Selecting photos for tree images

[feelsrgreen]

I have been using reunion and enjoy the fact that I can include various photos of a person in multimedia. Ok now I have a collection of hundreds of family photos.
I am trying to be consistent with which photo to make the preferred one.
Especially with man and wife where I have pics from various ages of each.
What is the custom used by others.
Questions abound here, should all photos be b/w. or should they all be sepia.
If coloured photos are available should I mix them or convert all to mono.
I have all the latest Mac programs including Aperture.
Thanks to all contributors, I read all the posts.

[Dennis J. Cunniff]

Re: Selecting photos for tree images

I am trying to be consistent with which photo to make the preferred one. Especially with man and wife where I have pics from various ages of each. What is the custom used by others.

I think this is a matter very much of personal preference and taste rather than there being one right way. Nevertheless I'm happy to share my prejudices in the matter.

Where there's a choice, I prefer:
[1] a photo over a painting
[2] a color photo over a monochrome photo

I usually opt for photos taken in the late 20s-early 30s if available, on the basis that that's when people look their best

I'd always choose a photo in which the person is shown to best advantage, even if it wouldn't be the one selected under the aforementioned rules.

I wouldn't bother converting color photos to monochrome (loss of information), or standardizing monochrome photos to black-and-white or sepia. You could always do that later if you wanted to for some special project.

[Bob White]

Re: Selecting photos for tree images

I prefer to use photos that are in the 45-55 age range on the basis that they are looking like they have and will look most of their adult life. Such photos give strong hints of what they looked like at 25 or 30 and will look like at 65. Otherwise, pretty much like Dennis describes.

[feelsrgreen]

Re: Selecting photos for tree images

Thanks Doug and Bob.
Not sure which I will eventually use.
It is nice to be able to add photos in multimedia and select and change as we get more available.
I have many hundreds of family photos and as I am 77 yrs I seem to be the latest repository of the family records, but no money!

Many photos are superb quality from studios and reproduce well.
Perhaps this topic should be in Using Software & Hardware in Reunion?
Can it be transferred or start a new thread there?

I have other discussions about photograph originals which are not strictly under the Reunion program. I don't use any other program now as I am all Mac.
Maybe some other forum?