Tackling a large family photo project
April 18, 2007
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Thanks to Trevira for leaving a comment about her favorite online photo printer. I hope others will join her and Amanda and Barbara. Had a terrible experience? Love your printer? It’s not too late to leave your comment.
Oh, and, Trevira? I think it’s all kinds of cool that this blog has been your inspirado. Here is my promise to you and anyone else who is tackling a Really Big Photo Project:
You can do this.
Seriously, you can.
Here are a few tips to keep you on track:
(1) Your entire collection does not need to survive 200+ years. That means you don’t have to give all of it the Cadillac treatment. Invest only in the shots that mean the most to you. And by invest I mean invest real money in high quality enclosures, and invest time to write the stories behind your photographs.
(2) Lose the dreck. Don’t be afraid to edit. You’re not doing future generations any favors by leaving the editing up to them.
(3) Big projects are scary. Just remember: “Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.”
(4) Break your project into chunks (see #3) but keep in mind that the smaller the chunks, the longer it will take to complete your project. Rope off a half day every and you’ll see real progress. And real progress is the BEST motivator.
(5) The more fun you have doing it, the more often you will work on your project. Crank your favorite music while you work. Or take advantage of the buddy system and schedule a monthly photo date with a friend who lives in town but who you don’t see often enough. Or host a brunch and call it a photo bee. Whatever works.
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P.S. For those of you who are patiently waiting for a recording of my Photo Savers / Story Keepers workshop, I’m happy to report that all the permissions have been cleared. It shouldn’t be long now, really. I just need to learn a new software program. Ahem. What was that bit about baby steps?