The Memories Podcast
By Danyell Lang
We’re here to teach you the tried and true methods that we’ve picked up over the years of how to document your everyday moments when life just seems way too busy. We talk about our personal lives, the lessons we’ve learned, and all of the mistakes we may have made along the way. Think of this as your one stop shop for mama gossip, photographer tips and tricks, real life fails and triumphs, and your final reason to whip out the camera.
The Memories PodcastMay 12, 2021
Ep. 009: 7 Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer/Videographer
Welcome to the ninth podcast! We’ve talked about so much of the foundational elements of memory keeping already-- first we covered figuring out your why, then gave you the first few steps for getting started, we talked about our favorite apps that help with memory keeping, and even got down into the nitty gritty of backing up your data. Our last couple episodes were all about creating routines and catching up on past memories you haven’t documented yet. And most of these topics have been about things that you need to do to document your memories--but sometimes you don’t have to have all of the burden and pressure of doing these tasks yourself. This is when you hire professionals!
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
1. So you’re more likely to be in your own images
2. They have the experience and expertise
3. You never know when the last chance to capture memories with your family may be.
4. Personality, Unique Characteristics, Voice:
5. To capture everyday moments as something special.
6. You can relive missed moments
7. Professionals can create family heirlooms
RECAP
Next week's podcast is: We want to talk more about printing out your memories in professional and purposeful ways--and you know who’s a real expert in that category? Our very own Katie. I’ll be doing an In Depth Interview w/ Katie next week so you can get to know our very own podcast host here and she can talk more about what she’s good at like albums & prints!
__________
Ep. 008: How to "Catch-up" on Memory Keeping
Today Danyell and Katie are tackling the topic of catching up on Memory Keeping. We talk about some steps you can take to ‘work towards finishing it,’ give some tips on making the process easier, and also share a fun announcement to hopefully help keep you and other people who are catching up on memory keeping inspired and motivated.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
Steps:
1. Assess/create your master list of what you have and haven’t documented
- Organize into smaller chunks to make tasks more manageable
- Example: pick a single project like “Christmas” or even just a certain month to document or make this master list appear more manageable. It’s okay to have multiple “master lists” if that makes you feel less overwhelmed by the tasks ahead.
- Use notes or a word/google drive doc to make a list and break down what you have.
2. Set a specific goal for your final product
- What are you creating? A year end video, a printed photo album, a lineup of journals, etc
3. Make a list of the specific tasks that need to be done
- Going back to the breaking your big task into more manageable items.
- Example: if you’re working on a specific month, break it up into weeks then decide what “stories” your documenting based on the pictures/videos/etc. that you have, then cull through the stuff that you have on your master list, then break down your editing process, then break down your final product creation process, and so on and so on.
4. Schedule time to work on it
- Set time aside to catch up. Tack 15 mins onto your already scheduled time for memory keeping.
- Reference 007 - Creating a Routine
- Or create another time for your catch up tasks
5. Enjoy your final product!!
We want to see your final products, but also want to be a resource for you as you go through these steps. We’ve talked a lot about how Katie and I have an instagram, but we hadn’t yet put together any sort of community for all of you…. But we have a big announcement now.
We’ve created a Facebook Group just for the Memories Podcast. This group will be a great place for you all to comment, post questions, share updates about your memory keeping process, and generally just chat with us and fellow people on this journey. We’ll link the Facebook Group in the show notes and hope to see you all in there! www.facebook.com/groups/thememoriespodcast/
Tips:
1. Continue recording & backing up your data:
- Reference 004- Backing up your memories
2. Find tools and apps to help
- Reference 003- Our favorite memory keeping apps & why social media is not
3. Keep things simple
- Use templates when you can
4. Work forwards and backwards
Examples of how we’re currently behind:
Danyell: smashbook (honeymoon & current year)
Katie: Yearly Photo Album for 2020, I’m slowly working through it and adding it on to when I’m already working on my regular memory keeping.
