Back Up Your Photos!

No matter what your pictures are of, I'm sure you don't want to lose them, right? So tell me--what would happen if you lost your camera? If your computer got a virus? Would you have your pictures somewhere else so that you could still enjoy them?

I am going to discuss ways to back up your photos. First, many people don't know this--Facebook DOES NOT save a photo with the same resolution as the original! It is a less clear image, so if that is your method of backup, find another method!

Here are some ways that people use. Remember, your camera or your hard drive are the main place the photos are stored--so I didn't include them as a "backup".
1) Use an external disk. You know, a USB Flash Drive. These work great but can get expensive. Here's a hint--if you use this method, put your disks in a fireproof safety box. If you were to have a house fire, or someone robbed you, these could be gone in an instant.
2) CD/DVDs. These are a great, cost efficient way to save your photos. Unfortunately, they can get ruined easily--scratches, cracks, or heat. But they do get the job done and they have a high capacity. If you store them in a safe spot, you should have nothing to worry about.
3) Photo websites. Many sites that you can order prints from will allow you to save your pictures with them. This can be a great tool, but some sites could be gone tomorrow. You have to trust the site that you are using and make sure that they save an original resolution photo.
4) Off-site backup services. This usually involves a monthly fee where the service connects to your computer and connects to the remote location and backs up everything on your hard drive.The fee is well worth it if something were to happen to your photos though!

Remember to backup your photos periodically! Whether you do it every time you put new pictures on your computer, or once a week, or once a month--the point is, make sure you have them in a separate location so you won't lose those pictures forever! If you think it won't ever happen to you, let me tell you--it will!


So tell me--what method of backup do you use for your photos?

My Journey Into Scrapbooking

I always wanted to scrapbook. One year for Christmas, my grandmother had bought me over $300 worth of scrapbooking products. On our car ride home, the bin fell out of my dad's pickup truck and it was lost--gone forever. So I kind of forgot about scrapbooking. Then I became a mother.

I wanted to save all of the pictures of my son, but I was sick of sharing them online and not having any albums to display in my home. I decided I needed to look back into scrapbooking. Well, that was when I found Creative Memories and I realized I could buy the products for a discount! I could get great products for less than retail price! I signed up in December 2009.

I am a "simple" scrapbooker. I am not the frilly, intense, creative, take-hours-to-do-a-page scrapper. I want to get my pictures on the page, make the page look nice, and be done.

In this journey, I have also been trying to take better pictures. Who wants to put a washed-out photo in their albums?! I wanted a perfect picture and I know there are many people out there who need help discovering how to take better pictures.

That's what my blog is for. I will post tips for taking pictures. I will ask for input from my readers. I will post ideas for projects. I will give you the tools that you need to create beautiful albums that you can cherish forever.

You may always shop on my website here or email me here. I am here to help you on your journey of enjoying your pictures and albums.