If you're like me, you feel an occasional niggling guilt over not having your family photographs arranged in a way that allows you to enjoy them most.
We got a digital camera in July of 2003, when Ann was born, and since then, have printed very few pictures. We used to upload them to photo printing websites, get the prints by mail, and give them out to family. Since RaggedyDad's family lives overseas, it's often more practical for them to view the pictures in emails and let us know if there are any (very occasional) shots they want to have in physical form.
My parents, on the other hand, are able to see the pictures via email (and I'm so proud of them for figuring that out!) but really want a few real photos for frames, albums, etc. Now and then I hear, "I don't think I have one picture of Andy!" and he's nearly 20 months old. Guilt!
Tonight I've been organizing the pictures on the computer by month and year, since they're automatically stored by date. But this is just a tiny drop in the bucket of what I ultimately would like to do:
1. Upload photos to some kind of sharing site (I'm open to suggestions) that my parents can use to order prints. Some of them even allow users in different countries to order prints locally, which would be ideal for RaggedyDad's mom in Belgium, and grandparents in Israel (who don't use email but have a neighbor who'll help them order shots).
2. Print some of our nicer shots over the past couple of years and get some nice albums going on. Or at least photo boxes. It's hard to share photos with Shabbos guests when they're all on the computer! This also connects with the guilt about not doing anything nice/memorable with some of our vacation memorabilia, other than stashing it in a Ziploc bag for that trip.
3. Backing up the photos onto RaggedyDad's external hard drive and/or a CD. Actually, since I don't really know what this entails, I'll leave this to him.
4. Scanning old photos. RaggedyDad's sister did this with their old family photos dating back to the 1920's (!) and did a very nice, organized job. Complete with backup CDs in different locations. For those of us who have those occasional fire nightmares, I think this would help me sleep that much better at night. Not to mention how nice it is for us all to have copies of those photos.
5. Understanding how to lift movie clips and create real, normal home movies (DVDs nowadays I guess) from those funny little cassettes that our video camera uses. I'd really like to have some movies that make sense and that we can watch properly.
So there you have it. My guilt list regarding family photos and movies. I don't think anything on this list is all that complicated, though I have to learn it, and it is time-consuming. If a little bit gets done after hours on a regular basis, though, it's feasible.
For now, my task focus is finishing up the sewing of name tags on Ann's camp clothing. But I'll bet I'm not the only one feeling photo guilt!
11 comments:
i haven't printed photos in over two years and have sorting of hundreds to do.... one day!
Ah, we're good at this. :)
Download Picasa (free, Picasa.com). It's a Google creation, and actually works well with Blogger, too, but I digress...
On Picasa, you can share albums with other people (I think whether they have it or not). If they have Picasa, they can easily download the album themselves straight from you after you share it - takes just seconds.
Google may control the world, but at least it has some perks. :P
this isn't actually a response to this post, but you should post all the stuff Ann says about her kids in Florida! it made me laugh quite a lot to hear it on shabbos...
I have to print photos, good for you for organizing it, hard work.
Sarah - You must have accumulated quite a collection over two years!
Ezzie - We have Picasa, I haven't looked at it much though - My intention in making online albums is to allow people like my parents to order prints easily - without the extra step of downloading prints themselves and then uploading them to an ordering site, etc. Does Picasa let people order prints?
PN - LOL, she has been regaling us with stories about having another baby but needing to rest for a few months first. I wonder where she gets this stuff?! :)
SWFM - Thanks - let's hope we get there!
Who needs to order prints? Just print them! :)
You have a good enough quality camera that even on regular paper, in a frame, it would likely look as good as a photo. But my mom is the real expert on this, so maybe you're better off asking her...
Note: She has a bunch of 8x11's in their dining room of grandchildren, all of which are computer printouts. You'd never know.
(Plus, there's always photo paper.)
But I'll bet I'm not the only one feeling photo guilt!
Yeah, there's a lot of that guilt here too.
You're sewing Ann's labels in? You're a better Mom than me...that must be some chore. I have the iron on ones for LO.
Can LO and I be Ann's new kids in Florida that Pobody's Nerfect mentioned? :)
Thanks a lot for the tip re: Picasa, Ezzie - totally one of those things we had that I never looked into much. But since posting, I've used it to better sort our digital photos, and sorted out a nice stack to be printed for us and for my parents.
Have you ever used Picasa for editing digital video?
Orieyenta - LOL. I'm off my feet, doctor's orders, so after the kids are asleep, I sort of look forward to sewing on the labels! I had wondered about the iron-on labels regarding durability through multiple washings, but from what I've heard, they hold up well. I guess years from now when we use up all of the "RaggedyFamily" labels, I'll give iron-ons a try.
I'll post about this in greater detail one day, but Ann has a whole imaginary storyline going about how she has her own apartment, husband, and kids in Florida. She totally cracks us up!
This is like a noose hanging over my neck. I love photo albums (hard copy), being able to display them and leaf through them. I am like 4 years behind on printing them and putting them in albums.
It's my big project for this year...if I could only find the time to start it. Sigh.
I totally hear you, Stacey. I'm glad to say that this week, using Picasa, I ordered photos through Winkflash for us and for my parents. I tried to keep it a light order so that the ensuing album(s) won't be too draining to make. Go Picasa!
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