Favorite Products

Gifts:

• Remento** - Help your loved ones tell their story with no writing involved! All they need to do is click a link, answer a question, and Remento does the rest. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing (Season 3 Episode 23) where we interviewed the founder, Charlie Greene.

• Aura Frames - digital frames to highlight special moments. Here is their website where you can learn more, and here is an Amazon link**. They come in lots of different colors and frame styles.

• Projector** - Watch your home movies like Netflix on your tv. Great for sharing! Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast (Season 2 Episode 12) where we interviewed the founder, Robert Marks.

• Trustworthy** - get all your important life documents organized and available when needed. Give your loved ones a roadmap should something happen to you. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast (Season 2 Episode 17) where we interviewed the co-founder, Nat Robinson.

• Artifcts - keep track of your most important “stuff” - add the stories, your wishes, and anything else you want others to know about things that are important to you. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast (Season 2 Episode 7) where we interviewed the co-founder, Heather Nickerson.

• DIG YOUR PHOTOS!™ **- if you know a DIY’er or are one yourself and want to get your photos organized before scanning, this kit is just the thing. It walks you step-by-step through the process of sorting your printed memories before you digitize them. It includes instructions, a timeline worksheet (helpful for dating even your own photos), sorting cards and organizing tools (including some of the tools listed below), and a temporary storage box to hold it all until you can digitize your collection. It also includes video guidance to help you each step of the way. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast season 3 episode 24 and Season 2 Episode 15 or our YouTube Channel, where we interviewed the founder, Rhoda Gordon.

Photo organizing software:

• Mylio Photos** - photo storage - photo organizing, searching, sharing, can hold most file types, cloud independent (subscription, but media lives on your own hard drives). Learn more from our blog.

• Forever** - cloud photo storage - photo organizing, sharing, can hold most file types (one-time fee). Learn more from our blog.

• SmugMug - photo storage and sharing (subscription). Example using my own photos of what you can do!

General file storage (not just photos):

• pCloud** - cloud storage that acts just like a folder on your hard drive, can hold any type of file (one-time fee). Similar to DropBox but is a one time storage fee, not a subscription.

External Hard Drives and Adapters:

It is best to get 2 different brands or types in case there is a bad batch. I like and have had good luck with both Samsung and Crucial, and will often purchase whichever one has the best price on the day I’m looking. For most uses I recommend a 2TB drive, but check your media and purchase at least double the space you think you need.

• Samsung T7 SSD** - great for storing a backup of your photos (various sizes)

• Samsung T9 SSD** - same as the T7, but a faster drive

• Crucial X9 SSD** - a fast drive like the T9, great for storing a backup of your photos (various sizes)

• Crucial X10 Pro** - the fastest drive listed here

• Seagate HDD** - a less expensive slower drive that is potentially less durable. HHD’s have moving parts so I do not recommend them if you are going to travel around with them or put them in a bag. If it is sitting on your desk, this may be a good alternate option.

If you purchase an external drive but don’t have the right ports to plug it in, you need an adapter:

• USB-C to USB - if you have the small end on your drive but need the bigger USB end to plug into your computer

• USB to USB-C - if you have a regular USB but need to plug it into the smaller USB-C port

Photo Organizing:

• DIG YOUR PHOTOS!™ **- if you know a DIY’er or are one yourself and want to get your photos organized before scanning, this kit is just the thing. Designed by a fellow Certified Photo Organizer, it walks you step-by-step through the process of sorting your printed memories before you digitize them. It includes instructions, a timeline worksheet (helpful for dating even your own photos), sorting cards and organizing tools (including some of the tools listed below), and a temporary storage box to hold it all until you can digitize your collection. It also includes video guidance to help you each step of the way. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast Season 3 episode 24 and Season 2 Episode 15 or our YouTube Channel, where we interviewed the founder, Rhoda Gordon.

• Stabilo Pencils** - for safely writing on the backs of your photos

• Multipurpose tool** - to remove photos from photo albums. For tips on how to safely remove photos from sticky albums read this blog post.

• Archival Safe Photo Box** - for safely storing your photos long term (and please keep them out of attics and basements!)

• Index cards** - to help with sorting. These are often on supersale in August when kids are going back to school so that’s a good time to stock up.

• Nitrile gloves** - keep the oils from your hands off of your photos, and especially off of your negatives and slides

• Slide viewer** - to magnify and see what’s on your slides

Scanners:

• Epson ff-680** - super fast batch scanner for your regular size, non-fragile prints

• Epson v600** - flatbed scanner that can scan prints, slides and negatives

Backup:

• Backblaze - automatically back up your computers and external hard drives with easy recovery should disaster strike (subscription)

Home movies on your TV:

• Projector** - Watch your home movies like Netflix on your tv. Great for sharing! Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast (Season 2 Episode 12) where we interviewed the founder, Robert Marks.

Protecting and organizing your “life” files:

• Trustworthy** - get all your important life documents organized and available when needed. Give your loved ones a roadmap should something happen to you. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast (Season 2 Episode 17) where we interviewed the co-founder, Nat Robinson.

• Artifcts - keep track of your most important “stuff” - add the stories, your wishes, and anything else you want others to know about things that are important to you. Listen to my Inside Photo Organizing podcast (Season 2 Episode 7) where we interviewed the co-founder, Heather Nickerson.

Privacy course:

• Privacy Advocate** - learn how to protect yourself - your personal information and that of your loved ones - and your business online. One section taught by yours truly!

Travel & Camera

• Adapters** - I take this USB and USB-C adapter whenever I travel to charge my phone, camera, and ipad, and this adapter for my computer when I travel to Europe.

• SD cards - I always take several SD cards so if one stops working I have a backup. I also don’t clear my cards until I’m home even if I’ve downloaded my photos while on the road. I like these cards** in 128 or 256GB.

• Card reader** - when I’m on the road I always backup my photos to either my ipad or my computer using an adapter that can read SD and miniSD (for GoPro cameras). This card reader is USB-C

• If you don’t have enough storage on your computer you can transfer your camera cards to a thumb drive with this type of adapter**.