RECAP
Challenge - This week we want to challenge you to create your master list
Next week's podcast is: A new month, new theme, using professionals… Why hiring a professional photog/videog is important
__________
Ep. 007: Creating a Routine for Memory Keeping
Today Danyell and Katie are diving into the topic of how to create a routine with memory keeping. We all know how easy it is for some of our favorite tasks to be pushed to the back-burner for a multitude of reasons. We become busy, we’re too tired, there isn’t enough time in the day, and so on. Before you know it, it’s been months or maybe even years since you’ve last done anything to memory keep.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
Struggles that people often experience in creating a routine:
- Not having enough time
- You’re already behind and lack motivation
- Too Tired
Remember Your “Why”
Refresher of what OUR mission statements are for memory keeping
- Danyell: to document the every day for my family and turn simple moments into memories so we have a life to look back on for years to come
- Katie: to remind my family that in this seemingly perfect world it’s the messy, authentic, and real moments that matter most
Steps to Creating a Routine:
1. Remember Your End Goal
What are you trying to create in the long run? This will help you figure out how to delegate your time. Episode 2 - getting started
2. Figure out how much time you need to do a portion of your memory keeping
Think about “how long does it take me to upload my photos to my computer, edit them, categorize them and put them in my family album design?” If you aren’t sure how long it takes you, time yourself using your stopwatch one evening!
3. Find/Make Time in your schedule
Ask yourself questions like “What do you do in the evenings? Or what do I do when the kids have quiet time?" Are you endlessly scrolling on social media? If you don't have time in your busy schedule already, make time. It doesn't have to be 1-2 hours, but maybe 15-30 mins a week?
Tips on Making Time:
- Plan for it - Put it on your calendar and set a reminder.
- Tell your spouse or family member so they can help motivate you/remind you!
- Find someone else who loves memory keeping and set aside some time every week or once a month even to have a “Memory Keeping date”!
- Carve out little pockets of time throughout your week or a few hours a month
- BE CONSISTENT! Set up a routine or plan. Example: Every Wednesday evening I’ll work on memory keeping for 30 mins. Or every Saturday morning I will take photos of my kids for 15 mins.
RECAP
Challenge - This week we want to challenge you to write out your routine--on a paper on a note on your phone. Just get it written down.
Next week's podcast is: Next week’s podcast will be all about how to catch up. We mentioned that a struggle people often experience is feeling like they're too far behind, so next week we'll address this and give you some tips and tricks for catching up. Be sure to join us next week!
__________
Ep. 006: Blogging as a form of Memory Keeping
Today’s episode is pretty special because we have our first ever guest on the podcast! We have Katie Scott, a writer, online content creator, and blogger who has a website called ChasingVibrance.com Help us in welcoming Katie! Unfortunately, Danyell couldn’t join in today as she’s feeling a little under the weather, but don’t worry she is fine! She will join back in next week for sure.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
Interview questions:
- Tell us a bit about yourself
- What ways do you like to memory keep
- How do you balance being a busy mom and documenting your life
- What’s your favorite way to wind down at night?
And then three questions related to the topic of the week:
- Tell us about your blog, what it’s about and why you started it.
- What does your blogging schedule look like and how to you find time to do it?
- Can you give some easy steps for those wanting to blog where to begin?
RECAP
Challenge - This week we want to challenge you to take start micro blogging (try using Instagram like Katie previously stated), or start a blog on a free site like wix.com or blogger.com
Next week's podcast is: Next week’s podcast will be all about creating a routine to help you memory keep. We all know how easy it is to let things slide to the back burner. So we are going to help you create a system that works for you, your lifestyle and your form of memory keeping to help you document your every day moments and big moments as well. Be sure to join us next week!
__________
Ep. 005: Being in your own Photos & Videos
Today Danyell and Katie give you a pep talk on confidence and chat about the 4 ways that you can easily get yourself in front of the camera. They talk about the importance of getting yourself in your own photos and videos, times in which they had wished they had been in their own images more, and some of the things that they do to achieve that now.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
Why it’s important that you’re in your own photos/videos:
This one’s pretty obvious--but we aren’t here just to document the lives of others… we want to document ourselves and our families as a whole which include us. This can actually be one of the hardest things to do because it’s so easy to take pictures of the things around us, but it’s often work to turn things around and get ourselves in the shot.
Reasons why you may not want to:
- People don’t like how they look. No makeup on, or still in your pj’s
- Your have to put forth effort to be in your own photos or you’re tired.
- Not feeling perfect because you want to lose 10 pounds or are waiting for something to change that would take months to happen.
4 simple ways to get yourself in the picture:
1. Take selfies
We all have the selfie feature on our phones, let’s use it!
2. Use a Mirror
Photo: This is kinda just a different form of a selfie, but oftentimes mirror pictures can capture a lot more in the frame. Obviously these are not going to look anything like professional family photos, but if that’s what it takes for you to capture the moment and get yourself in the photo too then by all means they’re my favorite type of photo.
