Tag: Fall In Love with your Photos

Memories Worth Preserving

What a different time we are living!  I was suppose to be in Orlando, Florida right now, wrapping up an amazing conference and transitioning into some family fun at Disney – making memories.

This would have been our first time going to Walt Disney World as a family.  We visited Disneyland in California when I was very young but we always talked about going to Walt Disney World in Florida and never did, even during the short time my parents lived in Florida.

About the time as we were growing up that we were seriously considering it, we had connected with a family from Belarus and our hearts were changed forever.  We hosted some sweet sisters in our home for many summers and took our first international trip to a country that was not as glamorous as many aspire to travel to but was very special to us.  I wouldn’t change that time and experiences for anything but fast forward to last year when I learned that my annual conference with Forever would be in Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort, I knew I was going to go and quickly my family decided to join along with me in making plans.  To say we were sad and disappointed that our trip had to be postponed would be an understatement.  We knew a trip to Disney would not be a relaxing vacation especially in the heat of July but oh the fun we have together and the memories we were looking forward to making.  We are hopeful that in another year we will all be picking up those plans and experiencing new things again and a trip to Disney World is high on our list of things to do in 2021.

As many of you have done, in these days, weeks and months lately we are shifting and adjusting to virtual experiences for the things that should have been in person.  It isn’t the same as hugging that friend, sitting together over a meal or gathering in a large group to cheer and celebrate exciting things but for the last 3 days I have been touched by how much I have still enjoyed and learned through a virtual experience for the conference part of what would have been my trip to Florida.

I am reminded about how passionate I continue to be that our Memories are Worth Preserving.  #MemoriesWorthPreserving is a phrase that has been repeated often this weekend and speaks to what the heart of Forever is all about.  We are committed to helping you save, organize and share your precious memories whether they be a big family vacation like ours to Belarus many years ago or a moment in the yard on an average day 4+ months into a pandemic like this flower blooming.  As we continue to shift and adjust to the new way of doing things, remember your memories are worth preserving today as well as the ones from past trips and experiences.

Do you have a photo taken recently that captures a moment you want to remember about this season?  Maybe it is one tucked down deep on that camera roll on your phone from an experience before all of this craziness consumed us.  Pull it out and let’s make sure that memory is preserved in a way that brings you joy or shares the story you want to capture.

Gather Them Up & Jump In

This time of the year always reminds me of raking leaves.  I have some sweet memories of fall visits at my grandparents’ house where we would arrive to find the yard covered in leaves.  Sometimes my Granddaddy would have already started the process of raking but most of the time it was a project that we would all join in and help during the weekend.  It never seemed to be a job we dreaded.  We would have so much fun raking the leaves and piling them up throughout the yard only to gather the cousins around to take turns running and jumping in the piles of leaves and spreading them back out to rake all over again.  Over the course of the day, the leaves would be gathered and put in a large pile in the back yard near the horse pasture with other yard debris to be burned later.  Before the evening was over we would have had fun jumping and playing and then wrap up with watching the fire crackle.  Oh to be that 8 year old little girl again.  Take a peak here for a glimpse of what I looked like about that age on one of those fall days at my grandparents’ house.  This photo is special but what is really special is the story that goes with it – maybe not that exact day but there are so many memories that are intertwined and triggered when I see it.

Whether we are gathering leaves or other things like our photos, it doesn’t have to be a job we dread.  Just like the experience I had as a child when we did it with many hands or tackled it a little bit at time, the big job wasn’t so tough and could actually be fun in the process.  When you think of your photos, do they feel like leaves scatter all over the yard – maybe more like all over our house or computer.  Are some in neat piles ready to be dealt with while others are blown all over the place.  As you think about where all of your photos are, can you imagine a day when they are all in one place where you can find the precious one you are looking for with ease.

To get there we have to start somewhere, so let’s start at the beginning with gathering them from all their hiding spots and coming up with a plan of where we want to store them.  Take a peak at this image here to the left and see if it sparks any other ideas of where you might have some tucked away.

As you gather them, make sure you have a physical spot to collect the photo prints, video taps, CDs, etc.  Maybe you want to designate a box or bin to collect them all in or set up a table to gather and sort them on.  Also think about a place on your computer – a folder where you can make sure that all the loose photos and folders of photos from your computer can all be gathered too.

This may take some time to gather so you can spend time collecting all of them in one place or do a first pass of your house and electronics and then get those organized while you continue to gather and find more.

Remember our goal is to have them all in one place, organized and where you can find what you want and enjoy them.  Do you have a permanent home for all of your photos yet?  A place you know is designed and set up to handle photos and media.  At a minimum, I recommend that you keep your most special memories in at least 2-3 places.  Some possible solutions might include some of the same locations as listed above but if you would like to talk more about how Forever can help provide you the tools and systems to simplify this process, join us at an upcoming Photo Workshop or reach out and let’s set up a time to chat.

Fall Back in Love with your Photos

Where did October go and how did we end up in November with the time changing already?  I know I am not the only one that is in awe of how fast time seems to be going the older we get and the more things we have going.  As I get things back up and going with the blog this Holiday Season I want to remind you to think of that photo that reminds you of a special time in your childhood or with a special friend of family member.  That feeling you get when you think of that photo – that is why I do what I do, I love the feeling of reminiscing and remember the story that went with the moment that was captured on the photo.  It doesn’t have to be a professional photo, or even a good angle, the photos of someone’s head cut off or the mostly of the floor tell a story too.  Do you know where that special photo is, do you have that story captured somewhere?

Do you dream of a day where all of your photos are in one place?  Maybe you dream of that perfectly lined shelf of photo albums and books that tell your children’s life story (or even your own)?  Do you want to have your walls filled with photos and memories of those you love?

Let’s work to make some of those dreams come true. This Fall and into the holiday season, let’s spend a little time Gathering our photos just like we gather the leaves in the yard or apples from the orchard.  Let’s find ways to Celebrate and Share them with those that will enjoy them too.

If you are ready to jump in (whether it be a piles of leaves or pile of photos), mark your calendar for next Saturday, November 9th for our Monthly Photo Workshop in Cary, NC.  I have plenty of room in my afternoon session (3pm-10pm).  Come for as short or as long as you would like.  Remember if it is your first time, it is FREE after 3pm, for everyone else you can sign up here, choose the Evening Only Option for just $25: https://squareup.com/market/sagp

If you are not quite sure about jumping in all the way but want to get started, here is my best advice for tackling any photo project.

Start Current and the Work Backwards

Yes that is it – start with your current photos (digital or physical prints).  Gather those that are the most recent – this month or even this year and tackle those first.  It will help you create a system that works for you today.  If you find others from outside of this time frame put them in a box or folder until you get to that time.  Then back up a month or year at a time and continue with the process you have started.  If you want some additional tips and ideas, you might enjoy going back to my post about The Power in 15 Minutes.  I am continuing my 2019 Favorites Album and look forward to creating my annual photo book pages with ease because I have spent 15 minutes once a month, gathering my favorites as I go and don’t have hundreds of photos to go through later.  It is a great time to start with October 2019 if you haven’t started before now!