Why do you take photos?

This was an interesting article from another blog...
Read and decide where you are in photo saving, sharing, and preserving.  If you need help with any of these things please contact me so we can get started...you will never regret it.   You'll only regret the photos you loose to time, technology, and disorganization.
http://blogs.creativememories.com/why/2010/04/digital-netherworld.html

Online Photo Storage---They are your Photo's But....

This information was shared with me by Cathi Nelson, Connecticut Personal Photo Organizer

 Please take the time to read!

If you need help creating your own personal photo CD's  please contact me.  

Personal Photo Organizers can help you with ANY photo need you may have!!!

They're Your Pictures, But 

By DEBORAH YAO | Associated Press

March 29, 2009

A recent e-mail from Eastman Kodak Co. didn't lead to a Kodak moment for Vanessa Daniele. It made her angry.

On May 16, the company's Kodak Gallery online photo service will delete her picture albums unless she spends at least $4.99 by then and every year thereafter on prints and other products.

That's the new rule for people whose photos take up less than 2 gigabytes of space on Kodak's servers - enough for around 2,000 1-megabyte photos. People over that limit must spend at least $19.99 a year. And customers who signed up under the old rules won't be given a pass.

"I don't ever think it's a good idea to change terms of service on customers after they've signed up, and demand a new storage fee or threaten deletion of photos," said Daniele, 26, who lives in Chicago. "That action doesn't value the customer or attract new ones."

Kodak Gallery, once known as Ofoto, said it wants to focus on its best customers, not folks who merely want to take advantage of free picture storage. And its new rules are hardly unusual in the online photo business.

But the company's decision to change its policies illustrates the risks people face as they increasingly rely on privately run services to handle their digital memories and communications. These services often state in the fine print that they can change the rules at any time, and users have little recourse when they do.

Many online photo services offer free storage of images as a way to lure customers who might buy prints or things like mugs with pictures imprinted on them. One such site, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Snapfish, offers unlimited storage to users who make an annual purchase of any amount.

These sites typically store users' original, high-resolution files on their servers, and display only lower-resolution versions that are fine for Web viewing but might not be clear enough for good prints. So users who fail to keep copies of their original picture files might have no way to get them back from a website without paying extra for the service.

Kodak, for instance, charges $9.95 to send users 50 of their photos back on a CD, or $39.95 for up to 1,000 photos. Every additional 1,000 images costs $14.95.

Daniele's situation is complicated because the albums she organized and stored at Kodak Gallery are made up of pictures taken by friends and family and uploaded to the site by them. She doesn't have copies stored elsewhere. Now those images would be deleted even if she makes purchases above the site's new minimum but her friends and family don't.

That means she'll have to upgrade to a $24.99-a-year premium account to download high-resolution versions of the images, or spend $19.95 plus shipping if she wants to have Kodak give her the 200 pictures on a CD, so she can upload them to another photo site.

Kodak is essentially saying that "even though you own this stuff, unless you pay us you're going to lose your access to it. That hardly seems fair," said Steve Jones, a communications professor specializing in new media at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Kodak said it has required an annual purchase for the past five years without setting a minimum amount. The new policy, adopted in March and announced in recent e-mail notices, sets a minimum.

Other photo sites, including Google Inc.'s Picasa, Fotki Inc., Yahoo Inc.'s Flickr, News Corp.'s Photobucket and Adobe Systems Inc.'s Photoshop.com, still offer free services that let people share photos with others, although there are storage limits.

Even more generous options are available at Shutterfly Inc., which offers free, unlimited photo storage, and on social-networking sites such as Facebook, which doesn't have a limit.

Nick Kelsh explains F-Stop....yes a setting on your camera!

Want to learn more about your camera and how to take better photos?
 Check out this Nick Kelsh video about an important lens feature on your cameras!

http://vimeo.com/5455026

Need help learning more about your camera or getting photos off your camera card ?  Schedule an appointment today with me your Personal Photo Organizer.  First hour of consultation is always FREE!

