What To Do With All Those Pics?
The holidays are over and hopefully you have some wonderful memories and some fantastic holiday photos. But maybe you are like me and unless you actually look back through your camera you won't see any of them. This seems to be the case with most everyone I know. The digital age has brought us the ability to take more photos than ever before, but most of us actually have fewer photos to look at because we don't keep photo albums on the shelf anymore. Our cameras and computers hold thousands of images and it seems like a difficult task to find a way to enjoy them. Viewing our pictures is an important part of preserving memories. Here I'll explore some easy ways to share and view some of those precious images.
Online
One way we can share our pics is within online spaces like Flickr, Facebook, and Photobucket. Commercial image hosting sites like Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Snapfish and Shutterfly, as well as software linked sites like Picasa Web Albums have tools to create galleries, photo blogs and slideshows, and you can specify who is able to gain access.
Screensaver
Our computer screensavers at home are set to display photos from folders on our computers. So whenever we aren't using our computers we get to enjoy a slideshow.
Make a DVD
DVDs allow you to break up all those thousands of memories into more manageable sized chunks. You can create a DVD for one year, holiday or event. These DVDs also make a much appreciated gift for the holidays for extended family. Programs included with many computers you may already own that can help you create a DVD complete with music, effects, and video clips include Windows Movie Maker and iMovie. Other options available online are Wondershare, Smilebox and Photodex.
TV Slide Show
A popular way to share your favorite images with family and friends is the TV slide show. You can burn a slideshow you have created to a DVD and play it on your DVD player. Or you can directly connect your computer, camera, or smartphone to your tv and play images directly. You can find a simple guide explaining how to do this here. The TV slideshow is an interesting and fun backdrop during family gatherings or parties.
Photo Book
I gave a photo book to my husband this year for Christmas. It displays the highlights of our family trips and memories of 2015. He said it was probably his favorite Christmas gift of all time and has been showing it to everyone who visits and even taking it with us when we visit family. I also gave one to my Mom that showcased pictures from vacations to Florida that I have taken with her and my sister. There is something about a photo book that is very appealing- a nicely bound hardcover book that you can personalize in so many ways including text and stylistic themes. It is something you can hold in your hand, flip through the pages and take as much time as you like which is so refreshing in this digital age. I created mine through Shutterfly and there are many other sites that provide this service. They make it very simple to upload pics and design your book.
Photo E-book
An e-book is similar to the above photo book but you don't print it. Instead you publish and share it electronically as a PDF. Advantages include complete creative control, cost, and being able to link to it in social media platforms or blogs. Popular tools for creating a photo e-book include Adobe InDesign and Scribus (Free). Digital Photography School gives a great introduction to photo e-books here.
Digital Photo Frame
Of course we must mention the ever popular digital photo frame with sizes ranging from 1.5 inch to 17 inches. Pictured here is the new "Cube" which is a photo frame device that when connected to WiFi streams pictures from your social media platforms- including those of your friends, family and followers. As well as making it easy to view your pics, photo frames make terrific gifts for parents and grandparents- especially if you include a memory card filled with family photos. You can find a guide to the top frames here.
How do you like to view or display your photos? Please share your ideas in the comments section below!
