Digitizing Family Photos During Grief: A Genealogy Tip That is Saving Me Time
My mom passed unexpectedly a few months ago. There has been a whirlwind of activity for my siblings and me in dealing with her estate, all while grief (what sometimes feels like a giant ocean wave knocking me over, and other times feels like a quiet computer program running in the back of my mind) silently steals my energy. Amongst this, I’m also trying to preserve our family history.
My mom was my partner in crime when it came to researching our family tree and genealogy. I would do the research and call her each week with the discoveries I made. She would often fill in the blanks with family stories.
She was the oldest of her siblings, the matriarch, the storyteller, and the keeper of the stories. She didn't have an interest in doing the research, but she loved to think through the puzzle pieces of her Appalachian + Irish roots with me.
She was also the keeper of all the family photos and genealogical records for both her parents and their parents, and so on.
Guess where those things have ended up?
If you guessed stacked in the living room of my tiny NYC apartment, ding ding ding, you guessed correctly. Your trophey is in the mail!
We don't have the closet space or any storage space for these heirloom items to be tucked away neatly.
Which, believe it or not, may actually a good thing.
It's forcing me to digitize the family photos and documents quickly.
Which also...
LEADS ME TO THIS HUGE TIME-SAVING TIP FOR YOU
If you have boxes or stacks of documents and images that you need to digitize quickly…
You need this --> https://photomyne.com/
(not sponsored, I just love it!)
I have their application installed on my phone.
Why I LOVE it:
It allows me to lay out multiple images on my well-lit kitchen counter and take a single photo from my phone that captures all of the pictures in one. The app very smartly breaks each image into its own file, and with the push of a button, sharpens and color-corrects the image.
It is a HUGE time saver.
Now, are the digital images created great for printing?
Probably not.
But are they the right size to upload to our online family tree and digital albums?
Ab-so-freakin-lutly.
The best news? I found this promo code online, which saves on the monthly or annual fee --> 20PHOTOMYNE
If you have a small number of photos, go for the monthly option. Currently, they are offering three days free. If you really buckle down, you can get through a significant amount of genealogical documents and photos in that time. You might even be able to cancel the subscription before a payment is even made.
Although, honestly, I did this 👆🏼, and when these boxes came into my life from my mom, I ended up purchasing an annual subscription.
I love this app, and it is saving me a lot of time, so I am happy to pay for it and share it with you.
My original plan was to digitize everything and then figure out what to do with the boxes of originals. Now, that might be shifting slightly.
I keep finding gem after gem, like the original naturalization certification, filed in 1866 and received in 1867, for my 2nd great-grandfather.
So, here is my ask from you... What do you do with these original documents or older family photos?
Do you display items, keep them neatly tucked away, or something else? I am thinking of getting some of the items framed and up on any available wall space... but trust me, storage and wall space are in super short supply around here.
Do I have to move out of the city? Buy a huge farmhouse with lots of storage? Bribe my super to convert the laundry room into a family archive? Convince my neighbors that the hallway is now a historical exhibit space?
👇🏼 Could you please share your best tips in the comments below👇🏼?
