Concierge Archiving Services

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If you love a good project and tackling that cluttered photo closet (or desktop computer) doesn’t scare you – go ahead and dive right in! After all, you have a personal connection to all those memories and you know exactly what you want to keep or toss. Here are a few Pro Tips for those of you who are managing a photo organizing project on your own:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by sorting based on subject, event, or date. Choose a categorizing method that makes the most sense for you. Think ahead to how you and your family will want to access these memories in the future. If you’re working with printed photos – make piles or use small bins. If you’re organizing digital files – create folders and name them based on your preferred sorting method.

Toss or delete multiple or redundant images from the same event. After all, do you really need to keep 26 images from little Chloe’s birthday party? Also, eliminate duplicates or poor quality shots where the lighting or subject matter isn’t up to par. The goal here, is to refine your photo collection to only the “best of the best” images/photos.

Decide what you want to do with the physical photos and memorabilia long term. Do you simply want your photo closet more organized? Do you want to digitize all of your printed photographs? Do you want to make photo books for family members? Knowing your end goal, will help you make decisions on how to complete your project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let the local expert do the heavy lifting

Sure, you could scan your family photographs one by one on a home scanner, but do you really want to give up your weekends for the next 6 months?

Trusted local photo experts (like us), have the equipment, training, and professional experience to manage this portion of the project for you. We’ll carefully digitize, color correct and save your printed memories as digital files. Once your memories are in a digital format – you have countless ways to share them with family members and make fun photo creations with them.

PRO TIP: Determine which family members would like a copy of your digital files – not only today but also in the future. It’s easiest and most affordable to order multiple copies of your files at the time of digitizing. Think about your children, your siblings, your parents, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Hiring a Professional

If a project like this just isn’t for you or if you’re managing an extreme amount of memorabilia – then you may want to consider hiring a professional to help sort, name, and organize the items. Our archiving team can help you get started and advise you on the best way to approach your project. We also have relationships with local professional organizers and archivists who can assist as well.

Creatively Cute Wedding Gifts + Keepsakes

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Creatively Cute Wedding Gifts + Keepsakes

Make your day unique and personal!

Photos can make your wedding day more personal and after the event, they can live on for years after! Here are some creative ways to bring photography to your celebration and beyond!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please, please, please – don’t let those gorgeous professional photographs sit on your computer gathering dust. Select a few favorites and get them up on the walls of your home as canvas prints, framed decor or even a gallery wall with multiple shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, the bride and groom will want a wedding album filled with images and snapshots from the celebration, but professional photo books are also a great gift for parents, grandparents and the wedding party!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trendy personalized gifts are always a favorite at any wedding! Bring us your ideas and we will help you design a special gift for your guests or wedding party.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gift this adorably cute heart collage to the newly engaged couple. Gather images from their social media and surprise them with the perfect engagement gift.

 

Need help on a project like this?

Join us in the design process while we create the perfect solutions for your day. Choose from hundreds of ideas for gift giving and personal storytelling. Here are just a few…

– Save the Date Cards + Magnets

– Announcements + Thank You Notes

– Guest Book

– Personalized Bridal Party Gifts

– Custom Keepsakes

– Imagery + Reception Décor

– Video Productions + Slideshows

– Prints + Memorabilia (from your wedding day photos)

– Photo Books (for yourself, the bridal party + your parents)

– Home Decor (showcasing your professional photographs)

– Passport Photos (for the honeymoon)

Ever Have Trouble Printing? Try a Different Printer Driver

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Some clients have reported problems with HP laser printers failing to print. Sometimes there’s an error. Other times, the print job just disappears into the ether. It’s unclear why this is happening or how widespread it is, but here’s a workaround that can help. Create a new printer configuration by clicking the + button in System Preferences > Printers & Scanners and selecting your printer in the list. Then, from the Use pop-up menu, choose something other than the default Secure AirPrint driver. We’ve had the most luck with Generic PostScript Printer. Both the old and new configurations will be available when printing, so if one doesn’t work, try again with the other one.

(Featured image by Mahrous Houses on Unsplash)

Nightstand Mode Makes Your Apple Watch a Helpful Bedroom Companion

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Most Apple Watch users charge their watch every night, putting it on a charger as part of a bedtime routine. If that’s you, make sure you’re not missing one of the Apple Watch’s best features: nightstand mode. When you enable it in the iPhone’s Watch app, in General > Nightstand Mode, a charging Apple Watch displays the charging status, current time and date (in a large, easily readable font), and the time of any alarm you’ve set. It uses a green color that won’t shock your eyes in the middle of the night, and after a minute, the screen goes completely dark. To see it again, tap the watch or—even better!—the surface it’s on. The screen lights up for 10 seconds before going dark again. (And yes, we love the little classic Mac stand.)

