How A Professional Photo Organizer Preserves A Family's Milestones

How A Professional Photo Organizer Preserves A Family’s Milestones

Nixplay has partnered with the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) for the Save Your Photos initiative, a public service outreach campaign that teaches individuals how they can preserve life’s irreplaceable photos, videos, and documents in case of an unforeseen accident or disaster. Visit the Save Your Photos website for more information.

 

Major family milestones, such as weddings and birthdays, should never pass by undocumented. As such, people are willing to invest in the services of professional photographers and videographers who can best capture the celebration’s spirit. However, what do you do with your beautiful photos and videos in the wake of your family’s event?

This is where professional photo organizers like Patty Hopp come in. Patty, along with the other members of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO), helps her clients tell their stories better by immortalizing their memories in photo books, videos, and framed images.

“I love working with my clients’ photo collections, and especially love all the stories that go with the photos,” Patty shares.

One of Patty’s long-time clients is Mary, who belongs to a large family with members living across the globe. Mary’s family has decades’ worth of photos that needed to be stored properly, and Patty’s services quickly proved invaluable.

I started working with Patty several years ago to help me organize photos for my son’s high school graduation,” says Mary. “I have several thousand print photos and just as many digital photos, and they are not all organized yet.  It’s a work in progress with four generations of photos, and we are still taking lots of photos every day.”

Over the past ten years or so, Patty has worked on numerous projects for Mary’s family. These include print photo organizing, digital photo organizing, scanning photos, and creating several photo books.

The photo organization process

Photos have the power to elicit fond memories, and Patty uses this to her advantage.

“During my first meeting with a new client, I ask if they have a big upcoming event such as a high school graduation or a 50th wedding anniversary,” shares Patty. “If there is a special event, then I like to set up monthly photo goals to make photos a big part of their event.”

wedding photo book pictures preserved during save your photos month and shown on Nixplay frame

One of the biggest projects she worked on was the 50th wedding anniversary of Mary’s parents, for which she created a photo book and a video to be shown during the celebration.

“The video and the photo book were to include the couple celebrating their 50th anniversary, their two children and spouses, their 11 grandchildren, two of which are married, and their little great-granddaughter,” recalls Patty.

“To complete this project, I worked with Mary and with a daughter who lives in Virginia. I loved gathering all the pictures and stories to create a video that they loved and a photo book that they still treasure.”

The video and the photo book brought so much joy to Mary’s family, and it easily became one of Patty’s favorite projects.

Recalling forgotten memories

Like any other profession, being a professional photo organizer has its own set of challenges.

The most challenging part of my job is helping the client understand that it will take time to organize their images, especially if they have thousands of photos,” Patty says.

To hasten the organization process, Patty sets up Nixplay frames for her clients so they can enjoy their photos and recall the best moments of their lives. She recently set up a Nixplay Seed 13.3-inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Frame to display the milestones of Mary’s family, which they loved.

“Our son and his family came to visit last month from Germany. While they were visiting, we surprised them with photos on our Nixplay,” says Mary. “Many of the pictures that Patty put on our Nixplay were of our son when he was little and we lived in Germany.  They loved seeing pictures of what things looked like in Germany many years ago and how much things have changed over the years.”

I believe that everyone has a story to tell and your family photos are the best way to do that.  Your pictures are truly priceless and are worth enjoying and sharing with your family,” adds Patty.

Nixplay frames have helped families once again enjoy the fun times in their lives.”

 

*Photos are for illustrative purposes only.

Save Older Vintage Photos

7 Reasons To Save Those Older Vintage Photos

Nixplay has partnered with the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) for the Save Your Photos initiative, a public service outreach campaign that teaches individuals how they can preserve life’s irreplaceable photos, videos, and documents in case of an unforeseen accident or disaster. Visit the Save Your Photos website for more information.

 

September is Save Your Photos Month, a time to raise awareness about the benefits of safeguarding your photos. In the spirit of this initiative, let’s focus on why you should not just safeguard your photos, but save your older, vintage photos as well.

Maybe you’re thinking, “why should I keep those photographs? I’ve not looked at them in years so they’re just collecting dust. I don’t know many of the people in them and they won’t mean anything to my children.” Or, maybe it’s simply that you’ve scanned them and have them stored in digital format.

I’m at a time in my life when I’m going through boxes of photos stored in my home and my parents’ home. I’ve found baby pictures of my dad and older pictures of family, which have brought back so many fond memories. I even found my Grandad’s little box of photos that he used to bring out every time we visited. I’ve probably seen every photo in that little cigar box over a hundred times, yet when we saw them again, they made us laugh so hard and share funny stories about him.

So, whatever your perspective, let me share with you why you may want to save those older vintage photos!

Why keep older, vintage photographs?

