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How to Make Summer Memories using Technology

The human memory is an amazing thing. Anytime you want to, you can relive an event over and over again by just accessing it mentally. Unfortunately we can't share the photos, films and memories in our minds with friends and loved ones. That's what pictures, videos and scrapbooks are for. Modern technology has become increasingly available and affordable with each passing year. In fact, most people these days have some form of technology available to them every moment. While we have warned in the past about letting technology take over your family time, this is an instance when the gadgetry can actually help bring your family together. This summer, make your memories available for your friends and family by taking advantage of the technology you have on hand.

Digital Cameras:

In the first days of photography, cameras were large, expensive and unwieldy. As technology improved, methods of capturing images to film came in smaller, more convenient packages. Now, digital photography makes taking pictures simple, easy and inexpensive. Cameras are small and easy to carry with you so that you can catch moments that you want to remember. You can see what you take right away, and keep the images you like and delete the ones you don't. Then you can print them out like conventional photos, or post them to your website, Facebook or make a slideshow.

Smartphone Videos:

Who doesn't have a smartphone these days? Almost every cell phone that is sold today has a video camera incorporated into the features. The cameras range from very simple to the more advanced, but as evidenced by all the amateur videos we see on the nightly news, they are all effective. There's no need to lug around those cumbersome video cameras, or the bags of accessories and wires anymore. The best thing about this smartphone video technology is that it is always on hand…literally. When something happens that you would like to remember, just pull out your phone and start recording. You can capture the spontaneous events of life and then save it to share later at home or on a site like YouTube.

Video Sharing Websites:

There are many free websites that allow users to upload and share video clips with friends and family. Many sites place restrictions on the file size, duration, subject matter and format of the uploaded video file. YouTube is the most popular of these video sharing sites, and most phones will allow you to upload directly to their website. While YouTube has a world-wide appeal, your personal memories can be just that—personal.

You have the option to make any video that you upload private. Here's a video to show you how:

Then you can share them with only the people that you choose. The great thing about this way of preserving memories is that it makes it easy to share special moments with special people, no matter where they are in the world. Here's another video to show you how to share your video memories:

Slideshows:

Many home computers come equipped with simple to use software to make slide shows. You can upload the pictures that you take from your digital camera and with very little effort create a very nice slide show complete with captions and even music (if you're feeling ambitious). You can then share the slide show with your family and friends by emailing it, or by burning it to a disc and mailing it. If that sounds too hard, you can use one of the many free slide show websites that will take you through the process one step at a time. When it's all done, you can share the show on your Facebook account or email the finished product.