You’ve got so many digital photos you’re not exactly sure where they all are, much less feel confident that they are stored safely enough if you lose your phone or your PC or Mac crashes.

Thankfully, technology has provided you with a safety net, and there are a number of apps available that enable you to upload your photos offsite and online, so you always have a backup.

Some apps, such as iCloud and Loom are compatible only with Apple products (iPad, iPhone, Mac etc) although Loom is also accessible on the web. Both allow you to upload from your device and offer a photo stream, with the iCloud also allowing for sharing on social networks as well as having a print service attached if you are so inclined.

Apple products as well as android devices have access to services like Google +, Flickr, Dropbox, Skydrive, Picturelife and SmugMug.

Apps like Flickr, are more suited to photo sharing and viewing, where Dropbox is great for photo storage and keeping your photos safe in case of fire or theft of your device or desktop.

Dropbox also enables you to share your files and folders with others, but does not publish your photos to the web. You can, however, share your photos on social media networks from Dropbox. All these options also work effectively on the web, and with Windows software on your PC.

Choosing the best app for your photo storage really depends on what your requirements are; for safe, external storage and sorting of your images, or to share with family and friends interstate and oversees.

All options are relatively affordable, depending on how many photos you need to store and/or want to display online.

Whichever route you choose to take, I definitely recommend that you make sure they’re backed up somewhere safe so you don’t lose these precious memories forever.

Captured memories
stare back at me
from the pictures in this book
happy smiles
set against blue skies
vacations taken when we were young
the dreams of childhood
forgotten for awhile
then remembered with a rueful smile
I wanted to be an astronaut
a dancer
a fireman
an actress of the first order
my name in lights
my feet on the stage
fame
fortune
easy life
but, those were just childish dreams
never worked for
never realized
but tucked away
here in my book of
memories
photos
and dreams

by Carra Wilmoth

http://www.silentwords.com/Memories.html

When it’s used to cook our food and warm our hearths, fire is truly a much needed gift. However, the devastating, unpredictable nature of fire can also be truly catastrophic when it is let loose and consumes everything in its path. As the recent fires here in Australia have shown, fire can be truly destructive, destroying homes, property and even lives.

While you and your family may escape a dangerous fire with your lives, and insurance can help you to repair any damage to your dwelling and some of your belongings, it is often impossible to reclaim everything that you lose in a fire. More often than not, if you’ve survived a fire, chances are great that you will lose something that’s special to you. Perhaps it is a treasured family heirloom, a beautiful plant that was given to you by a loved one, or an essential item that is your personal touchstone to fond memories from days gone by.

Insurance may replace these items, but a replacement is not quite the same as having the actual item. These items, our personal belongings, can often become powerful talisman by becoming our personal keys to the memories of our past.

Our memories are important to us, they tell the story of where we have been in the journey that is our life. Our memories also shape and define who we are as individuals. While fire may destroy our physical possessions, it cannot destroy our memories. Thankfully there is an easy, and beautiful way, to record and preserve the existence of the special people, events, places and favorite possessions that have been part of our lives.

Take the time now to preserve what you treasure in your life. Send us a photo of your favorites – be they loved ones, pets, places, events, or possessions – and let us turn it into a personalised, engraved memento that will stand the test of time.

At Etched in Memories, we can take your favorite photo and permanently engrave it onto your choice of metal – from precious metals such as 9 ct gold and sterling silver to durable and affordable stainless steel – and help you to create a permanent, personalised record of your treasured past.

Keep your memories close to you where fire and time cannot touch them. You can wear your new memento close to your heart as a pendant, at the wrist as a cufflink, or carry it with you each day on your keychain.

Last year we talked about the importance of bringing your images to life, not leaving them to wither as digital images.  It’s still something that I often see.

We are blessed with the technology and opportunity to capture virtually every important moment in our lives – and we do it.  The amount of images in MB we all have stored on our phones, iPods or computers is enormous.

Yet when was the last time you stopped to look through those images? In many cases I would guess that you have not looked at them ever. Am I right?

Why aren’t we surrounding ourselves with photos? It’s so easy to do. I’ve come up with some ideas for you so that you can use those special photos in a way that you’ll enjoy.

Snapfish will make you a photo album filled with your chosen images or put your child’s face onto a mug. They also have a new Glass Print which looks really exciting.

On Etsy you can have your favourite photo turned into a piece of canvas wall art with words. Isn’t this a lovely way to remember your wedding vows?

PhotoWow can turn your photos into pop art to hang on your wall. They certainly make a style statement, don’t they?

Fotorama will take your photos and turn them into wall collages for you.  These are a great idea especially if you have a series of photos that belong together.  They really tell the story for you.

With all these options available to you, don’t leave your special photos hidden away in the digital world.  Display them and enjoy them.

Photographing the elderly can be just as difficult as taking photographs of the kids. However you shouldn’t let that stop you, after all, how many opportunities will you have to take their photo?

I personally enjoy taking photos of the older generation – their wisdom, experience and genuine expressions are right there waiting to be captured on film. Here are some tips which I think will help you.

Photograph Them In Action

Often when we think of the elderly we think of an old person sitting down. Let’s change that attitude and try to photograph them when they are out and about doing something. Many elderly people I know are members of clubs, do exercise and enjoy walking and other fitness activities. So get out there and photograph them in action.

Photograph Them With Other Family Members

One person is interesting. Two people are even more interesting – particularly when the image is one of varying generations – grandson and grandma for example. Include other family members and photograph the interaction that takes place. Don’t forget to take photographs of them doing childlike activities as well – this allows you to get a rare glimpse into what they might have been like as a child.

Photograph Them Up Close

Our natural instinct is to take a photograph with many things in the background to fill the shot. Forget that for a moment and focus on capturing just them – their face and features. A picture is definitely worth a thousand words in these types of images so allow their image to fill the screen.

