When Esther Schindler inherited five huge boxes of 10,000 family slides after her father's death, she embarked on a year-long project to save the family's visual history. As she scanned thousands of images dating back to her parents' 1941 engagement, patterns emerged about which photos held lasting meaning – and which were easily discarded.
"The best family photos are the ones where we're clowning around and laughing, or where we're doing something together, or a moment captured without the subject realizing it," Schindler writes in her Medium essay. She discovered that formal posed shots and tourist landmarks held little long-term value. Instead, candid photos showing family members actively engaged – setting up a tent, cooking dinner, or playing board games – proved most precious decades later.
The project also revealed crucial gaps in family documentation. Despite both parents having careers they loved, not a single photo showed them at work. And basic labeling proved invaluable: "One of the saddest experiences was looking at a family-gathering photo from the 50s with several people in it, and having no idea who's in it," Schindler notes.
Her advice for creating photos worth keeping? Focus on capturing interactions and daily life rather than just special occasions. And don't forget to include basic identifying details. "Labels matter. Even a few words helped me know when-and-where something happened: '1955 Nova Scotia' or my grandfather's name."
Another tip: "Crop photos closely. My father took a lot of photos of 'Mom in front of a pretty vista' but in the long run I care more about Mom's expression than the expanse of mountains in the background. Thanks to iPhoto I can zoom in, but a lot of detail is lost."
Previously:
• The Dummies' Guide To Cosplay Photography in 2014