Nostalgia and memories

This is the main reason photos are taken—to capture and preserve memories. Maybe you need to weed through your photo collection to remove duplicates, blurry photos and bad shots, but you want to preserve those special moments in time. Your child’s birth. Birthday parties. The first day of school. Weddings. Anniversaries. Photos enable us to remember these moments much more vividly, bringing back the emotions—the laughter, the tears, the excitement.

Grandma Vintage Photo

This is one of my favorite pictures. It’s my Grandma when she was three years old. They were taking family pictures and she did not want her picture taken. She screamed and cried until she was given her mom’s pocket watch. She finally allowed her picture to be taken (although she still has a bit of a sour face).

In 1910, having your picture taken was a big deal—they had to dress up and go to a studio out of town—so they wanted to be sure to get everyone’s picture. Unfortunately, this is the only photo taken that day that survived; all the others have been lost over the years. It sure would be nice to have them now.

Personal history

Photos tell your own personal history, one that you want your children or other loved ones to know about. Every photo is part of your experience, showing the people, places, and events that have shaped your life and made you who you are. They are part of your identity.

Storytelling

Every picture tells a story. You may learn stories that you never knew. You may never know the story behind a photo, but photos can stir the imagination and you can give them new life by having your children create stories to go with them.

Signs of the times

How much fun is it to look at photos of your parents and grandparents to see how groovy they looked when they were younger? Different decades lead to different hairstyles and different fashions. Were they part of the cool kids, the nerds, or the jocks?

When you look at photos from the early 1900s, when taking pictures was more of an event, you see people in their best outfits, starched and posed.

It’s easy to forget about how things were done in the past years. Older, vintage photos capture the lifestyle of the decade. They help us imagine the past and remember how things were done. How many people in their 20s today know what a rotary phone is? How about an 8-track, cassette, or even a vinyl record?

Help a loved One remember

Do you have loved ones who suffer from memory loss? Old photos can help them remember people or special events or give them back their childhood for a period of time. Looking at these photos may spark some stories that you can capture and pass along with the photo. What a wonderful way to spend some time with an elderly loved one!

Pass on for posterity

In truth, your photo collection isn’t just for you; it’s also for future generations. Your photo collection is a way to leave your legacy, so your grandchildren and their grandchildren will know from whence they came. Photos give them a chance to connect with deceased ancestors and family history. Family pictures are storehouses of long-forgotten memories, just like that of my grandma.

Family Vintage Photo for photobook

I created a photobook for a friend to help honor and remember her grandparents. There were so many photos that showed what their lives were like as a young married couple and as their children grew into adults. This is one of her favorite photos—taken during her uncle’s wedding, with many family and friends she has only heard stories of and never had the chance to meet, such as her mother’s grandmother.

It captures a moment in time when her grandparents were young and vital, and her mother was just a teen. This image, as well as the other photos in the photobook, show what life was like in Great Britain during the early 1950s. It is something she can pass along to her son and his children one day.

History lives on

We don’t want history to fade away. Your ancestors may have been involved in WWII or the Holocaust or the Civil unrest of the ’60s. Your photos may document historical times that you want to share with future generations.

Don’t lose that precious history. Cherish them. Share them. Display them.

The printed photograph is meant to be shared and displayed, not to be solely scanned and stored away to pass on for posterity purposes one day. I love having tangible photos, coming up with creative and unique ways to share and display them.

Why not snuggle up with pictures of your grandparents or grandchildren or even pets on a warm fleece blanket or pillow? Create a unique wall display that shows different generations of your family. Find some fun frames to display those goofy shots that make you laugh. I love using canvas and metal to print pictures on, they make great gifts and have a unique texture and finish.

I just recently got the Nixplay Iris WiFi digital frame. I love the peach copper finish; it really dresses up my mantle. It’s fun to be able to share photos anytime, anywhere. The key is to enjoy your photos now!

What’s your favorite way to share and display your photos?

saveyourphotos-blog-2

4 Ways To Smartly Digitize And Organize Your Photos

Nixplay has partnered with the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) for the Save Your Photos initiative, a public service outreach campaign that teaches individuals how they can preserve life’s irreplaceable photos, videos, and documents in case of an unforeseen accident or disaster. Visit the Save Your Photos website for more information.

 

In this day and age, there’s simply no more reason to lose your old photos. With new technology debuting on a daily basis, future-proofing your photos has never been easier. You can also display all your images on a Nixplay Frame so you’ll always have your memories at your fingertips.

However, many people put off organizing their photos because, in the grand scheme of things, a messy photo collection seems like a trivial problem. That is, until *knock on wood* you become affected by an unforeseen disaster or accident that renders all your irreplaceable images unusable. Only then will you regret not creating backups of your photo collection sooner.

To help you start making sense of your photos, here are four things you can do to make the task easier.

