Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash I haven’t blogged in a while. For two years, I put this blog on private as I’d no longer had the willpower to push out blog posts the way that I did six years ago. I write a little more about this in my blog post Why Do You Do… ? Recently, I have revamped my blog. I have unpublished posts that didn’t reflect who I was then or who I am now, or those that felt too personal to share ‘out there’. I also removed posts I wrote just for the sake of posting content and main taining an audience, even when inauthentic to me. It means more to me that others feel the value and quality of what I share rather than the quantity. I am not sure how often I will post, all I know is when the inspiration and curiosity strike, that’s when it will occur. My intention for this blog is to lead with more spontaneity than usual, structured content, along with transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability to whatever degree feels right. My inte...
Recently, I read an article on The Legacy Tree Blog called How Do You Feel About Sharing Photos of Your Ancestors? and watched a video about privatizing photos on Ancestry.
Reading and watching these made me reflect on my views.
1. I am very protective of personal family photos.
The author of this article is Marian Pierre-Louis. She mentions in the article that she was very protective of her ancestors' portraits. There is something about a photo that can evoke so much emotion in you. Putting a name with a face is an indescribable feeling - for me at least.
As I research my ancestors' lives and uncover their stories, I feel a connection between them. This adds to the protection.
2. I am willing to share photos with cousins.
As genealogists and family historians, we want to connect with cousins. Photos are one way to receive cousin bait.
3. Copyright Issues+ Watermarking
While I am no expert in ethical and legal issues, copyright is still a big component of this topic. (I will leave it up to The Legal Genealogist). Some may be okay with people using their ancestors' photos without permission as others are not.
That's why it is important to be mindful of where you put family photos are on the Internet.
A watermark is a transparent text Adding a watermark can redirect those back to the original owner.
4. Putting Photos in My Tree
I started a new tree in January of this year because I wanted to start fresh and have a well-documented tree.
I thought about putting family photos in my messy tree and privatizing them, but if I change my mind in the future how would I transfer photos from my "old" tree to my new tree?
I will have to continue to think about this.
5. Living People+ The Recently Deceased
If someone asks to see a photo of a living person, you should ask that person to give consent to be shown online or offline.
For those who have recently passed away, contact family to gain permission to post them.
What are your views on posting photos online? Leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading,
Reading and watching these made me reflect on my views.
1. I am very protective of personal family photos.
The author of this article is Marian Pierre-Louis. She mentions in the article that she was very protective of her ancestors' portraits. There is something about a photo that can evoke so much emotion in you. Putting a name with a face is an indescribable feeling - for me at least.
As I research my ancestors' lives and uncover their stories, I feel a connection between them. This adds to the protection.
2. I am willing to share photos with cousins.
As genealogists and family historians, we want to connect with cousins. Photos are one way to receive cousin bait.
3. Copyright Issues+ Watermarking
While I am no expert in ethical and legal issues, copyright is still a big component of this topic. (I will leave it up to The Legal Genealogist). Some may be okay with people using their ancestors' photos without permission as others are not.
That's why it is important to be mindful of where you put family photos are on the Internet.
A watermark is a transparent text Adding a watermark can redirect those back to the original owner.
4. Putting Photos in My Tree
I started a new tree in January of this year because I wanted to start fresh and have a well-documented tree.
I thought about putting family photos in my messy tree and privatizing them, but if I change my mind in the future how would I transfer photos from my "old" tree to my new tree?
I will have to continue to think about this.
5. Living People+ The Recently Deceased
If someone asks to see a photo of a living person, you should ask that person to give consent to be shown online or offline.
For those who have recently passed away, contact family to gain permission to post them.
What are your views on posting photos online? Leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading,
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