Tech Time is the third instalment in our 3 part mini-series on creating a digital photo/video archive. Kindly follow these links for part 1, A Life in Photos: Preserving our Legacy as it Happens and part 2, Photo Synthesis.
How nice would it be to get your photo and video collections under control and make it shareable with the rest of the family. Here are some basic tools to keep in mind to manage these collections, and hopefully will help you avoid some mistakes that eat up precious time.
STEP 1: PROJECT SETUP
Before digitizing it is essential to do a manual sort of all the images you own. This includes your digital photograph and video collections as well as your online images. You might find it easier to start with your digital media before proceeding to the hardcopies.
As discussed in our previous blog post, this is the prime opportunity to cull duplicates including “bad” photos (blink, red eye), landscape and scenery shots. You may start by dividing them chronologically and then by group, subject or family.
STEP 2: SCANNING
The next step will move your printed photos, negatives and slides into the digital era. This ensures that their quality is preserved, unlimited duplicates are accessible to family members, and provides the security of being backed up in case of loss or damage.
Photo and negative scanners are available for purchase or rent. Consider using linen gloves to avoid smudging photos or negatives with finger prints, as well as using a micro-fibre cloth or compressed air canister to remove dust from both the media and the scanner.
Ensure that your scanning output is at the highest quality i.e. scanned at a minimum 300 dpi (dots per inch). This means that you can make prints from these files, should you wish to have them reproduced. While 72 dpi will appear clear on a computer screen, bear in mind it will create a blurry print.
FILE NAMES AND CATALOGUES
Developing a file naming and cataloguing system that works and makes sense from the beginning is tremendously helpful. Do not name each photo individually (according to the people in it, for example). Rather, choose a serial number approach that captures all the essentials you can use to search for it later on. An example of this would be DATE / EVENT / NUMBER: 05052007 Karie and Flo’s Wedding – 01.
When cataloguing a folder system that includes: Year, Season/Month and Event provides a clear path as to where to save images. Don’t go too “deep” into subfolders as it can make files increasingly difficult to locate.
Although at first it may appear unnecessary, it is useful to start cataloguing according to maternal or paternal side of the family, above YEAR in the folder hierarchy. It sets a system in place to accommodate family growth through marriage, remarriage and stepfamilies.
TAGGING
Whether you’re working on a PC or a Mac, offline or online, photo-tagging options are available and simple to use. A Google search can help you find these resources.
With thousands or tens of thousands of images to work with, consider integrating a standard for your tags and captions into your workflow. “Uncle Ken (Grenkow), fishing at Lake Wanapasaki CT, 1976.” This image could be tagged with the words: Ken, Grenkow, Fishing, Wanapasaki, CT, 1976.
Searching for the keyword KEN for example, will pull up all this Uncle Ken’s photos in your collection, along with anyone else named Ken. You can refine your search using more than one keyword to narrow your results. Think of the time saved in future searches if all photos have been properly tagged!
If you’re stuck for particular details in a photo, consider using online photo platform – such as Google+ Photos (AKA as Picasa) or social media to “kin crowd-source” the missing info. To use this method, post photos to a private album and ask family members if they know who is in the photo, what year it was taken, who is sitting beside whom, etc. It can be a fun way to go down memory lane together and can also generate excitement and participation for your project.
As this task can be long and feel tedious at times, a great suggestion is to use speech-to-text software and dictate right to the file.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BACKING UP AND ARCHIVING
A backup is a duplicate copy (on an external hard drive or on the Cloud), which serves to prevent loss due to issues like computer failure or theft.
An archive, on the other hand, is a copy kept in safe storage. At least one archival copy should be stored off-site (away from home) and should be accessible offline. The Library of Congress suggests putting this copy with your important papers.
Remember, as your backup is updated every time you save new media you must periodically update your archival copy as well. This archival copy should be checked at least once a year to make sure the files are legible and new copies created every five years or so to avoid potential data loss.
THE ICING ON THE CAKE
The true joy of this project is in the accomplishment of what often is a large daunting task (don’t we all have thousands of photos by now?). Then once completed, gifting a hard drive or memory key copy to loved ones will be a unique and cherished heirloom.
