Monthly Archives: March 2018

A Step-by-step Guide to Organizing Digital Photos and Pictures

Posted on March 26, 2018 by

organizing digital photosWe’ve talked before about digital clutter, but it’s a never-ending issue that will only continue to grow with time. As it is, we all have the old laptops or computers that are basically “albums” of digital photos we haven’t seen in years—it’s such a shame! Our digital photos should be ready at our fingertips to use for the next #tbt or Facebook post opportunity.


So if you’re ready to tidy up your digital clutter, let’s start with what we know the best: digital photos and pictures.


The following steps will take you through how to organize, catalog, and maintain your digital images. It may take a bit of effort at first, but once you put a system into place, the upkeep will be a breeze.

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5 Photo Tips to Take Great Photos for Instagram

Posted on March 21, 2018 by

Did you know? More than 40 billion photos and videos have been shared on the Instagram platform since it was launched in 2010!

  Taking pictures for Instagram

Whether you’re already a fan of the photo-sharing platform or want to get started, here are some ideas for how to take a GREAT photo for Instagram and make your account really stand out.

 

Plan your picture! Just like taking any other photograph, getting a good picture for Instagram requires planning. Of course, there are happy accidents, but you should put yourself in a position to get a good photo. Scout your location, try different angles and plan around the light.


How to ideas for taking GREAT photos for Instagram to stand out.

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Take LOTS of photos. Getting that perfect photo for Instagram doesn’t take just one shot. It may take 10 to 20 photographs of a single subject before you are able to get the right one.

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How to take pictures for uploading to Instagram from ScanMYPhotos

Shoot your photos outside of the app. Use the native camera app on your iPhone or Android, rather than the Instagram camera, when shooting photos for the social network. Not only will it help you follow our previous tip of taking multiple shots of the same scene, but it offers more control than the Instagram camera.

 

Take your time with your edits. Instagram has a lot of sophisticated editing tools included in the app. There are lots of ways to tweak your picture and make it worthy of internet viewing! You can rotate your photo, zoom in and out, straighten, and adjust the horizontal and vertical perspective. There’s a tool to adjust the contrast and saturation of your photos to make images more vibrant, and another to change the warmth. And, of course, there are lots of filters. This barely scrapes the surface of Instagram’s editing abilities — you can read more here!

 

Don’t forget the #hashtags. Once you’ve uploaded your photo, you’ll want to use hashtags to make sure they get seen across the internet.  Hashtags can be incredibly effective, but only when they are used correctly. It’s important to be specific and creative, and please don’t use a half dozen broad, random hashtags (#blessed, #love, #photo, #togs, #bestagram, #instamasters, #instagood). As one photographer says:

 

“Hashtags are part of what makes Instagram such a creative and fun place to be. But if your strategy is to get people to see your photo and like it, then you are doing it wrong. If you are going to use a hashtag use one, and use the right one. Find a cool one or start your own.”

 

Get more tips here!

 

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The Most Fun You’ll Have with Spring Cleaning

Posted on March 19, 2018 by

Have you been putting off your spring cleaning? Here are some tips.


Spring cleaningThe best way to tackle spring cleaning is to start on a project that you know will be fun – what kind of organizing or “cleaning” is more fun than re-living all your photo memories by digitizing, organizing and sharing your photos?

Picture it: all your photo memories easily accessible, available anywhere you are, and effortlessly shareable. Yes, it’s possible — plus it’s easier and more affordable than you might think. The first step is to pull out those old photos, slides, and negatives and digitize them. Once converted, copy them to your computer, store the DVDs in a fireproof safe and use Facebook to upload the photos as “off-site” storage. ScanMyPhotos expertly converts that old media to a digital format saving your countless hours of sitting in front of a scanner freeing you up to work on other pressing spring cleaning projects.

The best way to tackle spring cleaning is to start a project that’ll be FUN

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Other spring cleaning articles


Gain some much-needed inspiration from The Wall Street Journal article, “Organizing Your Digital Photos” and The New York Times article, “Getting a Jump on Spring Cleaning“.


If you or someone you know may need assistance with managing digital clutter, consider hiring a professional associated with the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). If you or someone you know may need help with digital hoarding, check out tips for “Managing Digital Clutter“.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, Mom would surely be happy to get help organizing her photos so give her the gift that lasts a lifetime. Most importantly, have fun with this year’s spring cleaning!

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5 Pet Photography Photo Tips

Posted on March 14, 2018 by

If you’re a pet owner, chances are that you take lots and lots of photos of your pexels photo 416160 300x200 - 5 Pet Photography Photo Tipsfurry family member.

 

But, as all pet owners know, these creatures are unpredictable, which can make it hard to get the best picture.  So here are some suggestions to help you get the best possible photo of your pet! 

 

dog2 225x300 - 5 Pet Photography Photo TipsGo where the light is best. Try not to take photos of your pet in dark rooms or when it’s very overcast outside. Bright, diffused, light is the best for a flattering pet portrait. So before you take out your camera, look at your subject’s environment and figure out where the best light is — then move to that spot.  


Try to get their personality.  Ask yourself what is unique about your pet and try to capture their one-of-a-kind character on camera. Take pictures of your pet when they are in their preferred spot, or when they’re enjoying a much-loved pastime — whether that’s snoozing on the couch or catching a ball.


Keep things quiet. There is no quicker way to confuse a dog or startle a cat than to repeat loud commands at them. Try communicating with animals nonverbally: Use hand signals, or point to invite them where you’d like them to sit. If you do need to say ’sit’, say it quietly and calmly, and only once or twice.

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The Importance of Preserving Memories and Heritage

Posted on March 1, 2018 by
heritage

Irene as a child playing in the fields

Before weekenders casually explored the ocean-side vistas of Santa Barbara and well before the Pacific Coast Highway carved its way through the Pacific Ocean’s shore, the Chumash Native Americans called the greater areas of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties home.


Once a thriving population of between 15,000 and 18,500 natives, the number of Chumash today is in the 2,000-5,000 range. It’s more likely you will hear of those who are of Chumash descent and even those numbers are beginning to dwindle. As such, preservation is key for the Chumash and their descendants. This is just one of the many reasons why it was so important for ScanMyPhotos customer Irene Stonecipher to scan her precious photos.


A few years ago, Irene began her photo-scanning project by sending one box at a time to ScanMyPhotos. However, the project encountered a few hiccups along the way.


“In the process of scanning all my photos, I decided to try another photo scanning company. I live in Prescott and they’re in Phoenix (less than 100 miles away). I boxed up an order and sent it to the company, but three months later, I found myself at the point of filing a theft report. I called the company several times for updates but my calls and emails went answered. It was as if the company fell off the face of the planet and took all my photos with them! Then, months later, I opened my front door and the box of photos was back, looking the same as when I sent it with no further information provided.”


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