You’ve seen some of my older family photos if you’ve read through my blog posts. I’m able to share them with you because they’re digitized and safely stored in my FOREVER® digital space. This photo of my grandmother when she was 4 years old was taken well over 100 years ago. You’ll learn two…
Here’s why organizing your family’s photos and other memories is so important. A friend of mine went to his childhood home and helped his father, a widower, clean out his attic and he came across a dusty shoebox. Toss it, right? But he opened the lid and saw dozens of envelopes packed together. He pulled…
Researching family history often starts with a natural curiosity about someone we’ve heard about and seen in photos. If you know what their occupation was you can dig deeper into their story. Now, I’m a photo coach who loves seeing how families use old photos to research their family’s history and learn something new. The…
Is starting a home business on your mind? If so, a life change may have triggered you. For me, I was a young mother with toddlers and I was leaving the corporate world to stay at home with them. The change was exciting, and I loved my kids when they were little (and, I…
TV news and social media in my area in greater Palm Spring was filled with scenes from the fast-moving Hurricane Hilary. The tropical storm swept through the desert cities stranding drivers and forcing a nursing home evacuation in places like Cathedral City. In La Quinta where I live our weather is normally quite boring. We…
Football season is kicking off for all ages. Now’s the time to get ready and store those football photos and videos so you and your kids—and your great-grandkids—can look back on them, relieve memories, and learn how the sport has changed. Okay, you can guess by this photo taken when my kids were…
You see the photos and videos piling up and wonder, “How will I save all of these memories?” As a photo coach for almost 30 years, I tell my clients this simple truth, “Don’t try and save everything.” Save your most meaningful moments in one safe, secure place. I use FOREVER® because it’s guaranteed to…
High school football season is almost underway. Where will you store the photos of your athletes? My grandfather played and this is what he looked like suited up in 1924. This photo’s now 99 years old but it’s safely stored and my great-grandchildren, and their children, will be able to access it. Read on…
Photo coaching is a versatile home business you can own that achieves 3 important results: offers peace of mind connects the past and future generations brings hope and joy Read on to see why it’s been my career for almost 30 years. I named my business Safeguard Your Memories® because it’s satisfying and rewarding helping…
In a half hour, I’ll show you how to easily and safely store a lifetime of memories that you’ve collected from your parents and your children. But first, read why I’d like to do it. I’ve been a photo coach for 30 years and I know why our memories are so important in situations like…
Decluttering your home is never a one-and-done task, is it? The right tools and an organizing system will help you corral the stuff you gather and keep your home feeling comfortable and keep you distressed. How many times have you seen bills, sticky notes, and other papers scattered across your home office desktop but figured…
You stumble across a black-and-white family photo of a great-grandmother baking bread during the Great Depression or a grandfather shipping off to war. Our family histories are worth researching and storing in a safe place for those born in future centuries. This Independence holiday week, here’s a brief glimpse of a family who laid the…
Are you looking for the perfect home business, or the best home business to operate that fits your lifestyle? There’s a difference. I don’t believe there’s a perfect home business, but I do believe you can operate a business full-time or part-time that matches your personality and is professionally satisfying. For me, that satisfying home…
Where will you safeguard and store your Independence Day and other summer photos and videos? Remember marveling at the burst of reds, blues, oranges and other colors in the fireworks displays going off on the Independence Day? What are your favorite memories? In Pasadena where I lived for many years, a major celebration takes place…
Decluttering and organizing your home reduces your stress and boosts your personal quality of life. Clean up clutter and you’ll reduce stress and boost your self-esteem, as noted by a New York mental health expert, linked to in the article at the end of this post. Closets, garages, and family rooms or spare bedrooms get…
We look back when researching your family’s history but preserving your family’s stories also means looking forward. What do you want future generations to know about you and what life lessons you learned? For example, a friend of mine is now a young grandfather. When he was a kid, his grandparents lived in a home…
A quick search of top vacation spots in the U.S. and Canada shows that national parks and Hawaii top the list for U.S. News and World’s Report Travel section. Glacier National Park was given the top spot while Maui came in second. Grand Canyon National Park came in third and Honolulu-Oahu came in fourth. Yellowstone,…