Sorting, editing and archiving your family photos is truly a great journey to undertake. We wish you all a bon voyage on this digital adventure!
NB: An organized archive can be a blessing in disguise! One day when you’re ready to undertake your video biography, imagine how simple it will be to find exactly the right photographs to include with your life’s storytelling. Easy-peasy!
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Happy Easter and Passover to all (and please don’t forget to get your elders storytelling around the table)!
Producing a WHITE PAPER: Preserving OUR Legacy
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminIt has been fifteen years since the founding of Memoirs Productions. And just as we encourage all of our clients (and indeed everyone!) to take stock when reaching an important milestone, we too have taken this opportunity to reminisce about our journey and reflect on both where we have come from and where we are going.
Reflecting on Collecting
Putting together a collection of Memoirs’ printed materials was a complete surprise as to the sheer volume of works and the related wisdom gained throughout the years. We discovered that through knowledge and personal growth, we have refined and evolved our process of delivering our broadcast-quality productions with heart. It is now known to be our “blueprint for success” in the domain of preserving legacy.
As a result, we wanted to share the sum of our fifteen years experience with those who are like-minded. As part of the process of researching and writing our White Paper we collected our data from various sources. We gathered stories from the families, philanthropists and businesses we have worked with to use as case studies. We culled from our featured articles and columns (online and in print) relating to legacy while incorporating our speaking presentation materials. We reflected on the awards and professional acknowledgments we have been nominated for and/or received.
It was overwhelming, affirming and gratifying to see the sum of a life’s work assembled in one publication, organized and distilled. We had produced Memoirs Productions’ own Corporate Ethical Will~Legacy of Values, and are proud of it.
Looking forward
It has been our pleasure to work with visionary early adopters of our video ethical will process. They are the ones who have identified early on that the incomparable value that comes from the this form of communication with their next-gens, is highly complementary to their financial wills and personal legacies.
As ethical wills are being featured more and more in the mainstream press, our dream is that this trend continues so that everyone, both families and businesses, understands the value of and produce their own ethical wills, whichever way suits them best.
At its core, the classic concept of creating an Ethical Will~Legacy of Values informs and affects lives. In celebration of our fifteenth year, we have transformed our own Corporate Legacy of Values into our White Paper, Preserving Your Legacy of Values, so that we might share the gift of our wisdom, knowledge and stories with those who are interested. We invite you to download your own copy by following this link.
Thank you for sharing our special journey with us to date.
Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!
Tech Time!
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminTech Time is the third instalment in our 3 part mini-series on creating a digital photo/video archive. Kindly follow these links for part 1, A Life in Photos: Preserving our Legacy as it Happens and part 2, Photo Synthesis.
How nice would it be to get your photo and video collections under control and make it shareable with the rest of the family. Here are some basic tools to keep in mind to manage these collections, and hopefully will help you avoid some mistakes that eat up precious time.
STEP 1: PROJECT SETUP
As discussed in our previous blog post, this is the prime opportunity to cull duplicates including “bad” photos (blink, red eye), landscape and scenery shots. You may start by dividing them chronologically and then by group, subject or family.
STEP 2: SCANNING
The next step will move your printed photos, negatives and slides into the digital era. This ensures that their quality is preserved, unlimited duplicates are accessible to family members, and provides the security of being backed up in case of loss or damage.
Photo and negative scanners are available for purchase or rent. Consider using linen gloves to avoid smudging photos or negatives with finger prints, as well as using a micro-fibre cloth or compressed air canister to remove dust from both the media and the scanner.
Ensure that your scanning output is at the highest quality i.e. scanned at a minimum 300 dpi (dots per inch). This means that you can make prints from these files, should you wish to have them reproduced. While 72 dpi will appear clear on a computer screen, bear in mind it will create a blurry print.
FILE NAMES AND CATALOGUES
Developing a file naming and cataloguing system that works and makes sense from the beginning is tremendously helpful. Do not name each photo individually (according to the people in it, for example). Rather, choose a serial number approach that captures all the essentials you can use to search for it later on. An example of this would be DATE / EVENT / NUMBER: 05052007 Karie and Flo’s Wedding – 01.