Lisa


6M Memories and More by Lisa Morgan
lisa@personalphotoorganizer.com
423-748-7124

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The Importance of Telling Family Stories

Note from Lisa: I found this story to be interesting. I hope you do as well no matter what your family make-up is we all have stories to tell and pictures to share!

The Importance of Telling Family Stories

Published October 30, 2006 by:

Kori Rodley Irons

With the scattered and fragmented state of the modern family, things have been both lost and gained. While we've gained and expanded idea of what family actually is and, for many families, a less gender-biased family life, we may have also lost connections with extended members and our unique family "lore." With divorces and remarriage, our family stories can become even more scattered and we may have a hard time explaining our family "culture" or the way our family is unique and special to younger generations.

Just because times have changed, we don't have to give up on our family stories. In fact, it may be more important than ever to keep extended family and friends vibrant and a part of our daily lives through the stories we tell. Here are some suggestions for keeping storytelling integral in maintaining strong families.

It can be hard with divorceand separation to feel comfortable telling stories from "before" - especially if a separation has been painful or less than amicable. For children, and even for ourselves, it can be important to keep these stories alive and part of family discussions. Parents may just have to swallow this discomfort and participate in the story about the time the (then intact) family dropped the Christmas tree down the hill or when Aunt Sue (from your former in-laws) came for the extended visit.

Things can become lopsided when parts of the stories are left out or big chunks of family lore just become "off limits". Kids pick up on that and may feel that parts and pieces of themselves which may have come from those times or are similar to other relatives are also undesirable. One of the most positive aspects of telling family stories is that we include the good, the bad and the ugly - the entire whole of a family's history can be represented to paint a complete picture of how the family has changed, morphed and adapted over the generations. 

While not every topic belongs at the dinner table and judgment should be used in telling age-appropriate versions of our stories, we also shouldn't just tell of the good and happy times. Remember the stories our own grandparents and great-grandparents told of wars and depression and other painful and shaping events. They have become integrated into how we think of ourselves in the big scheme of things and have helped shaped our own identities.

When family members have joined the family by marriage or adoption, it is important to make room and incorporate their own stories and heritage into the family lore. If there is always discussion of how each of the grandchildren were born, but never how little Janey came to the family via adoption from China- then the family is not including and representing all its members.

A family is not a static entity, and neither should be the stories and relationships within it. As a static, vibrant, living orb of connection, family stories should reflect change and life's realities and be allowed to develop and grow organically to reflect a changing family. Stories are important - whether we tell them in our annual newsletters, in person or over the phone. Connecting to one another through our family lore is as important now as it has ever been.

Telling family stories through photos and photo albums can bring both joy and heartache but that is the true reflection of life.  I hope each one of you with families be it traditional, blended, or fragmented continue to tell your families stories so that no child has gaps in their heritage.  We are who we are through the experiences God brings us through.  May God bless you through your family stories!  

Hugs,

Lisa

6M Memories and More by Lisa Morgan

423-748-7124
lisa@personalphotoorganizer.com

MARCH MADNESS

Snapshot Stories

This story was too good not to share with my readers!  Hope you find it as useful as I did!
Hugs,
Lisa

http://www.personal-photo-organizer.com/blog_view.php?organizer_id=251&blog_id=121

Photo Tips for Beginners

Check out this link for tips for photographers! 
Three Photography Tips For Beginners - http://grtaylor2.com/2010/02/three-photography-tips-for-beginners/

Need Digital Photo Organization?

For those of you that are making the transition from traditional photography to digital CONGRATULATIONS!!!

For the rest of us that are OVERWHELMED by the sheer numbers of digital photos we have in our computers I have a organizing solution for YOU!!!

CREATIVE MEMORIES MEMORY MANAGER 3.0! and it's a steal for the meager price of $39.95. Plus, when you purchase the program you get a free one hour consultation with a professional photo organizer.

The good thing about digital photography is taking as many photos as you want. The bad thing is dealing with all of those pictures later! Use Memory Manager 3.0 to easily organize, cross-reference and fine-tune your digital photos so they’re ready for your next project when you are. English only, PC compatible.