Here’s why I chose photo coaching as a home business that’s been profitable for me and my family: I remember the feeling of leaving the corporate world with its structure and entering the new world of being a stay-at-home mom with my toddlers. My husband and I knew the arrangement would be best for our…
Here’s an easy way to organize and store memories of Memorial Day weekend and other summer moments like July 4th and moments in and around the home. If you’re swatting bugs while camping, attending a Memorial Day parade, or hanging out at the house you have plenty of older and newer memories to save and…
Begin organizing and storing your photos, videos, and other memories with this important principle: aim for peace of mind and not perfection. Let’s say you come across a box full of old photos and letters in a closet or an attic. You didn’t know they existed but you look more closely and see that these…
Do you ever wonder what types of photos and videos you’ve already taken? Keeping an inventory of your memories is tough if one of the kids or grandparents hasn’t recently been in person at a holiday, like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or the 4th of July. Even if your kids are still young in middle…
Researching your family’s history and photo storage are related. The task can begin with simple questions. Who are those people in the photos you found buried in a box in your closet or your attic? Are they cousins of your parents or grandparents … and if you learn something about them, then will that fill…
Here are 2 important reasons to consider photo coaching as a home-based business or addition to your professional service portfolio. But first, my story. I was a young married mother stepping out of the corporate world with a toddler and preschooler at home. I loved my kids, of course, and was glad to stay home…
Remember struggling through a job transition or wondering how you were going to graduate from college or raise a family? You did it—with some bumps and bruises along the way. You’ve certainly learned important life lessons that you’d like to pass on to future generations if you’re a great-grandparent, grandparent, or parent. How did you…
A friend of mine was visiting his childhood home and was cleaning an upstairs attic that his elderly father could no longer clean. He found a shoebox covered with dust, opened the lid, and saw it stuffed with letters. He pulled one out and saw dozens more letters his deceased mother had written to his…
Every family’s story is unique and that becomes apparent through family research. Look up immigration records, military service, or letters describing their travels from one part of Canada or the U.S. to another. You’ll see hopes, dreams, and challenges unique to them. I’m passionate that families chronicle their past and present stories to preserve their…
You find a postcard from your trip to the Grand Canyon or that special vacation you took to Italy decades ago. And you want to save it for your grandkids and their grandkids. How do you safely store it? That’s what I’m tackling this week. Postcards from the past are memories worth saving just like…
Let’s play “how many photos are on your smartphone?” The higher the number, the more duplicate photos you’re going to have, and the more photos you’ll need to delete. How do you organize them? I’m stating the obvious, but imagine it this way—graduation season is coming up. If you have someone who’s a graduate or…
Imagine your wedding photos and videos being available for a great-great-grandchild and their children to view in a hundred years or more from now. It’s possible with the right kind of digital storage. The digital age is awesome. Look how easy it is to send files through text messaging and email, upload photos and videos…
Make organizing and storing your photos a family-wide project, and enjoy doing it during special times like anniversaries along with special observances and holidays. It’s a year-round activity that can draw you closer together with others. I’ve been writing a lot about researching your family’s history by journaling photos, interviewing family members, and using free…
Researching your family line means much more than gathering data or organizing photos and sorting through newspaper clippings. You can use family research to connect the generations in your family—from the youngest child to the oldest living family member. I’ve done family research using FOREVER®, the same platform I use to store all my most…
If you’re looking to start a home business, I suggest you consider becoming a photo coach. I’ve been a photo coach for 28 years this coming March, the month of my business anniversary. My career allowed me to develop an income so I could stay home with my children when they were young while giving…
I know why it’s tough to store your photos, videos and more in a safe, secure place. It seems like you don’t have time. So many other things are priorities. But storing your memories digitally—and permanently—has lifetime benefits for your family that will last for generations to come. Here’s a brief story: My family used…