Video: You can definitely hold you camera up to the mirror and use it just the same as you would when you’re taking a mirror selfie, but in terms of video I’d actually recommend using a mirror a bit differently...Use it to see the back of your camera (if you don’t have a flip out screen)
3. Ask People to Take a Photo of You
Disclaimer: you should never expect strangers to take good photos!
- Husband, parents, friends, strangers, etc.
- Don’t be afraid to ask! These moments are too precious.
- Hire a professional!!!
4. Use a Tripod
Gear you need:
- A tripod: A tripod is an absolute must-have for shooting your own photos. You can get a really inexpensive one that will do the trick perfectly. We will link a couple in the show notes that either we have or think would be great for this situation. We recommend getting one that is an adjustable height and allows you to fold it up for easy transportation.
- Your phone or a camera: If you already have a dslr or hobbyist camera, most are enabled with wifi now-a-days which means you can use an app on your phone to control the camera. However, if you’re just using your phone try using the back camera when you can (because it’s always better quality), and get a cheap bluetooth remote so you don’t have to keep running back and forth to start the self timer.
RECAP
Challenge - This week we want to challenge you to take one photo with yourself in it. Try something a little different and out of your comfort zone.
Next week's podcast is: We have a guest!! We’ll be chatting with Katie from ChasingVibrance.com about how you can use blogging as a form of memory keeping
__________
Ep. 004: Backing Up Your Memories
In this episode Danyell and Katie talk about how to backup your memories in a safe and consistent way. We know this may seem like a boring topic, but it is so IMPORTANT. There’s nothing worse than working so hard. And documenting all your memories and losing them. Both Danyell and Katie have been through this to some extent with losing memories, and they share their stories too.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
Why is it important to back up your photos/videos/journals/etc.?
Turns out that data shows that humanity took about 1.5 trillion photos in 2020!!! I don’t know how they got that statistic but based on Katie’s and mine and some of what you guys said you had in your camera roll I can believe it. And according to the WorldBackUpDay website, 30% of us still don’t bother to back all that up!
To drive home why backing up your data is so important I’m just gonna keep coming at you with facts that I found:
- 1 in 10 computers are infected with a virus each month. (World Backup Day)
- 70 million cell phones are lost each year. (Kensington)
- 113 phones are lost or stolen every minute. (World Backup Day)
- Laptops are stolen every 53 seconds in the U.S. (Kensington)
What is data backup?
Definition: a copy or archive of important information on a device.
So now that we’ve thoroughly scared you with all of the facts, haha. We want to prepare you for how you can start tackling the task of backing up your memories. We’re gonna share a few different methods of backing up data, the pros/cons, and our personal opinions sprinkled in as well.
Hard Drives
Pros
- Relatively cheap
- Plenty of storage space for larger files
Cons
- Potentially open to problems which lost files in the first place (a power surge or malware)
Network attached storage
Pros
- Automatic backups mean you don’t risk forgetting
- Wireless solutions also work with phones and tablets
Cons
- Can be expensive
- Technical and awkward to set up & maintain
Cloud Storage: iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive
Pros
- Can be done automatically
- A certain amount of space is usually free
- Works with many devices
Cons
- Requires an internet connection to work
- You can’t account for security breaches
- Companies aren’t obligated to keep these services around forever
Printing
Pros
- A backup that won’t be affected by hardware outages or tech headaches
- Impossible for hackers to access
Cons
- Impossible for certain file types
- Awkward to manage
- Less practical for longer documents
- Not great for the environment
RECAP
Challenge - This week we want to challenge you to get at least one redundancy of some sort set up--get something backed up in an extra way than just keeping it on your device or having it stored in one spot.
Next week's podcast is: a little more light and fun! 005- Being in your own photos/videos
__________
Ep. 003: Our favorite Memory Keeping apps
Danyell and Katie are really on a roll here and we hope that you’re enjoying listening to the Memories Podcast. They have received so much great feedback so far, and truly appreciate all of our listeners. They’ve talked about establishing your Why when it comes to Memory Keeping, gave you a few clear steps for getting started with your own Memory Keeping journey, and now they're going to share some fun and easy apps that can continue to help you get started.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
So, let’s start with those apps--we’ve organized them into a few categories: documenting, photo storage, editing, and printing. But understand that this list is not ALL ENCOMPASSING. There are definitely tons of other apps out there...