1. Only keep what truly matters.

Be intentional about the images you want to store for keeps. These photos need not always mark important milestones–even images that capture everyday life can be kept, as long as they elicit certain memories or tug at your heartstrings. Screenshots, duplicate shots, photos of receipts or documents, silly selfies–you don’t have to archive these.

2. Scan old photos in batches.

A lot of families have at least a dozen albums of printed photos, most likely with no digital backup, gathering dust in a corner of their homes. Just looking at those albums and imagining the gargantuan task of scanning the images one by one can make even the most patient of people sigh in despair. Make it less of a chore by doing just two or three albums at a time. Better yet, divide the albums between the different members of your family so you can accomplish the task faster.

3. Arrange them by date.

Don’t just dump your images in one folder. Sure, it’s easy, but this makes it difficult should you need to dig up a specific photo. After scanning or uploading your photos, make it a point to immediately sort them according to the event or time period during which they were taken.

4. Get in touch with a Photo Organizer.

Photo Organizers help people curate and safeguard their photo collections so future generations can access, share, and enjoy them. Get in touch with the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO), whose members can, in addition to helping you organize and digitize your photos and videos, also help you create photo albums, restore old images, and do research about your family history, among other invaluable services.

Join Nixplay and APPO in commemorating Save Your Photos Month! Visit www.saveyourphotos.org for more information.

nixplay digital frame dorm room must-haves nixplay seed 8"

8 Simple Things That Can Make Your Dorm Room More Homey

For teenagers, there are few things more exciting than entering college. Meeting new people, attending interesting classes, finding lifelong mentors who can bring out the best in them—these are all amazing experiences that can encourage good habits and build character.

And if they’re attending college far away from home, the chance to stay in a dorm is another opportunity they shouldn’t miss. Aside from fostering independence and camaraderie, being able to decorate your own nook is also a great chance to flex those creativity muscles. That said, here are some items that can make any dorm room feel like home.

1. Clean bed sheets and fluffy pillows

Nothing beats collapsing on a cozy bed after a long day of classes and meetings. Plus points for freshly laundered sheets!

2. An area rug

Placing a small rug in the dorm helps a lot in making the room feel more like home. For dormers with roommates, make sure you all agree on the rug’s design so it doesn’t clash with their own decor.

3. Photos of loved ones back home

Displaying pictures of friends and family helps a lot in easing homesickness. Better yet, get a Nixplay Seed 8″ Wi-Fi Cloud Frame—it can display hundreds of photos in vivid HD, plus it’s small enough for any desk or bedside.

The Nixplay Seed 8″ also comes in four colors, so it won’t clash with the rest of the room. Get it at up to 30% off, only until September 14!

nixplay digital photo frame back to school promo banner

4. Cozy room scents

Scents can evoke certain feelings or trigger certain memories. A reed diffuser or a room spray in your favorite scent—lavender, freshly baked cookies, whatever floats your boat—will instantly make your dorm feel more like home.

5. Plants

A low-maintenance plant, like a succulent or a snake plant, adds some color and livens up your space. A plant also has a lot of benefits: They’re natural dehumidifiers and stress relievers, they can make you more responsible, and, as any grade schooler can tell you, release oxygen and help you breathe better.

6. Your own lamp

Some dorm rooms have really bad lighting, making them not the best place for all-nighters. Bringing your own lamp is a quick fix for this. Get a portable one that you can take from your desk to your bed easily.

7. A first aid kit

And we’re not talking about those pre-packed first aid kits you can get in a store (though they’re useful to have!). You know your body better than anyone else, so stock up on medicine and supplies you know you’ll use often.

8. Extension cords

Watching a movie or Skyping in bed are both great ways to unwind after a long day at school. These activities, however, can drain your gadget’s juice, and the “low battery” sign easily puts a damper on your “me time.” Since most dorm rooms have limited power outlets (which are usually located in the most inconvenient, impractical places), an extension cord can be a lifesaver.

nixplay digital frame video 5 makaala military family

Staying Together With A Nixplay Frame

When you’re stationed in a different country for several years, you miss so many holidays and milestones. The separation was especially difficult for Makaala, a Navy Submarine Officer previously stationed in Bahrain, and his wife Lisa.

Each time Makaala left, he worried that his daughters, particularly two-year-old Kate, would not be able to recognize him the next time he comes home. This is a common problem of military families, and Makaala and his wife were determined to overcome it.

Back then, their two older daughters, Avery and Sydney, would look at a framed photo of Makaala each night before they went to bed. With Kate growing up, a Nixplay Frame made it easier for the family to cope with the distance.

“Because of our Nixplay Frame, Kate never skipped a beat when her daddy came home because she was constantly seeing his pictures,” shares Lisa.

Watch this video to learn why every military family should have a Nixplay Frame.

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