Features
• Organize your digital images from digital cameras, scanners or CDs using virtual Power^TM Sort Boxes
• Store digital images and journaling with the exclusive Memory Vault^TM feature
• Organize and store your audio (.mp3, .wav, .wma) and video clips (.avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mp4, .mov)
• Image enhancement features such as color correction, red eye, cropping and much more
• Preplan your PicFolio^TM Albums and journaling
• Produce album-ready photos and journaling boxes
• Print your digital images online or at home with the click of a button
• Keep track of printed or non-printed photos using the one-of-a-kind PrintTrack^TM feature

Do you see your photo solution?  I can help you!   Whether you are in Morristown, Greeneville, Fountain City, or Kingsport I can get your photos organized for you.  Contact me today to get started!

Organizing the special moments of your life!
Lisa

423-748-7124
423-231-2830
lisa@personalphotoorganizer.com

Celebrating Ordinary Days in Extraordinary Ways!

Want to know more about Digital Photos?

Digital Photo Basics
For many "old-schoolers," the transition from traditional to digital photos is a tough one. I can make this transition easier for you as you embark on a new way of preserving your memories.  Whether you are in Knoxville, Morristown, Kingsport or Johnson City I can come help you!   I can also help you anywhere the internet reaches when it comes to organizing your photos.  Help is at your FINGERTIPS!

My photo organization services answer common digital print questions like:
- How do I transfer digital photos from my camera to my computer?
- How do I print or email photos from my computer?
- How do I create a digital photo album?
- What is the best type of digital camera for my needs?
- How do I find, sort, and rename images?
- How do I burn a photo CD?
- How do I scan photos?
- How do I edit or digitally enhance my pictures?

Contact me today to schedule your first consultation!  IT'S FREE what are you WAITING FOR???

423-748-7124 or Lisa@personalphotoorganizer.com

Mountain Scrapbooking Retreat

If you are interested in a weekend scrap getaway you might want to check this out.
Loads of Food, Fun and Fellowship!!
Register by March 1.
www.llmi.net/adult/ScrapCamp.aspx

Cleaning out Closets---What do we find???

The thought has crossed my mind that I really need to take time to clean out closets this week...as the laundry baskets are running over with things that need to find their home. This should be an optimal time to purge things as not much is left in them!!! Only the stuff my kids don't and won't wear so today we are cleaning them out! We will be consigning and donating and I can't wait for them to get home to TRY on the ones I have questions about. I hope you have had a productive day and if you have started cleaning out your closets for spring please remember to consign any gently used clothing at Sweet Repeats...registration ends March 6.

Sale begins March 9-13, 2010
www.sweetrepeatsmorristown.com



For those that are closet cleaning and finding some "hidden" photos
remember this week we are sorting and labeling.

You can do it...set a timer and sort and label for 15 minutes...
you'll be amazed at how many you can get done in a week!

Get Ready, Set, Sort!!!!

Have a blessed day!

Lisa

6M Memories and More
by Lisa Morgan
Personal Photo Organizer

Celebrating Ordinary Days in Extraordinary Ways!

Scheduling Time

Have you taken the time to schedule your appointment with a personal photo organizer?

It is essential in all things that we actively schedule time to do the things we need and want to do!
If you want to participate in a basketball tournament one must plan a time to go and then must contact the director. If you want to take a class at the community college you must look at the classes being offered and plan a schedule to meet your needs.

Organizing photos are no different. We take too many photos. We are overwhelmed by the shear number of unorganized photos in boxes that we have inherited through the years and most likely know little to nothing about.
I want this to be different for my children, and I hope you do too!
I want to give them photo albums labeled with their accomplishments and boxes of unused photos to be organized and categorized so that a special photo can be found in a SNAP!

So I challenge you today to contact me to schedule your FIRST appointment with a photo organizer.

Together we will conquer Memory Mountain!

Organizing begins with a single pack of pictures...can you find 15 minutes a day to label a pack of photos with the event, date, and persons. I bet you can...if not just take out your trusty kitchen timer and set it for 15 minutes and let's see what we can get done.