I store my most meaningful photos and videos in the platform FOREVER®, but did you know that you can store other memories that enrich our lives? Think about it. Our family photos and videos are worth saving, storing, and preserving but those aren’t the only items that reveal who we are and show us what’s…
You may have heard colorful stories but how well do you know your family’s history, and do you know how to research both your inspiring and quirky relatives? Researching your family history is like piecing together a puzzle because you’re personally affected. As you bring together the elements of your story then you have a…
Photo coaching is a tremendous business opportunity where you can help families bring all of their most meaningful memories into one safe, secure digital place. And I do mean all of their memories. I’ve been a photo coach for almost 30 years and we’re living in a time when so many families have so many…
Storing your photos digitally is the best way to make them last. And I’ll tell you about a platform I use that’s the only permanent storage solution that I’ve found. But first, let’s acknowledge a truth: holding printed photos is fun. You’ll notice I refer to a few different friends of mine who are also…
Have you heard that Costco is shutting down its online photo service and transferring customers to Shutterfly? The deadline is Jan. 31, 2024 and on Feb 1. 2024 CostCo will delete all photos. Let me know if you’re affected by this news in the photo storage industry. Please share this blog with family and friends…
Researching your family history goes hand-in-hand with organizing family photos, home movies, and your other media files. Various tools are useful in researching your family history but how do you store the information as you find it? Here’s a strategy for uncovering the people and stories in your family line while also organizing your most…
Did you capture some photos and videos of the eventful 2022 holiday season with exceptionally snowy and icy weather in places like Buffalo and Seattle? It wasn’t all fun and sleigh rides with flights delayed around the country and drivers getting stuck in snow drifts. In my previous home of Pasadena, the Rose Parade was…
If starting a home business interests you, then I suggest considering business opportunities with photo coaching. Why? Families are overwhelmed with the number of digital photos and videos that fill up their electronic devices. They need a permanent storage solution, not just social media or low-cost sites for a monthly subscription where data is sold…
Gift-giving happens all year long and for many different reasons like birthdays and anniversaries. Giving a meaningful gift can also happen just because you want to brighten someone’s day. Custom photo books are perfect for gifts throughout the coming year—from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day and just as a way to express…
Do you ever feel that your collection of Christmas photos and videos isn’t complete? Read on and I’ll show you how to organize and store all your photos, videos, and more in one place. But first, here are tips for taking Christmas photos so they’ll be fun to look at for years—and decades—to come. Christmas…
Have an old-fashioned Christmas this year. How? By researching your family history and piecing the history together with brief, written descriptions and your collection of photos and videos. I’d love to have Christmas photos of my parents and grandparents from the World War Two era and earlier. But like many of us, I don’t have…
How many photos and videos did you take during the recent holiday weekend? The exact number isn’t important, but here’s another question that is: Did you take the photos and videos that matter? And do you know what you’re missing? Think about the differences in these questions. If you want to capture the most meaningful…
Christmas, Hannukah, and other holidays are filled with—family stories. The stories we hear and the ones we tell are part of a family’s legacy. And they go hand in hand with the photos and videos we take. Unfortunately, written memories and visual ones have usually been separated. Until now. Read below to see how you…
Radio stations, usually pop stations, are already changing their playlist and airing their annual Christmas music. Yep, it’s that time of the year once again. And with the season comes the topic that weighs on our minds: who do we buy gifts for and what do we give them? Perfume, soaps, and power tools are…
Thanksgiving is almost here and for many families, the relatives who show up for turkey day are often different than the ones who show up for Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year celebrations. The holidays are your opportunity to collect more meaningful memories and add to your family’s story. Sure, you can snap shots and roll…
If you’re researching family history, you know that photos and newspaper clippings are great sources of information to collect and share. But there’s another part of family history that we should never overlook … family letters. Letter writing is becoming a lost art and a lost chronicling of history due to the practical speed of…