When cataloguing a folder system that includes: Year, Season/Month and Event provides a clear path as to where to save images. Don’t go too “deep” into subfolders as it can make files increasingly difficult to locate.
Although at first it may appear unnecessary, it is useful to start cataloguing according to maternal or paternal side of the family, above YEAR in the folder hierarchy. It sets a system in place to accommodate family growth through marriage, remarriage and stepfamilies.
TAGGING
Whether you’re working on a PC or a Mac, offline or online, photo-tagging options are available and simple to use. A Google search can help you find these resources.
With thousands or tens of thousands of images to work with, consider integrating a standard for your tags and captions into your workflow. “Uncle Ken (Grenkow), fishing at Lake Wanapasaki CT, 1976.” This image could be tagged with the words: Ken, Grenkow, Fishing, Wanapasaki, CT, 1976.
Searching for the keyword KEN for example, will pull up all this Uncle Ken’s photos in your collection, along with anyone else named Ken. You can refine your search using more than one keyword to narrow your results. Think of the time saved in future searches if all photos have been properly tagged!
If you’re stuck for particular details in a photo, consider using online photo platform – such as Google+ Photos (AKA as Picasa) or social media to “kin crowd-source” the missing info. To use this method, post photos to a private album and ask family members if they know who is in the photo, what year it was taken, who is sitting beside whom, etc. It can be a fun way to go down memory lane together and can also generate excitement and participation for your project.
As this task can be long and feel tedious at times, a great suggestion is to use speech-to-text software and dictate right to the file.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BACKING UP AND ARCHIVING
A backup is a duplicate copy (on an external hard drive or on the Cloud), which serves to prevent loss due to issues like computer failure or theft.
An archive, on the other hand, is a copy kept in safe storage. At least one archival copy should be stored off-site (away from home) and should be accessible offline. The Library of Congress suggests putting this copy with your important papers.
Remember, as your backup is updated every time you save new media you must periodically update your archival copy as well. This archival copy should be checked at least once a year to make sure the files are legible and new copies created every five years or so to avoid potential data loss.
THE ICING ON THE CAKE
The true joy of this project is in the accomplishment of what often is a large daunting task (don’t we all have thousands of photos by now?). Then once completed, gifting a hard drive or memory key copy to loved ones will be a unique and cherished heirloom.
Sorting, editing and archiving your family photos is truly a great journey to undertake. We wish you all a bon voyage on this digital adventure!
Happy Easter and Passover to all (and please don’t forget to get your elders storytelling around the table)!
Photo Synthesis
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminIt’s official. Smartphones are now the most popular cameras. Gone are the days when we needed to remind ourselves to bring the camera along. It is now simply always at our fingertips. We are also no longer restricted to rolls of film and a preset amount of frames. We now accumulate thousands, if not tens of thousands of photo images every year. But how often do we think about archiving all these photos? For most, the idea of sorting through this digital burden seems overwhelming, and so we tend to procrastinate.
How to Get Started
Although it is understandably hard to part with any of our photographic treasures, refusing to make choices and keeping everything amounts to nothing less than an uncontrollable mess. If you’re not sure where to start on your own images, imagine how future generations who will inherit them will feel. Odds are, the bigger the mess, the bigger the chance your images will just be ignored or trashed.
Editing for Now – and the Future
If you’ve ever had the experience of sifting through the photographic memories of dearly departed ones, you’ve come across this harsh truth: no one is ever going to want ALL your photos. That’s why, as discussed in our previous post, it’s important to think about your intent WHILE you are taking the photos.
To help you cut through your photo clutter resulting in a manageable archive, i.e. a meaningful collection, we propose the following suggestions.
© Jessy Hodge
Technical
(Do the following in camera/phone whenever possible. This will save you a lot of screen time later).
1) Delete (or throw out, in the case of hard copies) the worst images. These include: blurry, dark and blown out images as well as those of the back of people’s heads. If you can’t decide: toss it. Indecision IS the decision when it comes to photos.