Ready, Set, Go!!!!

Cheering for you,
Lisa

FRIDAY PHOTO FOCUS

How To Organize Your Pictures

If you're like most of us, you probably have piles of pictures just waiting to be sorted. It is a daunting task, especially when you're just getting started, but there are few simple steps that can make it easier.

1. Schedule time.
This is the most important first step. Our lives are busier than ever, and it seems like something else always needs our attention more urgently than the box of pictures in the closet. The solution? Make an appointment with yourself and a personal photo organizer. Literally. Plan to meet on a regular basis. Treat this appointment as you would any other important task and you'll be amazed at how much easier it will be to sit down and sort pictures.

2. Sort.
And sort some more. Lay out your photos and begin to put them in piles by categories. Some people sort chronologically, others sort by family member or subject. You can choose whatever categories work best for you or come up with your own unique categories. The goal is to categorize pictures in a way that will make them easier to use when scrapbooking.

3. Label.
After your pictures are sorted, go through each category and label each picture. This is very important step to help you make sure you've captured the details of each picture. Scrapbooking is much easier when you can simply look at a picture, check the back, and know right away if the picture fits. Another advantage of labeling photos is that inevitably one or two will get separated from the rest. An accurate label helps you put those strays back where they belong. I suggest using Creative Memories photo labeling pencil for this. Ball point pens are not photo safe and can bleed onto the next picture!

4. Store.
There are lots of different ways to store photos, and which one you choose will depend somewhat on how you plan to use the pictures. For pictures you plan to use in a scrapbook, consider a Creative Memories Power Sort Box. This box will hold approximately 1200 photos neatly sorted in smaller removal containers for easy scrapbooking in the future. An added bonus is that the Power Sort Box is photo safe and looks nice if you just want to get your photos in order. You can also use a variety of photo boxes, slide in albums as an alternative for TEMPORARY photo storage.

For pictures you don't plan to use it's important to use a permanent storage system, again the Power Sort Box is what I use.
No matter what storage option you choose, look for containers that are acid-free.

Sorting through your pictures is sort of like building the foundation of a house, it's time consuming and not always as exciting as other steps of the creative process. But when you put the effort into doing it well you'll be rewarded with a solid base on which to build your scrapbook albums.

Remember the most important step is the first one...make an appointment with a personal photo organizer to get you started.

Make an appointment today...You and your family will not regret it!

Celebrating Ordinary Days and Extraordinary Ways!
Warm Regards,
Lisa

What You Can do with Storybook Plus 3.0

Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they say Storybook Plus or Storybook 3.0 and been afraid to ask?

It is a wonderful digital scrapbooking program from Creative Memories. You can only purchase it through consultants with our company. You won't find it in the local "big box" store. The good thing about that is it usually comes with some personal training from your local consultant and then you have technical support directly from Creative Memories.

My dear friend, Anne, created this storybook to show you all the MANY things you can create in Storybook 3.0 using your favorite photos!
To see the shared StoryBooks Anne Lineberger shared with you, simply follow this link:http://www.cmphotocenter.com/photos/share.php?code=7fr4ziuH8CbKH7f_pl27IwL93Vd2L7UP&share_type=storybook

At the Creative Memories Digital Center, you can:
get great prints from your digital pictures
share pictures with family... and friends
get gifts and cards

Not a member yet?
Click on the Join Now link on the Web site and sign up (you will go
right to your shared pictures once you are registered).

Need a consultant to register your account with?
USE:
Lisa Morgan, Morristown, TN
CM ID #36363898


Once you log into the photo center...got to my account...then to My Projects...and then finally Storybooks. The shared storybook will be under friends projects for you to view!

Contact me if you want to know more about Storybook 3.0....and please don't be afraid to ask!

I will help find a photo solution for you.

Warmly,
Lisa

Celebrating Ordinary Days in Extraordinary Ways!

Making Deposits in My Memory Bank

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coiffed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.


"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.


"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up.

I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for
this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling

my Memory bank. I am still depositing.

"Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

Have a Happy Week!

Melanie Hempe
Creative Memories Senior Director
***This story was part of our consultant newsletter and I just had to share!***

I hope you are taking the time to enjoy your memories this week!
Remember Happiness is a CHOICE!

Lisa

How Can a Photo Organizer Help you?

WOW what a week for pictures! We had the most snow we’ve had in years. The snow was picture perfect! It was great for building snowmen and sledding. Then an unfortunate accident provided yet another photo opportunity for my youngest son Jacob. Sledding down the hill by himself he slid right into a barbed wire fence and ensured himself his first trip to the ER for stitches. Thank goodness for cell phone cameras as no one would believe the braveness of my little trooper! I will certainly be able to tell him the story of the scar on his right cheek through photos. Later in the week, Nicholas played in the Elementary School tournament and they won the tournament in overtime!! Camera was ready for the winning group shot. Finally, wrapped up a weekend in Greeneville with the Morristown Magic playing for their first tournament championship. They finished in second place but I have lots of pictures of their first championship game!
Reflecting over the number of photos I captured in the last week I am grateful for digital technology that allows me to take unlimited photos trying to capture that perfect moment, that perfect shot. I am also thankful for Memory Manager 3.0 that lets me organize my photos quickly and effortlessly!
Did you know that over 26 million digital cameras were sold in 2009? That is a lot of cameras which translates into lots of photos. The current estimate is that 80 trillion photos will be taken this year. PHEW, that is a lot of photos.

I often ask people why they take photos and the number one answer is to remember. Memories are important, they are what connect us to one another, they are what make us human and they tell a story. I believe our photos tell the stories of our lives because we are a people of stories. When you get together around the table as a family, what do you talk about? Often you tell stories of past events, people, your day and the photos we take document those memories. My goal as Personal Photo Organizer is to help you tell those stories.

I want to eliminate the stress and guilt that is caused by having 1000's of images in boxes and drawers as well as on the computer and memory cards. I will help you take the next step. What makes personal photo organizing unique is the one on one service I provide. I will listen to your stories and help you share those in a meaningful way. I will make albums, digital photo books & slide shows. I will also offer scanning, video transfers etc. Anything you need for your photos, I will provide a solution for you.

I help people celebrate Ordinary Days in Extraordinary Ways!
Lisa

A Business is Born

Wow! I am so excited to be starting this blog—because it means I am moving forward in faith to pursue the opportunity to work from home. Everything I have been able to do and will continue to do is by the grace of the Almighty God; therefore I must pause and give him thanks as I begin my journey down the road less traveled.

By now I am sure you are wonder just what is she talking about? I have dreamed of owning my own business that helps people preserve those special moments in life.
So 12.5 years ago I joined Creative Memories as a consultant. Creative Memories what’s that you ask? It is a scrapbooking company that provides quality materials to preserve your photographs. Thru the years I have seen many changes; but the one that has truly changed my life was the introduction of digital. Digital photography, digital storage solutions, and finally, digital scrapbooking have changed the way I use photographs. I bet you are NO exception!
As much as scrapbooking has changed, so has my family. Twelve years ago I was married, and had one beautiful baby boy that was 7months old. Today, I am still married with 4 wonderful sons ages 12,10,6, and 3. So you can just imagine how much time I spend scrapbooking these days. I am a wife, mother, licensed substitute teacher,former elementary school teacher, school volunteer, photographer, and Creative Memories Consultant and today I am adding one more title PERSONAL PHOTO ORGANIZER to list of things I am trained to do.
Thus, my business is born. 6M Memories and More by Lisa Morgan a place to find all your photo solutions!
Do you want to know what kind of solutions I have to offer?
Contact Lisa at lisa@personalphotoorganizer.com or call 423-748-7124.

Check back often as I help solve your photo problems one stack of photos, one family at a time.
I am here to help you….don’t have the time to learn the solutions yourself…no worries
I have a solution for that as well…hire me to organize your photos for you!

Celebrating Ordinary Days in Extraordinary Ways
6M Memories and More by Lisa Morgan