Plenty of home-based businesses exist but how do you choose one that’s right for you? Here’s a brief guide to direct your thinking and introduce you to the idea and show you why I chose to run a business as a photo coach—and why I’m enthusiastic about the future of this specific business niche. …
Some of the most meaningful gifts you can give for holidays, birthdays, or thank-you gifts may be sitting in boxes, on shelves, or hidden away in closets. They’re your family photos, videos, and more from years past. Read on and learn how to permanently store your photos, organize them, and give them as Christmas gifts…
There are life-changing benefits for digitizing family photos and all of your older media files. Your most meaningful memories get updated into usable files, but something else happens as well. Read on and learn how digitizing your files can impact your family for generations to come. Let’s glimpse at some shots with my dad. Like…
How do you put depth to those old family photos you find or still have in your traditional scrapbook albums? Digging into your family’s history and journaling brief stories. I’ve been a photo coach for almost 30 years Newspaper clippings are often quite helpful, especially if your relatives lived in smaller towns. Using newspapers…
It’s fun to thumb through those traditional photo albums and relive our most meaningful memories. But they risk becoming lost or damaged. And how do you access VHS tapes and those older 8mm home movies and slide shows? You can watch newer videos on your phone but they’re eating up memory. You can share them…
In the hectic pace of daily life, we often overlook the importance of soaking up meaningful memories with family photos and videos. Until a time of personal crisis strikes and we long for photos and videos to remember the face and voice we knew. Amy Vanden Berg is a good friend and colleague with personal…
Your family history is unique and your story is worth telling. But how do you do it in a busy world filled with the demands of jobs and families? Here’s a system you can set up and use for 10 to 15 minutes a day. But let’s first highlight what it means to write your…
Guess what’s happening this month? The photos in this post give a major clue! College football is underway and the NFL season kicks off September 11. Plus, volleyball, soccer, hockey and basketball. And baseball playoffs, too. Oh, yeah, and golf. And—there are still more to mention. Our sports world is churning at full throttle and…
Now that summer 2022 is fading, start preparing to organize your photos and safeguard them permanently. Where? A private, secure digital storage solution that you own and where you can gather your most meaningful memories in one place. Organizing Your Recent Photos and Videos You may have a backlog of photos and videos going…
My career as a photo coach spans almost 30 years and this is a great time to start a business for a part-time income or full-time career. This business opportunity isn’t well known, but it’s needed and it’s possible to make a satisfying income. Here’s what you need to know. 1. Photos are being…
You have photos stored on your phone, or your laptop and you’re wanting to get them all in one place. You also have all those old media files, too, like VHS tapes, slide shows, and more sitting on your shelves. We’re surrounded by computing power yet it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and we can’t figure…
Another back-to-school milestone is taking place for families across the country. As kids wear backpacks during their rides to school and as they step into the classroom, just imagine all the photos that parents and grandparents are taking. But where will they store those photos so that they’re guaranteed safe for another century and beyond?…
The fun of researching your family is enjoying another era and finding answers to the question: What was life back then? Think about how we live our lives and what’s important to us. These are the moments we photograph and videotape. Vacations How were vacations similar, but different to the ones we take today?…
Okay. You’re looking for the phone of your dreams, although if you’re at dinner with the man or woman of your dreams then put your phone research on hold. But I get it. Your smartphone is your tool to capture a lifetime of memories. Research shows that 92% of all images taken in the U.S.…
Photos and videos continue collecting on our phones, tablets, and laptops as we’re out and about, taking trips, going to events like birthday parties, or even shopping in the store while deciding what to use in decorating the house. Taking photos is an everyday, and every moment, occurrence. Have you received a text from your…
Brandi Koehm wanted her family photos, videos and home movies stored in a safe place but felt a “dark cloud” of uncertainty. And then it happened. Her files were uploaded to her computer that she knew “was dying.” Then the hard drive crashed and she lost three years’ worth of meaningful memories, unable to recover…
