Assuring that our loved ones inherit our assets is a key component to effective estate planning. However, one of the most valuable legacies we can leave are memories. Your family will appreciate the assets you pass on, but they will treasure the memories and stories you leave behind even more. Just imagine all the memories you can leave, and the fun you can have with your family and friends, by making photography and archiving precious photos your new hobby.
Many of us have boxes or albums filled with pictures left to us from past generations. Scanners that create digital photos from these pictures are now very affordable and easy to use. Creating digital copies of these photos to share with your family and friends enables you to share generations of photos with ease.
Capturing new special moments with a digital camera is easier than ever. Digital cameras are now inexpensive and user friendly. In fact, the camera on your phone can do a wonderful job of capturing quality photos. Sharing photos is now very simple, and you can build online albums to share with your loved ones. You can also set these albums up so that your loved ones can contribute their own photos to the album.
Websites like Snapfish, Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa and Shutterfly let you create free online albums that can be password-protected and shared. Photos can also be shared via social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can even take it a step further, and create a blog that allows you to post photos with your memories and stories. WordPress is a popular and easy to use website that allows you to create a free blog site for you to share with your family and friends.
If you aren’t sure how to get started, ask your children or grandchildren for help. They will love sharing their technology knowledge with you, and the time spent together on your new hobby will be something treasured by all. Once you get started, sharing your photos and stories with loved ones near and far will become easier than ever, and will help you reconnect with even the most geographically distant friends and family.
This article was contributed by our Director of Marketing and Client Relations, Wendy L. Harshbarger.
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