoftheblankformonacid-freepaper,fillitout,and
placeitinsideanarchivalboxwithyourphotos.2. Ifyouuseindividualfolderswithinthebox,includethenumberofphotosineachfolder.Identifythephoto
bysubject,event,ordate.Addabriefdescription.Addnotesonconditionororiginallocationwithotherphotos.
3. Keepamastercopyonyourcomputerforreferenceorprintoutcopiesforacompleteinventoryofallyourfamilyphotosandkeepsakes.
ARCHIVEBOX# DATECATALOGED
SUMMARYOFCONTENTS
TOTALNUMBEROFPHOTOS/FOLDERSINBOX STORAGELOCATION
FOLDER#ORNAME SUBJECT/EVENT DESCRIPTION NOTES
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ARCHIVALSTORAGEGUIDEAfterscanning,placeeachphotoinsidetheappropriatearchivalenclosure.
Layer1:Enclosureprotectsthephoto.Layer2:Containerpreservesandorganizestheenclosure.Layer3:Yourhomearchiveiswhereyoustorethecontainer.
ITEMSTOSTORE
HOWTOORGANIZE ARCHIVALENCLOSURE ARCHIVALCONTAINER
Colororblack-and-white
snapshots(loose)
Sortbysizeandtypeofsnapshot;furthersortbyperson,event,ordate,
asdesired.
Storeverticallyinarchivalpaperorplasticenvelopesorsleeves.Placerareprintsinindividualsleeves.
Storeenvelopesorsleevesverticallyinboxor
binders;placeinhomearchive.
Photoalbums Interleavepageswithinterleavingtissue.
Storeflatorverticallyinarchivalbox;supportfragilealbumswith
four-flapenclosures.
Storeboxinhomearchive.
Scrapbooks Interleavepageswithtissue;isolatephotosfromnewspaperorartifactsbyprotectingwitharchivalplastic.
Storeflatorverticallyinarchivalbox.
Storeboxinhomearchive.
Largephotographs(upto8.5x11
inches)
Sortbypersonordate,asdesired. Storeinlargeflatfilefoldersorarchivalbox.
Storefoldersinmetalfilecabinetorarchival
documentcaseinhomearchive.
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ARCHIVALSTORAGEGUIDEITEMSTOSTORE
HOWTOORGANIZE
ARCHIVALENCLOSURE ARCHIVALCONTAINER
Oversizephotographs(largerthan8.5x11inches)
Placearchivaltissuebetweenphotosandbetweenphotoand
folder.
Placeindividualimagesincustom-madeorpurchased
enclosure.
Storeinhomearchive.
Casedphotographs(daguerreotypes,
tintypes,ambrotypes,etc.)
Sortbysizeandtypeofimage.
Placeindividualimagesincustom-madeorpurchased
enclosure.
Storeverticallyinarchivalbox;placeinhomearchive.
Cabinetcards,cartesdevisite
Sortbysize,type,photographer,or
subject.
Placeindividualimagesinsideplasticsleevesorprotectfromabrasionwithinterleaving
tissue.
Storephotosverticallyinarchivalbox;placeinhomearchive.
Stereographcards Sortbythemeorsubject,decade,and
type.
Placeinsideplasticsleeves. Storeverticallyinspeciallysizedstereoscopecardbox;placeinhome
archive.
Slides Sortbysubject,place,event,date,orphotographer.
Storeverticallyinarchivalslideboxes.
Storeinhomearchiveorcool,dryarchivallocation.
Negatives Sortbysubject,place,event,date,orphotographer.
Storeinpaperorplasticnegativesleeves.
Storesleevesinarchivalbinder,boxes,ormetalfilecabinet;placeinhomearchiveorcool,dryarchival
location.
Moviefilmandvideo
Sortbydateandfamily,thenfilmtype
andsize.
Storeverticallyinarchivalboxes.
Storeinhomearchiveorcool,dryarchivallocation.
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ONLINEPHOTOSERVICECOMPARISONWORKSHEET SITE#1 SITE#2 SITE#3
Website
Username
Password
Overalleaseofuse(1=difficult5=easy) 12345 12345 12345
IMAGESTORAGEOPTIONS
Project-basedoruploadanytime?
Lengthoftimeimagesarestored
PROJECTTYPESAVAILABLE
Calendars YN YN YN
Cards YN YN YN
Digitalscrapbooks YN YN YN
Gifts YN YN YN
Lay-flatbooks YN YN YN
Photobooks YN YN YN
Prints YN YN YN
SPECIALFEATURESAVAILABLE
Creativefilters YN YN YN
Cropping YN YN YN
E-mailsharing YN YN YN
Full-bleedoption YN YN YN
Imageadjustments YN YN YN
Imagerotating YN YN YN
Mobileapp YN YN YN
Printathome YN YN YN
PrivateWebpage YN YN YN
Socialmediasharing YN YN YN
SITE#1 SITE#2 SITE#3
Booksizesavailable
Typesofbookcoversavailable
Pricing
Likes
Dislikes
ADDITIONALNOTES
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