Researching your family’s history can mean different things depending on your interest level. You can satisfy your curiosity about your family’s past by looking at old photos, home movies, slides, or other media and jotting down your recollections and understanding of what you’re viewing. Or you can dig deeper and travel back farther in time.…
Organizing family photos is challenging when you’ve got photos scattered among traditional scrapbook albums, devices like phones, and different social media sites. I’ve been a photo coach for 27 years, showing clients how to select and preserve the memories that matter the most. You can also contact me and others I work with as professional…
There’s more light in the day and the world takes on a different color scheme. Your routine may stay the same but capture those moments during the summer that you don’t have during the other months in the year. Then scroll down to learn how to safeguard and share your summer memories for generations to…
Personal experience is a great teacher even though the lessons we learn can be painful. The good news is that the pain can lead us to solutions. Meet Michelle Collinge, a photo coach who’s one of my colleagues from around the country and she’s passionate about preserving family photos like the collage above that has…
Your family line is as much a puzzle as it is a tree with roots and branches. Researching your family means answering questions and digging up one person’s story and those findings can lead to more stories. You can make piecing together your family history as detailed as you’d like or as simple as possible.…
Memorial Day weekend is our traditional start of summer but it’s also a time to remember the many men and women who have served our country. Photos and videos remind us of the challenges they faced and the impact on their loved ones and communities. We need to write our family stories and permanently safeguard…
Melody’s note: As a photo coach, I work with a wonderful association of people across the U.S. and I like to highlight their expertise and experiences. Enjoy reading about my friend and colleague Marianna Curran. Marianna uses her digital camera to take photos during vacations and other family events. She…
Easy-to-use tools give you what you need to run a profitable business to organize and permanently store photos for families and small businesses. Operate from your home–or anywhere with an internet connection. I’m in my 27th year as a photo coach and I’m excited about the future of my business. Families across the United States…
If you’re starting to trace your family’s history don’t get overwhelmed. It’s doable if you have a strategy to organize your photos and research your genealogy. Know Your Purpose for Family Research Why do you want to research your family’s history and trace your genealogy? Keep your answer firmly in mind so you can…
The technology you use may seem like a shiny new object today, but it could be dull, obsolete, and hard to manage in the near future. People are looking for permanent storage solutions but they’re not aware of what I’ve found. Look at this 2018 article from The Guardian that a friend brought to my…
Moms who value family will enjoy a gift that brings all ages and generations together—family stories told through your photos like the one you see of my mother, my daughter, and me during a Mother’s Day celebration at my daughter’s preschool in 2004. And the way that they’re done, ensures that the photos will last…
Easter week is here and Mother’s Day is coming up in a few weeks and family gatherings are a great way to begin journaling your family photos. It’s so easy to snap pictures, but it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with how many images are on your smartphone. We naturally think of keeping all of…
A family’s story is a precious way to chronicle life from the early years through life as a senior, aging gracefully. You can see it in the digital album, above, that has photos of my father and mother–from their childhood into their years as grandparents and great-grandparents. Their photos are stored through FOREVER®, a service…
During my 27 years as a photo coach, I’ve worked with many wonderful people as clients helping them learn how to organize and preserve their most precious memories. I’ve also gathered a community of like-minded people who asked me to mentor them in business. I connect with them from my home office. Each client and…
During the past few blog posts, you’ve seen how I’ve handled organizing photos that have helped me reach back to my great-grandparents while connecting in new ways with my grandmother, mother, and my dad. Scroll to the end to see the links to those blogs. But what about my own children? Photo Coaching with Young…
Family photos aren’t static items, but they bring memories to the surface and let us relive some of the most important moments of our past. They also bring joy to our aging parents and grandparents by giving them a sense of joy and meaning that television and crossword puzzles simply can’t. My dad is a…