2) Eliminate duplicates. When you have a series, chose the best of the best and delete the rest. There is NO NEED for 15 photos of a bouquet toss at your niece’s wedding. Pick the one that resonates the most with you, and then send the rest to the trashcan.
Sentimental Editing
If you’re editing printed photos, AGE and SCARCITY are the number one priorities to consider. The older and more rare the image, the more sentimental value it holds. Therefore, it is highly advised that it be preserved using archival quality methods as well as storing it digitally and backing it up. You can however, offer what remains to family members and close friends, or share your own digital copy.
When you start your editing process, try and be objective. If these pictures belonged to your Uncle Ron, which ones would you most likely want to keep?
1) People photos: Eliminate photos of buildings, landscapes and unidentified people. Let’s face it, unless people you backpacked with 40 years ago became life-long friends, your grandchildren won’t want photos of people they don’t know.
Remember our rule of thumb: When in doubt, toss it out.
2) Sentimentality: Help out your heirs by editing your collection down to your favorites. They will never be able to guess which photos are the most meaningful if they have to sort through tens of thousands.
3) Bonus points: The real treasure lies in passing on WHY these were your favorites. Dating and annotating digital files, writing notes on printed photos or tagging albums will increase the value of your images for years to come.
Final Thoughts
If you absolutely cannot bear to throw any images away, realize that someone will. If you STILL can’t get over it make two piles: EDITED and EVERYTHING. That way at least you’ve identified which ones of your collection are truly meaningful ones. After you have your two piles, make a third one, MEMOIRS, using images from your EDITED pile. This will be an even smaller collection that helps tell your full life story. Too many, and you run the risk of your family losing interest in your selection.
The reason for preserving your photos for generations to come is to enable family members, present and future, to get to know and understand you better. Dusting off boxes and/or external hard drives that hold pictures and memories is difficult for most to do. Get and keep your collection under control with ongoing editing. I promise you will experience more satisfaction and joy by perusing your well-edited collection of photos with your loved ones. And just remember, keep smiling!
Our next blog post will explore different mediums in which to preserve your collection as an archive and share it.
A Life in Photos: Preserving our Legacy as it Happens
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminUntil modern times, storytelling either verbal or written, has been the only way to pass down family history and lore. The inventions of audio recording, still cameras, film and video technologies in the 19th and 20th centuries have allowed us to tell, record and share with our own voice and likeness. These methods have revolutionized not only the way the stories are told, but also how they are shared and how they can be preserved.
Fast forward to the early 2000’s with the advent of digital technology and mobile devices. We now hold in the palm of our hand the ability to preserve history and personal stories as they unfold, and share them immediately with the whole world, or at the very least with Grandma on the other side of the country.
What are you preserving?
For each of us, the answer will be as different as we are unique. In broad strokes however, we all preserve more or less the same things. They include milestones (weddings, births, graduations, birthdays), day-to-day (sports, activities, funny moments, get-togethers) and new to the gamut– selfies.
Although they are fun to look at immediately and share on social media channels, it’s worth more than a moment to think about why you are preserving these moments. Years from now, how many of the tens of thousands of digital files you took will you be willing to sift through to find a memory’s defining moment? Do you have storage and filing systems that will enable you to find what you’re looking for? Will scrolling through hundreds upon hundreds of thumbnails become the future equivalent to Uncle Bernie’s slideshows of the 80’s?
© Lisa Tower
Setting Your Intent
It’s great to take numerous photos all the time, but it’s more manageable if you set an intention for each group of images. Take the time to promptly choose a folder name to properly archive the event and the people in the shot. This will leave a rich photo and video legacy for your children and grandchildren, to jog the memory and act as story aids to explain who was there and what it was like.
Set up a Successful Photographic Legacy
Ever been puzzled or frustrated because you came across a series of old photographs in which you knew only one, or maybe none of the people in the image? Or perhaps there is a date or name but no details? Imagine your heir scrolling through (if they can make it through) all of your numerous digital images not knowing anything about them. Be mindful of every time you dump your CF and SD cards into a hard drive, or on the “cloud”.