APPS
Documenting
- Your own phone camera
- Dispo
- One second a day
- Day one & Journey
Photo storage - we will have a deep dive of this category next week
- Google Photos
- iCloud
- Amazon Photos
Editing
- Lightroom & Photoshop
- Picmonkey
- iMovie
Printing Photos
- Chatbooks
Our chatbooks referral code: http://invite.chatbooks.com/danyelllang9dv (Get $10 off your first order) - Polaroid Zip
- Mpix
SOCIAL MEDIA
And you may have noticed that we didn’t mention any social media apps… and the reason for that is because apps like these give users false hope that their memories are archived and will be saved on the internet forever. While this is true in MOST cases, there are certain things to be aware of with all apps including social media.
- Read your terms & conditions - on most social media applications you do not own all rights to your images/videos/etc. By sharing your photos on these apps you give these platforms certain rights to use and redistribute your photos. Give examples...
- Getting your account hacked - hacking happens far too often (and maybe even a few of you have been hacked before). Normally there are ways to recover your accounts, but sometimes you’re not so lucky. That would mean that any photos/videos/etc. that you have on these social media accounts is
- Social Media sites can go away - Who knows MySpace?
RECAP
Challenge - download 1-3 of these apps and start using them. Find out what works best for you. What works for us may not work for others. Find out what you love
Next weeks podcast is: Backing up your memories, might sound boring but it’s actually very important. There’s nothing worse than losing all the memories and your hard work.
__________
Ep. 002: Getting started with Memory Keeping
Today Danyell & Katie chat about the beginning stages of getting started with Memory Keeping. They explain that getting started can feel pretty overwhelming. You might be wondering what gear you need, what programs to use, how often to do it and how to keep everything organized and safe. So they have broken it down into a little timeline of what you need to do next.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
STEP 1: Start with your end goal
Think about--How do you want to relive your favorite memories in the coming years? Photo albums, prints, videos, journals, scrapbooks, etc
Katie's end goals: Yearly Photo Album, Everyday photo albums, and yearly video
Danyell's end goals: Smashbook style year book, yearly recap video, Everyday photo albums, routine vlogging
Our chatbooks referral code: http://invite.chatbooks.com/danyelllang9dv (Get $10 off your first order)
STEP 2: Next, work backwards!
1. What are you going to capture?
What do you want to do? They talk about the three main forms of memory keeping: photo, video, and journaling.
2. How are you going to capture it?
What are you going to use to capture these moments? Some examples of the 'what' are: Phone, Hobby Camera, Professional DSLR, Journal or computer document.
3. When will you capture it?
How often will you do this & when will you put a final product together. Understand that it’s okay if your routine changes as your season of life changes.
Danyell's Getting Started Example:
Step 1
Goal: Smashbook style year book
Step 2
What - Photos, journaling, and tid-bits
How - Phone & Pro Cameras, designated box for journaling notes and random tid-bits
When - random photos, special moments journaling and tid-bits
Katie's Getting Started Example:
Step 1
Goal: Family Albums & Yearly Videos
Step 2
What - iPhone & Video
How - Phone & Pro Camera
When - Random/every day
Above you'll find our examples, and now it’s time for you to write down your Goal, What, How, and When as well so you have a method to get started with memory keeping.
__________
Ep. 001: Finding your why--why do you memory keep?
Welcome to the first ever podcast episode! Today Danyell & Katie introduce themselves, talk about what this podcast is about and why they're excited to be chatting about Memory Keeping, and wrap up with information about finding your why and deciding why you want to memory keep.
Read more at http://danyelllang.com/podcast
What is Memory Keeping?
"Memory keeping is any thing you do to document your current or past memories for you or someone else to review and reflect on later. This can be in the form of images, journaling, video, or anything else that evokes the recall of moments in our life."
Why you need to have a why before you even start
- The task of memory keeping can be daunting/a chore, but if you have a clear reason then it keeps you going
- Your why gives a focus to what you’re doing--no more random iphone pictures just sitting in an unorganized album on your phone
- Allows you to have a meaning behind spending time on something like memory keeping
If you’re struggling with your reason why, here are 3 reasons we believe everyone should memory keep
- It’s not something you can regret doing, but is something you will regret not doing
- Self reflection of your past allows you to grow into your future
- Your story matters, but you’re going to have to be the one to document it
- It’s never too late to start!
__________