How many traditional or scrapbook photo albums do you have around your house, the ones with printed pictures neatly arranged showing relatives, vacations, and birthdays from years past? In the early years when I helped my mother and grandmother, we ended up with 60 traditionally made albums between us. We journaled in them and told…
My story of how I’ve built Safeguard Your Memories® began like most businesses do—trying to solve a problem or dilemma. I faced a reality that many young families encounter like raising kids and balancing household needs. In 1992, two months after my daughter was born, I became a stay-at-home mom. After two years, we…
What a great time to tell your family’s history through the photos and documents you collect. It’s now possible to organize them in digital albums that you own and can pass on to descendants you’ll never meet. Learn more for free this coming Saturday, Feb. 26 during an event hosted by FOREVER, a company I’ve…
Organizing your family photos isn’t physically hard, but the memories can suck you in because it’s easy to get wrapped up in a stroll down memory lane. Let’s face it. We’re not folding laundry here. Your family history is unique and it’s worth taking the time to do it right. Tackle the task a little…
Get started on illustrating your family history using photos, videos, and key documents that you find and collect. During February, I’m having a special focus on our family histories that includes preserving the stories for future generations. Your Family History Your family’s story is unique and it’s not just for you to enjoy now.…
You’ve heard colorful tales of the past so you begin researching your family’s history to learn what’s true, but you wonder what tools are the best to use. A listing of free resources below can help you form a complete family tree. Or, you got a good start digging into the genealogy but can’t get…
Cindy Marks has always enjoyed family stories ever since her childhood in Blue Ridge, Texas, home for her and her two sisters. Photo albums and stories were a natural fit for Cindy who has become the “family historian.” As an adult, she enjoyed scrapbooking, turning photo albums into crafted works of art while she…
If you’re looking to start a home-based business or you’re a professional wanting to enhance a portfolio of services then consider being a photo coach. It’s rewarding and you’ll be helping families protect their heritage while safeguarding their memories. Get a closer look at doing more with your photos by attending one of my…
Family photos pulled from photo albums, old bureau drawers, and boxes in closets are more than one-dimensional images. Photos ignite memories and emotions. They also serve as puzzle pieces that reveal a family’s lineage and help future generations learn about relatives they never knew. How do you get the most from your family photos…
If you’re wondering how to connect the pieces of your family’s lineage and genealogy, then here are sites to visit and begin your journey. If you need professional help, then that’s available as well. But what do you do with your findings and how do you safely store them? As a photo coach, I’ve…
As 2021 winds down, I wanted to highlight key blog posts from this year, My very first post this year was in March, focusing on my 26th anniversary as a photo coach. Not many people know what a photo coach is or does. In this post, I describe how I didn’t do scrapbooking as my…
If you’re looking for a home-based business to help people with their peace of mind, then consider becoming a photo coach. I’ve been one for 26 years and I’ve seen the need become greater than ever. Why is this a solid business opportunity? Here are some reasons. Americans take more photos than ever Smartphones…
Kathy Jones’ mother had a special possession that brought her comfort and later inspired Kathy—a Brownie Box camera she bought in 1940. Read on to learn how Kathy combined her interest in family history with organizing and storing photos for future generations. Family History and Photos Family history has been part of Kathy’s personal story.…
Christmas is about family, music, cookies, and lots of lights. And Hannukah has its own special light tradition with the Menorah. Getting friends and relatives to pose, chaotic surroundings and uneven lighting make snapping the perfect a challenge. Read on for picture taking tips during the holidays. Set Your Shutter Speeds Do you see…
Digging into our family’s past has special meaning for all generations. Here are benefits of researching our family history and using the stories we uncover to add special dimensions to family photos of bygone eras. 1. Adds Depth to Older Family Pictures You come across a black and white picture from several decades ago.…
The most meaningful gifts you can give may be stuffed in forgotten envelopes or albums on a shelf: pictures of you and your family today and in years past. Photos connect the generations You can read about the men and women who fought in World War Two, or you can share pictures of…
Once a month, I’m having my friends share their experience storing photos online in a storage system they own and that’s guaranteed for a lifetime, plus 100 years. The above photo is from Margarita Buitrago, who I’ve known for almost 20 years. The picture is saved and will be accessible for generations to…