(Featured image by Adam Engst)

The Mac’s Magic Shortcut to Trashing Files and Photos Quickly

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Sure, you could select a file in the Finder and choose File > Move to Trash or drag it to the Trash in the Dock. Similarly, you can trash selected photos in Apple’s Photos app by choosing Image > Delete X Photos, or by pressing the Delete key, but both of those methods result in a dialog asking if you’re sure. The easiest way of trashing a file in the Finder or a picture in Photos is to select it and press Command-Delete. Poof, it’s in the Trash (Finder) or Recently Deleted album (Photos), with no extra effort or prompts! And if you accidentally trash the wrong thing, just press Command-Z to restore it. Keep this key combination in mind for other apps too, since they may also support it as a shortcut for “delete without prompting.”

(Featured image by iStock.com/YurolaitsAlbert)

Filter What’s Showing in Photos to Focus on Specific Types

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You know you can make albums and smart albums in Photos, and do searches to find photos that contain particular objects. But what if you want to separate photos from videos, identify which images in an album have been edited, or pick out just the ones you’ve favorited? For that, use Photos’ filters. On the Mac (below left), click the Showing menu in the upper-right corner, and in iOS and iPadOS (iPhone screens below right), tap the ••• button in the upper-right corner and tap Filter. Either way, you can choose Favorites, Edited, Photos, or  Videos to limit the items showing to that type. When you’re done, turn the filter off by choosing All Items.

(Featured image by iStock.com/metamorworks)

Picking the Best Mac for a College-Bound Student

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Do you have a child heading off to college soon? As you’re undoubtedly aware from high school, a computer is essential for a college student. If you haven’t been paying close attention to Apple’s Mac lineup, you might wonder which model makes the most sense.

First, don’t buy anything without first checking with the college. Many college departments have specific requirements based on the software that students have to use in their classes. Generally, these revolve around processor type, amount of RAM, and storage space. Luckily, current Macs should meet the requirements.

Colleges often specify—and students usually prefer—laptops instead of desktop machines. Although the iMac is an excellent machine with a gorgeous screen, it’s too big and unwieldy for the transient lifestyle of the typical college student. The same is true of a Mac mini and external display. A laptop is much easier to pack during moves, and it can travel to class every day. A student who’s accustomed to taking notes on an iPad with a Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil might be able to use that along with a desktop Mac, but most people should focus on Apple’s laptops.

In the past, it was harder to decide which model was best for a given student, but with Apple’s move to the M1 chip, which significantly outperforms the Intel processors used in previous models, the decision is easier. We see three primary scenarios:

  • Most students: Buy Apple’s M1-based MacBook Air. It’s Apple’s smallest, lightest, and least expensive laptop, but thanks to its M1 processor, it has nearly identical performance to the heavier and more costly M1-based MacBook Pro. It also has the same lovely 13.3-inch Retina display. It starts at $999, and an education discount may be available.
  • Slightly better specs: If cost is of little concern, the M1-based MacBook Pro offers just a bit more performance due to fans that keep its M1 chip cool. It also has a Touch Bar (which some people like, but others don’t), somewhat longer battery life, and nominally better speakers and microphones. It starts at $1299, and again, education pricing may be available.
  • Windows compatibility: The only reason to buy an older Intel-based MacBook Pro— available in either 13.3-inch ($1799) and 16-inch ($2399) models—is if Windows compatibility is essential. All Intel-based Macs can run Windows with no problems, either by restarting in Apple’s Boot Camp or using virtualization software like VMware Fusion (free for students) or Parallels Desktop. (On M1-based Macs, it’s possible to run Parallels Desktop and Windows for ARM Insider Preview, but we can’t recommend that anyone rely on that combination yet.)