Experiment With Colour, Black and White and Other Features

Don’t just snap a photo and leave it at that. Experiment with colour, black and white and sepia tones to find the right style to capture the image. Changing the image can really bring a photograph alive or create a sense of history even if the photograph was only taken this morning.

Whether you are taking a casual photo or want something more formal, allow them to be themselves without too much direction. Turn of the flash to avoid distraction and just let them relax into the setting before you take the picture. And then snap away. You are sure to get some priceless images that the whole family can enjoy.

At Etched In Memories (www.etchedinmemories.com.au) we specialise in personalised gifts particularly that of engraved pendants. When it comes down to your pendant choices and engraving options, there are actually quite a few varieties. It all depends on your budget and your specific gift requirements.

First you need to look at your pendant metal options. We have a choice of stainless steel, gold plated, sterling silver, yellow gold and white gold pendants available. These range in cost from $37.95 for gold plated up to $637.95 for white gold.

Next you have to consider what shape you might want and of course this is closely related to the size and shape of the photo or image you are engraving on the pendant. The shapes we have in current stock are hearts, squares, ID tags, ovals, circles and rectangles. There are other shapes available although we do not hold them in store. If you have a special request, please let us know. The white and yellow gold pendant also comes in two thicknesses, that of 0.6mm and 1mm.

Then of course you have to decide on the actual image/s or photograph/s you would like engraved on the pendant. You can choose to engrave either one or both sides of the pendant with photos, logos, text and more. Our quality affordable metals are perfect for key rings and bookmarks while our 9ct gold or sterling silver pendants are more suitable for beautiful jewellery pieces.

We also offer an engraving only service and can engrave on pendants, zippo lighters, watches and business card holders. Again contact us for more information if you have a specialised order. Suitable items need to be perfectly flat, no thicker than 20mm and no wider than 80x80mm.

We love to assist in creating and preserving your special memories. And as our way of saying thank you, all pendants come with free gift-wrapping, cleaning cloth, standard postage Australia-wide and our promise to treat your memories with care and provide you with a stunning, quality keepsake.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas filled with fun and laughter in which to create many new beautiful memories.

Thank you for your support throughout 2013 and we wish you all the best for the coming year.

- Etched In Memories

Cufflinks are an elegant gift for men and recently, they have started to become popular again.  It’s as though they have been rediscovered.

I have always thought that cufflinks add a touch of class to a man’s styling and I enjoy seeing that flash of gold or silver on his shirt cuff.

Cufflinks are the decorative way to fasten a shirt cuff but they are only suitable for shirts which have buttonholes on both sides of the sleeve and no buttons.  They can’t be worn with standard shirts because they only have the buttonhole on one side.

There is a decorative side to a cufflink and a closure stud.  The decorative side can be plain metal but often it is decorated with stones or other images.  Ours have flat clean surfaces ready to hold the memories you have chosen.

Our rhodium cufflinks are available in oval or square shapes and we have selected these because the plates give ample room to add a clear etched image on top.  You can have a different image or text on each plate, too. The cufflinks come giftboxed and also include free regular postage Australia wide.

If your man has never worn cufflinks before he might be a little unsure about how to wear them.  This short video clip will show him exactly how to add them to his cuff and how to make sure they look fantastic.

“An elephant never forgets.”  You must have heard this old piece of wisdom from your parents or grandparents at some point in your life. If you are not convinced in the truth of this statement, you must watch the video below.  It’s a lovely story of remembering across time.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for humans.  Our memory is not nearly as good as the elephant, so we tend to forget a lot of things throughout our lives. On one hand, this is an advantage, because we can leave some bad memories in the past. On the other hand, however, we sometimes lose moments we would like to remember for a lifetime.

Luckily, there is a way to remember those special times in your life.  A great way to preserve beautiful memories is to engrave them on your jewellery. Of course, we have all heard of pieces of jewellery engraved with text and a lot of people would refer to ‘one ring to rule them all’ from the ‘Lord of the Rings’, but now you can have something more – jewellery with a photo engraved on it and bound to remain there forever.

Of course, you can choose any photo you like; your favourite one, or the one that reminds you strongly of a pleasant moment. Then you can have it engraved on a pendant or other piece of jewellery and never worry that it may fade away.  It will bring memories as long as you wear it. This is your chance to turn a piece of jewellery into your personal memory keeper – always there to remind you of your chosen favourite moment.

This is, perhaps, one of the best ways to preserve a photo with a favourite memory.  Rest assured that it will help you think of the good times and special people whenever you need it.

Christmas is only about 5 weeks away now.  Yes, it is that close!

If you haven’t begun shopping for your Christmas gifts, now is the time to do it. I hate that last minute rush, don’t you? You end up with the leftover choices or you have to make a decision quickly.  Either way, the gift is never as good as you’d hoped for.

Most items in our store can be ready for you within a week of ordering and we ask that you allow 7-14 business days for receipt of your order, from when payment is received. That doesn’t leave you long to place your order, does it?  Of course you are able to request Express Post if you are in a hurry.

Free standard postage is included with all pendants, excluding special offers or clearance items unless specified otherwise.  All postage services and costs quoted are within Australia only.

Really, there are only three decisions you will need to make.

1.  Which pendant or gift will you choose?

2.  Which image would you like engraved onto the gift?

3.  How soon should you order?

Remember that all of our pendants come with free gift-wrapping and a free cleaning cloth to keep your pendant fingerprint-free.

Now, it might take you a week or so to find the photo you have in mind or to take the perfect new one.  Time is disappearing while you think about it?

Place your order asap and experience the pleasure of giving the perfect gift to the one you love.