Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s: These are the times that families get together and tell stories. But conversations with family members can sometimes stay on a superficial level; it can take a few storytelling, memory-sharing, history prompts for family members to get to the good stuff.

This is Part Two of a behind-the-scenes look at my making of a photo book to celebrate 17 years of Maine summer vacations with dear friends. Quick recap of part one: How I chose the story.

In 2002, my friend (and former college roommate) and I, along with our husbands and children, began spending two weeks together on the Maine coast near Acadia National Park.

By Pixorium Client, Paula A. Rosenberg
Six years ago, I started on a journey with Pixorium to digitally preserve my family’s pictures. In a fit of downsizing, my parents had handed me 72 photo albums filled with family history. I was the family historian for my generation. So even though it filled the entire back seat of my car on the ride back from Texas, I was excited.

A photo story is more than just photos in an album, digital or otherwise. It’s more than just a photo book, though a photo book can be used to tell a photo story.

A wet photo emergency is the terrible moment when you discover that your photos have been damaged by flooding, a leak, a burst pipe, or spilled coffee. You are freaking out and you also need to figure out how to save wet photos from being totally ruined.

By Pixorium Client, Tom Glenn, May 2018

As a septuagenarian, I can attest that “things aren’t like they used to be.” Capturing some of those “things” of long ago and weaving them together in a story—personal observations, old photos, and relevant documents—not only can convey those experiences but also make an impression on those coming along behind us.

By Pixorium Client, Paul Bianchi

I had wanted to write a partial history of my family for some time, but it was one of those resolutions on New Year’s Day that never make it to February.

You only want to scan your photos once, so do it well. Here’s what I think you should know about cost, digital files, scanning options and choosing a scanning company.

By Pixorium Client, Sandy Thim

Seeing the books others had done lit a spark in me… It all began when Renee, a member of a book club I belong to, asked Jiffy to attend to talk about telling your story in memoir and photo books.

By Pixorium Client, Cyndy Mote Saunders

Ideas come from unexpected places. Mine came in a room full of grandparents, being told that our memories matter, that they’re unique, that they’ll be lost if we don’t write them down.

It’s finally time to come out. I’m a member of the club that no one wants to belong to…ever. I’m a parent whose child died. Our son, Daniel, died in August 2000, at age 18.

Your photos may be stored safely in plastic bins in zip-top bags (or maybe they aren’t, in which case, read this post about how to safely store your pictures in three steps), but you might still be overwhelmed by all your family photos.

And, without saying any more, you’ll know the important things to know about Big Daddy. You’ll know why his grandson respected and adored him.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate family coming together and spending quality time together.

By Pixorium Client, Bernice

Scanning photos is easy, right? You lift the lid of your machine, place a picture on the glass and hit scan.

By Pixorium Client, Courtney Lankford

Pictures fade and memories pass with the loss of each generation. This past fall, I decided it was time to put together a book that represented a family legacy: the Lankford Manor in Tifton, Georgia.

You have family pictures—lots of them, an uncountable amount of prints, slides, negatives, videos—and you are overwhelmed by them. You know you should sort through them but there are so many you don’t know how to start.

During big gatherings, grandparents can often fade into the background. To keep the conversation going as a group and share the moment as a family, consider asking some questions about the family history.

Why should you put preserving and sharing old pictures and family stories at the top of your “to do” list?