The time-honored tradition of Thanksgiving often brings mixed emotions. Look at all that Thanksgiving entails: Early U.S. history and lessons of survival An array of traditional American food—or not so American Questions on cooking the food Family blessings Family hurts Awkward conversations Lots of happy talk Wondering how to bring families together Early shopping for…
You come across a family photo that was tucked away in a photo album and wonder who’s in the picture. More questions surface and you decide to research your family history. What you learn about relatives from previous generations will help you weave a story of who you are and connect the past to the…
Here’s why starting a photo-coaching business makes sense. A need exists because we’re taking more photos than ever. Look at the numbers. Here’s how many pictures were taken on a global scale, according to Rise Above Research, a digital marketing consulting firm: 2019 — 1.41 trillion 2020 — 1.12 trillion (drop due to the Covid…
Organizing your photos and them uploading them to online albums that you own isn’t just a task, it’s a way of enjoying relationships with your closest family members and learning new things. Enjoy this account of a daughter, Kathy Storie, helping her aging father re-kindle memories and affection. Bringing memories to life Kathy…
Trick or treating on Halloween night is more than just scary costumes. For many families, it’s a time to stroll around neighborhoods and even many churches have celebrations in their parking lots. Of course, it’s a time to pull out the smartphones or digital cameras and snap away. Since it’s getting dark early, get your…
A picture is worth a thousand words as the saying goes, but many family pictures leave us puzzled. Who’s in it? What’s the meaning of the shot? And how do we find out more information about the generations who came before us? Family research uncovers both facts and stories. If you search the Internet, you…
Our smartphones are amazing inventions, handheld computers with a capability for taking quality pictures and videos to share now and with future generations. It’s easy to snap and shoot, but do you the best ways to capture quality images? Read through these tips that will help you get the best look now and for future…
Placing all your photos in one digital album is an efficient way to store your photos online, in the cloud. Let’s look at the benefits of storing your photos in the cloud—but also the risks. My photo coaching career started 26 years ago, so you can imagine how I’ve adapted while technology has changed.…
You dig in a closet and come across a box that has old photo albums and a round tin can. You open it and see reels of old home movies that you watched as a child. Now you wrestle with some thoughts: There were relatives in that movie and you’d like to know more…
Family photos that we find in shoeboxes, dusty albums and hallway drawers can spark our imaginations and take us back in time—or take us back to well before our times. Those photos come alive even more when they’re part of a real story that’s been researched and supported with credible facts. It becomes a genealogy…
I know that operating a home-based business has challenges, but it also has many rewards. I’ve been a photo coach for 26 years, and one of the challenges I’ve had to overcome has been the changes in how pictures are taken and how they’re stored. Technology changes, doesn’t it? Thumb drives, DVDs, and external…
My passion as a photo coach is: guiding my clients into organizing their photos so they can tell stories while giving them the best possible tools to truly safeguard their memories for a lifetime and longer Think about this: We live in a mobile society where change is constant. Younger families are less likely…
Small business owners wanting to grow and market their company know that images are critical to attract customers and clients. Marketing isn’t the only reason to take pictures. Photos can be a form of record keeping for insurance purposes—and, especially, for home businesses, a source of memories that you want to safeguard. A business takes…
If you like helping people, then becoming a photo coach holds possibilities of: Making additional income Earning a steady full-time income Adding a service to an existing professional business For the past 26 years, I’ve been helping clients store and organize their photos and I’m glad to mentor those who would like to learn…
What’s your favorite social media platform? How many of them do you typically use? They’re great for staying in touch with friends and family, but they’re not great for storing your photos long term. You need a simple digital strategy that will serve you and your family for decades to come. Why? Read on…
“Ask yourself: “Does this subject move me to feel, think and dream?” Ansel Adams Ansel Adams captured America’s grandeur as seen in Yosemite and other national parks. His photographs inspired a movement to preserve the environment and benefitted the work of the Sierra Club. His pictures left a legacy and teach us an important…
