2. Decided to do yearbooks, but didn't know a single things (this was July 2011).
3. Bought PSE, and started to dabble. Began with my very own books (that’d be easiest right? I lived all this stuff I should be able to pull it together). Scanned everything and tossed it (it’s digital now, right, super: love paperless, or at least streamlining down to one book). [We also move a lot, and lugging around boxes and boxes of stuff that may/may not ever get looked at can get expensive and a little bit nerve-wracking.]
4. Had a computer meltdown (the nuclear kind) that was unrecoverable (I have exactly 3 pics left of myself from my entire life; no cards, letters, pics of friends/family, none of my professional certificates (paralegal, EMT). Nothing.
5. Fortunately I still have all my kids’ stuff and got started (so they never have to be without a legacy - like their mom). I’ve completed 20 personal books since last July (not ever having touched a bit of software before that time), and have since started working on many for others.
The moral of this story: You can do this.
First piece of advice: Make a backup. Always, always, always. I look for on-sale storage: CDs in particular (they last forever as long as you’ve got them in a safe place), and since their mine they don’t have to be pretty (I simply handwrite on them what’s included).
Second piece of advice: Get stuff off your computer. External Hard Drive is a good idea (plus the backup of course). This’ll speed up your system and give you some piece of mind.
Third piece of advice: Get your photos organized: Your system has to work for you. What works for me is to order them chronologically. I have a folder for each year; inside that folder is a folder for each month. The date info associated with each pic that is important to me is the date it was taken (this is not always the date that comes up: sometimes the date that appears is the date it was last accessed, or perhaps the date it was last edited, etc.).
Your assignment: Decide whether you have more money than time. Also, now’s a good time to get started organizing those photos…just sayin… no matter which way you go (do it yourself or have someone else do it for you) you’re going to need some method of organization.
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