Archiving Genealogy Via Photo Collage Making: Bridging Generations
by Sasha Byers
You've volunteered for the important task of archiving your family's geneology
for the next family reunion. Yours is a critical job, and creating a photo
collage will infuse interest in the family tree and help keep the memories of
family members alive over the generations.
Many families are discovering that the easiest, most innovative and gratifying
way to archive their family genealogy is through a digital photo collage. Most
busy families today lack the time, space and materials to create paper scrapbook
pages. Even more important, in our high-tech age, it just makes the most sense
to create a digital photo collage that can be shared over e-mail with family
members. A photo collage makes it easy to send whole scrapbook pages to your
extended family, no matter how far away they live.
Some people conduct genealogical research as a hobby. Recreating your family
history through scrapbook pages fosters a sense of self-worth and belonging in
the reminder that both you and your ancestors play a part in history. Genealogy
satisfies the curiosity of those interested in knowing more about their past.
Today's technology enables even unskilled researchers to quickly and efficiently
gain historical information. Keep the following ideas in mind when you begin to
plan a genealogical photo collage or scrapbook pages:
If you are simply interested in a family tree that covers a few generations,
much of your research can be done by interviewing your immediate family and
older members of your family. Find out the names of parents and siblings, their
current or past place of residence, any important dates (date of birth, death,
marriage), names of other family members, and occupation.
To obtain further information or fill in gaps for a family history record,
you'll need to conduct your genealogy research online. Many Web sites devoted to
family history can be valuable to gather clues and information for tracing your
ancestors.
You can obtain information on deceased relatives through an obituary search. Old
obituaries can provide a wealth of useful information, including city of birth,
previous marriages, major life events and affiliations, and sometimes a photo.
Check family heirlooms for information.
To create a more extensive picture of your family history, you'll need to sift
through genealogy records such as the social security death index as well as
military, land and census records. Major events in a person's life are usually
recorded and stored at a local, regional or national office.
Thousands of genealogical societies around the world exist for assistance. The
more details you can provide about your ancestors, the more refined and
effective your search will be.
How to Make a Photo Collage of Your Family Tree
Pictures of family members will add greatly to your project. Keep the following
tips in mind when creating a digital photo collage or scrapbook pages:
Ask relatives if you can borrow old and current family photos and scan them into
your computer.
Import all the images into one folder and create a subfolder of the pictures
you'd like to use; you might name it "genealogy scrapbook pages" or "genealogy
photo collage."
Create further subfolders of specific lineages within the family. Verify that
each photo is captioned with the correct name and spelling.
Edit your pictures to zoom in on attractive faces, crop out unimportant
backgrounds, and repair tears and other flaws in old photos.
Choose neutral photo collage frames and designs to ensure your scrapbook pages
can appeal to each member of your family regardless of age and gender; this will
also add a quality of timelessness to your family tree.
When you feel satisfied with your photo collage, it's time to share it with your
family via e-mail and by printing copies of your scrapbook pages and bringing
them to your family reunion. Also, be sure to print copies of your scrapbook
pages to mail to the older generations and others who may not have Internet
access and are unable to attend the reunion.
Archiving your family's genealogy can seem like a tough job, but today's photo
collage maker software can make it both easy and rewarding. Plus you'll help
connect your relatives and preserve your family tree for future generations.
Digital scrapbooking diva Sasha Byers explores the world of documenting memories
digitally, providing insight and ideas on how to create digital photo collages
and scrapbooks. She offers tips on scrapbooking important events, travels and
major life periods such as childhood, school athletics and a child's transition
out of the nest. She also debunks common myths about digital scrapbooking and
addresses frequent questions on this popular new hobby. Sasha's blogs provide
answers, tips and digital scrapbooking ideas to help you create sharper, more
attractive scrapbooks in half the time.Share your love for
photo collage making at
the Artopia Photo Collage Maker Community.
Visit the Artopia Photo Collage Maker Community to show off
your collage maker skills.
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