Regardless of which laptop you decide on, you’ll have to pick a processor, an amount of RAM, and storage capacity:

  • Processor: With the M1-based MacBook Air, you have a choice between two CPUs that are identical apart from one having a 7-core GPU and the other an 8-core GPU. No one is likely to notice the difference for everyday software, but the price difference is only $50 if you’re also getting at least 512 GB of storage. (The M1-based MacBook Pro offers only the 8-core GPU chip.) For Intel-based Mac laptops, there are various options based on clock speed and number of cores. They’re all fine, but you pay for performance, so buy what fits your budget and needs.
  • RAM: With the M1-based Macs, you can choose between 8 GB and 16 GB of RAM. 8 GB may be acceptable, but we recommend 16 GB. Intel-based Mac laptops start at 16 GB, which is a decent base level, and you can go up to 32 GB or 64 GB (16-inch only). Generally speaking, go beyond 16 GB only if you know you need it.
  • Storage: For the M1-based Macs, 256 GB is the lowest storage level, whereas the Intel-based Macs usually start higher. Either way, you can upgrade to a maximum of 2 TB. Choose the amount of storage based on budget and anticipated usage—video takes a lot of space, as can large numbers of photos, but most other uses don’t.

To our thinking, the most obvious choice for a Mac that’s likely to last for four years of college would be the M1-based MacBook Air with the 8-core GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. Be sure to budget for AppleCare+, too; it’s almost guaranteed that some mishap will befall a student laptop, and AppleCare+ covers up to two incidents of accidental damage every year.

You’ll need to have some conversations with your child to find out what they think they’ll need—and be sure to double-check that against the college’s recommendations—but if you have any questions after that, don’t hesitate to contact us.

(Featured image by Apple)

Social Media: Which Mac is the best for a new college student? Short answer: the M1 MacBook Air. Read on for the longer explanation and how we recommend configuring it.

Enjoy the memories at these key times in your life.

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Throughout our lives, there are those key events where reminiscing and looking back in time become extremely important to us. Whether you have to sort through boxes of old memorabilia or access the thousands of digital images on your device – these are the times when your photo collection becomes more valuable than ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood

It’s scientifically proven that children have a stronger sense of self when they have access to pictures from their childhood. Take that a step further and expose them to their family heritage. TIP: Make copies of photos with their parents and grandparents as children and store them with your child’s memorabilia. One day they’ll want to see who they resemble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High School Graduation

Grad parties are known for celebrating achievements and it’s always fun for the guests to enjoy memories from the graduate’s childhood years. Set up a photo display that features their photos and memorabilia in fun ways! (PS: We literally have hundreds of great ways to do this!)

Wedding

Que the infamous wedding video. That’s right, it’s still a thing! Make it easy on the bride and groom by gifting them a digital copy of their entire life in photos BEFORE the wedding. This will help make the video production process so much easier. Plus, what a great thing to gift at this stage of life!

 Anniversary

Celebrate your time together by reminiscing over a lifetime full of great memories. If you’re hosting a party – let your guests enjoy your wedding photos with you.

Milestone Birthday

Those “over-the-hill” milestones are a great time to look back and get a good laugh at how you’ve changed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Service

Celebrate a life well lived by displaying old photos and video clips during a memorial service. Collect favorite snapshots that include childhood, hobbies, acknowledgments, and family milestones full of happiness.

 

Passport Photo

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Passport need updating? Don’t forget the photo! Walk-in’s are always welcome!

The world is yours to explore with a passport in hand. Have your picture taken in our studio by our professional staff. We promise to take as many photos as needed to pass U.S. Department of State regulation at no additional charge. A few things to keep in mind when traveling:

If your travel plans include cross-border travel from the United States, your passport or passport card need to be up-to-date. Some countries require that travelers hold valid passports for a certain period of time before entry. All travelers and citizens of the U.S., regardless of age, are required to present a valid passport or passport card when entering or leaving the country at any airport or border crossing.

Passport photos can also be used for the convenient and less expensive U.S. passport card. The passport card is valid when traveling between the U.S and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda at land-border crossing or ports-of-entry at sea.

Name That Tune with Siri or Control Center

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Don’t you hate it when a familiar song is playing but you can’t think of what it’s called? Or worse, when you hear a new track you really like but have no one to ask what it is? Never worry about that again, thanks to your iPhone or iPad. Back in 2018, Apple bought the music identification app Shazam and has since integrated it into iOS. You can still use Shazam, but it’s easier to ask Siri, “What’s playing?” or tap the Music Recognition button in Control Center (add it in Settings > Control Center) and then let your iPhone listen to the music for a few seconds. Siri is easiest, but the Control Center button is perfect in situations where you’d prefer to keep your question quiet. The music recognition feature recognizes only recorded music—no high school glee club versions, sorry—and while not perfect, is often helpful. Tap the notification that appears to open the song in Apple Music.

(Featured image by Laura Balbarde from Pexels)