Memories
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Take frequent photos of your pets over their lifetime.
Having only scattered pictures can lead to regret when they pass away.
one person who lived it
Photograph your surroundings, favorite items, and current state of things.
You will miss them when they are gone or changed.
one person who lived it
Write down memories or send notes to people shortly after sharing a moment with them.
It captures the spirit of the moment and how the person made you feel, which is hard to capture in a picture.
one person who lived it
Take photos even if it makes you uncomfortable, to ensure you have visual records of your life for the future.
You may dislike how you look now, but you will likely be glad you captured the memory years later; many regret not having enough group or family photos.
- Some people prefer to leave as little evidence of their existence as possible.
one person who lived it
- Allow yourself to be photographed during school and vacations, even if you feel self-conscious now.1
Move unwanted photos to a hard drive or nested folders instead of deleting them.
Your feelings about the image may change later, and you will still have it if something unfortunate happens or you make up.
one person who lived it
Take multiple photos with different combinations of people (e.g., core family only, then with partners) so you can discard specific shots if relationships change.
This allows discarding whole photos without awkward cropping if things change.
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Take candid photos of parents who typically stand behind the camera.
There are often fewer pictures of them, and realizing this too late after a loss can be sad.
one person who lived it
Include yourself in photos with your children even if you are unhappy with your appearance.
Children will appreciate seeing their parents in early memories later in life.
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When asked to take photos for others, shoot continuously from when they start posing, through the countdown, and for a few moments after.
This approach yields many more options, potentially resulting in around 20 photos.
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If you dislike photos of yourself, take pictures of your surroundings, pets, objects, or the people you are with instead.
This allows you to save memories of situations and events without focusing on your own image.
2 people, independently
Take short videos while groups are organizing themselves to capture natural moments.
Older people and families often struggle with selfies.
one person who lived it
Set landscape photos as your computer or phone background.
It reminds you of travel memories and gives the photos a purpose.
one person who lived it
Do not post pictures of others on social media without their permission.
Some people stay anonymous or absent from social media for specific reasons.
one person who lived it
Give physical printed photos to elderly relatives.
They may value these gifts highly, keeping them close and showing them off to others.
one person who lived it
If someone is the designated photographer, make sure to snap candid shots of them so they are included in the album.
Designated photographers are often missing from photo albums, leading to regrets about having few images of them later in life.
one person who lived it
Avoid using flash when taking candid photos to prevent blinding people and interrupting the moment.
Flash makes it difficult to sneak photos and can disturb the subjects.
one person who lived it
Accept that memories and stories may be enough records of life for some people.
Memories exist for a reason and do not necessarily require photos to be retained.
one person who lived it
If a subject dislikes being photographed, take candid shots by pretending to photograph something else or waiting until they are focused on another activity.
- Consent and respect for the person while they are alive are more important than having photos after they die.
- Use good judgment and know your audience.
3 people, independently
Record video of loved ones during holidays or important conversations to preserve visual memories that are appealing to share with future generations.
Video preserves visual memory and is more appealing to share with kids and grandkids; one person expressed gladness for recording a father's voice on an important topic.
2 people, independently
Make kids laugh by doing something unexpected and silly, like falling down or making noises, to get genuine smiles.
Unexpected actions produce better smiles than forced posing.
one person who lived it
Try to recover deleted photos immediately using file recovery software before overwriting the data.
Deleted files are often just flagged as free space until new data overwrites them.
one person who lived it
Capture natural moments while people are laughing and having fun rather than stopping the activity to pose for awkward pictures.
one person who lived it