My thoughts today are about pictures. I recall so many times I would look at pictures at a particular family’s home and think to myself, “one day I’ll ask for a copy of this” or “I wonder who is in this picture, one day I will have to figure that out”. Do not delay as I have done. Death occurs, severe weather can damage property, families move away or memories fade. This can hinder your obtaining these pictures or not learning the identity of those in the pictures.

Here are some tips to use regarding pictures:

• Take a small portable scanner with you when you visit family to make copies.
• Ask if you can take pictures to a nearby copy facility.
• Identify as many of the people in the pictures as soon as you can.
• Try to get stories about the people in the pictures.
• If a picture needs restoration, try to take it to a trust worthy place for repairs.
• Take great care of the photographs, especially if they are not yours.

Do you have pictures that you feel other family member might enjoy having? A photo album, PowerPoint presentation or collage would make a great gift. Make several copies at once so you can share with more than one person.

Another great idea is sharing pictures using an online photo album such as Picasa or Photobucket. There are several websites out there, many which are free. Using a family picture in a blog is another great way to share and tell the story of the photograph at the same time. I know every time I use a picture in my personal blog, I always get several comments and even some private emails from others that saw the picture. They are excited to put a face with a name. If you have a person you wish to have a picture of you might try the following tips:

• Google the person or his parents
• Look for any blogs that might be about this family line
• Ancient Faces
• DeadFred
• Genealogy websites such as Ancestry has family submissions that contain pictures
• Findagrave occasionally has pictures
• Obituaries, Funeral Notices and Newspapers