Society Saturday - First Program for the New Year - Photo Books

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner-Benward


Happy New Year............  Members and guests all enjoyed our first general meeting at Root Cellar SGS for this new year. This meeting was a well attended and a fun night.

Was it well attended because it was the first program for the new year and the first program since November. Yes since November. We cancelled our Christmas Party in December because of a severe weather forecast and it was the right thing to do. OR was it well attended because of the program............  I will say a little of both. But the program presentation was very interesting. I think it is something that I would like to attempt during this year.

Joanne Sweeney, a local, made a really good presentations about Photo Books for Genealogy.
"Sharing old family photos can be a great way to bring awareness about family history to your loved ones who may have been reluctant to share your enthusiasm in genealogy" [I know of several that give you the deer in the head light look- those are the ones I'd like to get interested in the family genealogy- this could be it]
Joanne used SNAPFISH - an internet website.

She passed around two books that she created through Snapfish. There are other sites that do the same thing, some more expensive, some more flexible but a good one. Others like Shutterfly, and Mixbook but the books she showed us were created using Snapfish.

She showed the process step by step............organizing, cropping, adding text, adding photos and publishing and more. You register. And her suggestion is to download all the pictures you are considering using. Then you just start the process one step at a time.  It looks like any thing can be added to the book as long as it is a graphic........ so for example she showed using a family group sheet. She scanned it into the computer and then added it to her photos. Her handout is organized in such a way that you can use it as a guide in this process. [Thank You Joanne]

I did take several pictures of the book. The cover is simply a great family picture.


 The next picture is the first page - I was interested to see how she started off the book.

And then I took several others just to see different layouts.

I believe each of her books has about 67 pages, double pages, with black & white and color images, and text included.

I guess what I wish more than anything else that I had this many old photos to show off. I have very few but still looking for more. AND of course you don't have to use just old photos for these books.......  how about a book for the first year of a child's life; maybe an anniversary book; a birthday book; a slice of someone life and so many more ideas come to mind.

How about you?

I can see where it would be a great gift idea. It also would be good for another storage area of photos - especially the old ones but any of them.

This is probably the best gift you can give to those members of the family who love the stories but appear like a deer in the head light look when you are doing the research or talk about it to them.....






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