Taking the time to print your photos, label them digitally or on the back, and file them in an album or within a digital system. This will not only help you out when you’re looking to pull out the ‘Karen having a bath in the sink’ image for her wedding montage, it will also help you build the story of your family to share with future generations.
Our next blog post will provide suggestions on how to set up a successful photo and video legacy.
New Year’s Day is the WRITE TIME: A Legacy Letter to Our Children and Grandchildren
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminThe end of a year and beginning of a New Year is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the past and plan for the future. While we generally focus on planning for our personal and professional goals, we must not forget to think about how our children and grandchildren fit into “the big picture” of our lives.
Writing a legacy letter to (grand)children is an exercise that appears easy enough: write a few stories, some values and beliefs, lessons learned, and most importantly communicate how much you love them. It’s so surprising that most people tend to put it off…Someday we’ll find the time and in the meantime our (grand)kids can rest assured that we love them!
© insEyedout
Life is unpredictable. Our memories of the big and small events can and will fade. A simple way to preserve and share these stories is by writing them down in a letter or journal at this special time of year—and sharing it with loved ones.
There is no better time than the present. Once the letter is drafted, make sure to keep it safe, copied, or with technology so prevalent–back it up digitally by snapping a photo of it on a smartphone.
The value of these letters is immeasurable. When opened in the future, (grand)children will get to know more about themselves and you – as a (grand)parent and as a person.
Life can change in an instant. I invite you now to take the time to write your own legacy letter to your loved ones. For those among us who are not parents, these letters are also precious gifts for our nieces, nephews and Godchildren. Remember: your letter is like a permanent hug.
Grab a pen, paper or keyboard – get it in writing and share it soon!
Happy New Year to you and yours! Be well, go safely.
Personal History Coach’s Corner – Thanksgiving Edition
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminLaura Mclure of Ideas.TED.com posted this online recently for discussion at the Thanksgiving table. We at Memoirs challenge you to record the answers of your elders this holiday season.
Photo: Martin Cathrae
What are you grateful for?
What are you proudest of?
What’s been the happiest moment of your life so far?
What’s been the hardest moment of your life, and how did you get through it?
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
How would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy?
Who has been kindest to you?
How do you want to be remembered?
If your great great grandchildren could listen to this years from now: is there any wisdom you’d want to pass on to them? What would you want them to know?
If you could honor one person in your life — living or dead — by listening to their story, who would that be, what would you ask them and why?
Happy Hallowe’en!
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by adminIt’s that time of year again! Ghosts, goblins and princesses are set to roam the streets tonight in search of candy loot.
A special time for both family and community, Halloween is a one-of-a-kind holiday when it comes to memory making. Children have the opportunity to dress in costume, stay up late, be outside in the dark, and counting, sorting and indulging in fistfuls of candy. Yum!
Halloween is a time when costumed kids (and some adults!) are captured in photos to preserve the special memory of that ritual. These precious pictures will bring us right back to where we were at that moment in time. The sounds, smells, sights and frights, everything will makes us smile at the fun of it all.
For all the sweet tooths out there and for the sweet memories in the making, Happy Halloween!
Be well, go safely (and don’t forget your flashlights!)
Robert De Niro: Preserving His Father’s Legacy
/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Uncategorized /by adminThe Metropolitan Museum in New York City indexes four entries under the name Robert De Niro. The information recorded is not about the Oscar-winning actor and director, but rather about his father, the artist. Thanks to a recently released HBO documentary “Remembering the Artist, Robert De Niro Sr.” we now know a lot more about his fascinating life.
Robert (Jr.) had a desire to preserve and rectify the truth about his father’s legacy as an artist, as well as his struggles as a gay man, and as such, produced this highly evocative documentary film. I believe we are privileged as a public viewing audience to see such a personal tribute.
De Niro had a complex relationship with his father. After his parents separated when he was two and finally divorced when he was nine or ten, he rarely saw him. “I was not aware, much, of it [his father being gay]. I wish we had spoken about it much more. My mother didn’t want to talk about things in general, and you’re not interested when you’re a certain age,” De Niro said during an interview in Out Magazine[1].
