The 10 Best Ways to Save Your Photos and Video in 2023
If you still have actual photographs that are stored in a box under your bed, in a closet, in the garage, or worse, the attic then your chances of saving them are slim. But we should not worry about why it took so long for you to come to realize that you should do something to save them. We should concentrate on getting them protected so they can be viewed and cherished for generations — once they are gone, they are gone.
Many people do not realize or understand that family history is a treasure, no matter how good or bad you feel about them. If you lose it, it is gone forever. And future generations will be struggling in the dark to visualize their relatives, the way they lived, and who they were. Just as we are today with our past.
Being the steward of your family history or in the know about where the photographs or video are stored makes you responsible for your legacy — family is a treasure more so than gold, silver, land, or jewels — you cannot take them with you, but your family will be there in the afterlife waiting for you and you for them.
There are many things you can do with photographs and video that will be easier to share with others to view and much better at saving and archiving them as well.
1. Digitize and Archive Photographs
Digitizing photographs is a smart way to save and protect them from aging and decay. The resources to preserve actual photographs is beyond the scope of the average person.
Digitizing them at the highest resolution possible before the photographs deteriorate gives you a digital copy that can be shared and resists fingerprints, sunlight, and time. Archiving them onto a hard drive or other storage medium and stored in a safe place guarantees them to be around for a very long time.
2. Digitize and Archive Analog Video
Digitizing analog video from VHS home movies or other tape formats is crucial to do as soon as possible to ensure that the video is in good quality. The longer it takes to do so, and where they were stored can take its toll on analog tape video.
Not much can be done to the quality of the video to make it look better than it does after it is imported.
3. Download photos and video from a smart-phone
Saving photos and video from a smart-phone is quite easy to do, but you need to do it before your memory is filled up and you start deleting them.
Storing your irreplaceable photos and video onto an external hard drive is recommended. Do not rely on social media or other online places to store your photos. Keep them where you know you have control.
4. Photo Slideshow
A Photo Slideshow makes a wonderful gift for family members, close friends, and favorite neighbors who have moved away to preserve as a history for your children and grandchildren.
Your priceless family moments are available to everyone to enjoy and reminisce, not stored away, deleted forever, or scattered on different social sites.
5. Video Summary
A Video Summary makes a engaging gift for everyone with motion, sound, and music. Let the family see and hear their relatives to remember the voices and laughter.
Not every minute of home video needs to be used. Just the highlights, special moments, and heart touching scenes make the video summary more compact and precious.
6. Photo and Video Summary
Mixing still photos with home video makes an entertaining gift for everyone that will be cherished forever.
A Photo and Video Summary allows you to use both formats into one video project. Quite effective in keeping people entertained.
7. Family Biography or History Slideshow
Historic photos of the family are used to created a Family Biography or History Slideshow that recounts the people and events in your family.
A great way to share and make use of the photos you digitized and perfect for school reports or presentations.
8. Family Biography or History Video
Again mixing still photos with historic home video and creating a video out of it is another way to share and preserve your family's biography or history in a digital format.
9. Tribute or Memorial Slideshow
A Tribute, Dedication, Recognition, or Memorial slideshow a unique way to honor, recognize, remember, and cherish a loved one or someone close to you that has passed on.
10. Tribute or Memorial Video
A Tribute, Dedication, Recognition, or Memorial video using stills and video is a much better way to honor, recognize, remember, and cherish a loved one or someone close to you that has passed on.
There are more than 10 ways to save you pictures and video
“Life is a journey we all share; though our paths and experiences may be different, we arrive at a common place together. Your family traveled that journey; they walked many paths; they experienced many things. We can learn a lot about our family through genealogy, photos, video, and recorded verbal history.” - gerald
In addition to photos, home movies, and music, newspaper articles, scrapbook items, interviews, and narration can be used on the video project to tell the story of your family.
The 10 ways to save your photos and video are great gifts for Anniversaries, Banquets, Birthdays, Father/Mother's Day, Graduations, Retirement parties, Memorials, Weddings, and more.