Sports are an important part of life in the U.S. Even if you’re the softest couch potato in your neighborhood, you likely have a friend or relative who plays in a rec league, for a school, or hoofs it to the stadium. It only makes sense that some of our fondest memories are focused on…
One of the reasons that early films from Walt Disney were popular was that he knew a secret to storytelling—life’s moments are never totally happy nor are they totally sad. We live in a mixture of ups and downs so why not take photos that will show the various sides of your family’s lives…
If you’re wondering how to convert the photo albums that you cherish into digital storage, then you’re not alone. Many of us might still have four or five hard copy albums on our bookshelves. Do you have VHS tapes lying around? How about slide shows or even older home movies? All of those can be…
If you’re searching for smartphones with the best cameras, then use the following list and reviews posted below as a guide. What you read about here doesn’t mean you have to run out and buy something new and expensive because what’s ranked number one for someone else may not meet your needs. Benefit from the…
A unique moment compels us to snap a photo of our spouse, children or grandchildren on our Androids or iPhones and upload it—usually to our social media accounts. The pictures we take run the risk of getting mixed in with a lot of other pictures, and we never stop to pick and choose as…
This post is a tip to frame your photos and capture a natural look by making sure the subject is placed well. Composition will improve the pictures that you take. When you look into your camera, or your smart phone’s camera, here’s what you need to visualize. The Photo Grid Visualize your lens has…
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the official start of summer vacations—and isn’t it wonderful that 2021 is so different than what the prospects were last year at this time? What does that mean for your picture taking? You may have places where you’ve planned to visit and you’ll have plenty of unexpected moments to take…
Imagine the peace of mind if you knew your photos and all your other memories were totally organized and stored for safekeeping. Wouldn’t that be nice? If you look around your house, you may think that’s impossible. Do you still have old slide shows? If you’re an older parent, you likely have a collection of…
Now it’s time to organize the pictures you took on Mother’s Day, because more photo opportunities are coming your way. Memorial Day weekend will have fewer restrictions this year than it did in 2020 so get ready. Here’s how you can visualize the entire process: Planning Taking pictures Organizing your photos Storing the photos Let’s…
Mom’s special day is a few days away so plan your photos ahead of time. If you’re the mom who’s reading this, then pass the link along to whoever else is going to be in charge. Don’t sweat the details, but have fun thinking through some candid shots. Start by thinking about your subject—what are…
Since it’s so easy to take pictures in our digital age, there’s a tremendous part-time and full-time opportunity for starting a business as a photo coach. A photo coach offers a system of organizing and storing photos to a client and can give a little input to get a person started organizing their…
As a lifelong Southern California resident, you always hear a word of warning when a wildfire breaks out and spreads near homes: make sure you have your valuables, including your family photos, safely stored and ready to pack in the car. If you lived in a neighborhood at risk for fires, then every year during…
If you’re surrounded by photo albums or old VHS tapes, consider using a photo coach to update all those wonderful photos with their memories. Your goal is to get them into permanent digital storage where they’re easily accessible for decades to come. Look at the benefits: You have a Listening Ear Yes, you may…
Family photos help create a legacy that we value and yet they’re often a chore to take instead of a joy. Here’s the most important tip to remember: have fun and smile! Make Picture Taking Fun Have you seen family pictures where everyone is scrunched together, or the photo is painfully staged, and people…
See how quickly you can respond to this question: What’s your favorite family photo? Take a second. Okay. Got your answer? Do you have a few answers? If so, that’s fine. In fact, if one memory stands out and others roll into your thoughts, then that’s completely understandable. The reason I ask this question is…
The Value of Organizing Your Family Photos We know the challenges faced during Covid-19, but did you have a chance to slow down, breathe and organize around your home? Applause if you tossed old files and broken toys. But what about those photo albums and hundreds of photos on your phone, Facebook or…
Photo by Gemma Evans, Unsplash From Then to Now Since March 1995, I have been living my purpose as a photo coach—helping families organize photos, safeguard their memories and preserve their family history for future generations. That’s 26 wonderful years of helping preserve memories in photos, videos on cassette and VHS tapes, slides and those…