During his teens he would listen to his father rant about the injustices of the art world and the difficulty artists had in selling their work. “Artists are always recognized after they’re long gone,” says De Niro in the film’s trailer.
However brief his fame as an artist in the 1940’s and 50’s might have been, De Niro, Sr. was exhibited alongside Jackson Pollock by Peggy Guggenheim, and as a result, the impact his life and his artwork left on his son was powerful. Consequently, De Niro Jr. preserved his father’s SoHo studio much as it was, with paintings on the wall, books, and exhibition posters, as a personal tribute to his descendants.
Preserving his father’s legacy
“When he passed away I thought, well, I should keep it,” De Niro says in an interview with FT.com “because it’s a very special place, and also for my grandchildren and for my young kids, who never knew him. I wanted them to see what their grandfather did, what their great-grandfather did. And this is the best way.”
To get to know his father better and further immortalize the truth of his father’s life and its’ meaning, De Niro Jr. created Remembering the Artist – Robert De Niro Sr. His life and struggles are explored through old journal entries and photographs, as well as interviews of those close to him.
Robert De Niro Jr. made the documentary film “Remembering the Artist – Robert De Niro Sr.” to explore and preserve the life and struggles of his father.
It was something De Niro Jr. always felt should be done. “I should have done this ten years earlier, but I’m glad I did it now.” In fact ten years ago he was interviewed in Esquire Magazine, and was quoted as saying that one of his biggest regrets in life was not getting enough of his parent’s stories recorded for his children and grandchildren. Now he can be proud of this accomplishment.
As we see in the De Niro family, many personal journeys are sometimes difficult. That is why recording the triumphs and challenges of life experiences, and the wisdom gained, is so vital to a family’s history. Through journal entries and video recordings gathered to preserve it, we can get to know family members more intimately. The result will be lifestories and wisdom to cherish leading us to a better understanding of our own heritage.
Kudos to Robert De Niro Jr. for getting it done!
[1] http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/robert-de-niro-gay-father
James Cameron and The Value of Life Storytelling
/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article /by adminWelcome back! We’ve been busy! After lots of filming days over the past few months we’re glad to play catch-up on the blog.
Earlier this summer Iris attended C2MTL a creativity and commerce conference featuring Academy Award Winning director and producer James Cameron as a Keynote Speaker. Famous for his Hollywood blockbusters, which include the top two grossing movies of all time Titanic and Avatar, Cameron has spent the past five years “off the set” exploring and filming in the deep-sea.
If you don’t record your life history, who will? James Cameron speaks to C2MTL attendees in May 2014 about the importance of telling and sharing your stories in order to preserve wisdom from your adventures so that future generations may benefit.
Photo: © David Sidaway
With passion fueled by twelve submersible dives to the Titanic during filming, Cameron formed Earthship Productions to further pursue ocean exploration, conservation, and documentary filmmaking. On March 26, 2012 he made a record-breaking 35,787-foot solo dive to the deepest known place on Earth, the Mariana Trench off the coast of Guam. During his keynote speech at C2MTL Cameron recounted how on this particular submersible dive, he had a revelation. It became very clear to him that in undertaking such a risky endeavor it would be of paramount importance to take time to reflect and record the life-changing event as part of one’s life’s stories to preserve for posterity.
Recording your life story is a precious gift to your family and friends and yet the benefits go beyond preserving your legacy for the generations to come. Reflecting on and recording life to date is also of tremendous value to the storyteller. By doing so you bestow upon yourself the gift of retrospect, allowing better clarity and perspective for your own future. A life story is the sum of many experiences and recording important ones while the memory is still bright can add a level of detail that may be lost as time passes and memory fades.
You don’t need to dive down as deep as 35,787 feet to understand just how valuable it is to record your own life’s experiences. James Cameron highlights the importance of storytelling with his message that the life you live is unique to you and deserves to be recorded so that others may benefit from your efforts, personal history, and wisdom.
Get your feet wet, start storytelling…