LrC organization for family access

[Tamra]

Lightroom Version Number

14.5.2

Operating System

1. macOS 13 Ventura

OK, this is morbid, but what happens if I can't access LrC and my family wants to access all the photos/videos I've taken over the years? I'm an "amateur," and have used LR for decades. Here's what I do now. There must be a better way, as this seems old school and duplicative. All ideas welcome!

• Import all XT3 and iphone images and videos to LR (I like to have everything in one place). These live on an EHD.
• Flag favorites which I make into a collection then edit (images only).
• Export edited images to a separate folder (right now on the same EHD as the original imported images - considering using 2 different drives) which is backed up by Amazon Photos (would LOVE an alternative to this but needs to be easy to access).
• Thinking of creating a separate folder for just videos that would live with the edited images and also be backed up by Amazon (My family would not know how to search the original images/videos for just videos and this would be tedious. One folder would make it easy).

With this method, the iphone images and videos would be the exact same in 2 different places (since I don't necessarily edit them). I guess this is fine if I have the space? What do others do for family photos that you want others to be able to easily access??

 

[clee01l]

Not surprisingly, this topic comes up often. There are other threads that discuss various scenarios.

At 79 years, my Take: First of all, is there anyone in your family that will be really interested in your photos after you are gone? Will they be interested enough to learn how to use Lightroom? For most families, the answer is "No" and "No". There may be some immediate interest in showing a body of your work upon your death. That will go away not too many hours after your memorial service. To fulfill the Memorial Service slide show, You should put this together yourself. Periodically you should up date this slideshow. And make sure that your closest relation knows about it and can access it when you are gone.
Second, If there is another photographer in your family that is interested in your work. bequeath theLightroom account to them in your will along with your master catalog and image files. If there is n one in your family, consider your best photography /Lightroom user friend.

Third, Print any image that is really important. Frame them and hang them on your walls .

 

[Califdan]

I agree with @clee01l

But, I'm not sure that answered your question.

Along with Amazon photos there are countless other 'photo sharing' sites out there (Apple Photos, Google Photos, Flickr, SmugMug, Facebook, etc.) Each has their particular pros and cons concerning ease of access, each of maintenance, and cost (most have a 'free' amount of storage to get you started). However, all of them must follow certain legal requirements which are just getting stricter and stricter. One such legal requirement is that as soon as you croak (within a day or two of the death certificate being filed) your name enters a Federal "Death Database" of folks no longer with us. This in turn triggers all of your online accounts to be immediatly frozen (bank accounts, brokerage accounts, social media accounts, etc.) Sometimes this cuts of even viewing the contents of those site and sometimes this just prevents anyone from logging on with your user ID.

So, if you want to have images in web sites available to others after you go, you must add to your will/trust language stating who should be given control of each of your online accounts.

If you think that someone will continue to pay for your Adobe subscritpion (you can put that in your will/trust also), Adobe has several tools that can be used for sharing such collections online. I have an article on this here https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/blog/2025/11/lr028-sharing-lrc-collections-on-the-web-with-feedback

 

[Gnits]

I plan to create a book of my 50-100 fav pics. It will have a gentle simple intro… a simple comments below each image. At the end of the book will be a letter… explaining how to contact me or else how to find the image archives ( which will be a collection of raw, 16 bit tiff, full size jpg and small jpg). I might put the book into a presentation case with a usb fob of the images.

I will circulate a few copies of the book to friends and family.

There is no one in my extended family that I know of that understands what a pixel is… so not optimistic… but maybe the grandkid generation might pop up a candidate that might have an interest.

 

[Tamra]

Thanks, all. No one will be able to access LR, which is why I create a whole "edited" folder, by year/month, on my EHD, for ease of access. This is what is then shared to Amazon. I was just wondering if there were any other workarounds to not have duplicates of iphone/video content. My explanation is probably confusing and this is most likely a "if it ain't broke don't fix it situation!"

 

[Califdan]

Here's what Google Gemini has to say about Amazon Photos after you die.

QUESTION

When you die, and your name is added to the Federal register of deceased persons ('death database'), what does Amazon Photos do with the images in your account?

Gemini said

When you pass away, Amazon does not automatically receive a notification from the "Federal Register" or any national death database. Unlike some government agencies, private companies like Amazon typically don't proactively scan death records to close accounts.

However, once Amazon is formally notified of a death—usually by a family member or executor—the policy for your images is quite absolute: they are deleted.

Here is exactly what happens and how the "Digital Estate" is handled:

1. The "Non-Transferable" Policy

Amazon considers your account and its digital content (including Amazon Photos, Kindle books, and Prime Video) to be a non-transferable license.

• The Bad News: You don't "own" the digital space in the way you own a physical photo album. When the account holder dies, the license to that content expires.

• The Result: Once the death is verified and the account is closed, all photos and videos are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

2. How Amazon is Notified

Since Amazon isn't linked to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) or the Federal Register for automated account closures, the process usually starts one of two ways:

• Bereavement Support: A family member contacts Amazon’s Bereavement Team. They will require a copy of the Death Certificate and often a legal document (like a Will or Court Order) proving they have the authority to act for the estate.

• Inactivity: If no one notifies Amazon, the account simply sits dormant. If a Prime membership expires because the credit card on file is canceled, the "Unlimited Storage" benefit ends. Eventually, the account may be flagged for inactivity, though this process can take years.

3. Can Heirs Get the Photos?

Amazon’s default stance is privacy first. They generally will not provide login credentials or a download link to your family members due to strict data privacy laws.

• The Exception: If a legal executor provides a court order specifically naming the right to access digital assets, Amazon may facilitate a data export before closing the account, but this is a high legal hurdle.

What you can do right now

If you want to ensure your photos aren't lost to the "digital void," the "don't ask, don't tell" method is currently the most effective:

• Share a "Family Vault": Use the Amazon Photos "Family Vault" feature to invite up to 5 people. This allows them to see and download the photos into their own accounts while you are still alive.

• Password Manager: Ensure your digital executor has access to your login credentials and 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) methods.

• Physical Backup: Keep a "master" copy of your library on a physical hard drive.

 

[Replytoken]

Thanks, all. No one will be able to access LR, which is why I create a whole "edited" folder, by year/month, on my EHD, for ease of access. This is what is then shared to Amazon. I was just wondering if there were any other workarounds to not have duplicates of iphone/video content. My explanation is probably confusing and this is most likely a "if it ain't broke don't fix it situation!"

Good advice given above. And I was the designated "close friend" of a dear friend who passed away suddenly in 2020. Unfortunately, the family still has not taken up my offers to help them access any of the photos, and that includes the ones of family members that were exported for their convenience. I suspect his computer is still sitting there untouched since his death.

I would suggest putting any important images on several disc and/or flash drives, print them as well, and then store them on a more accessible web site. Sites like PCloud offer "lifetime" storage with a one-time payment. Who knows how long they will be around, but I suspect you may have a better chance than using something like Amazon. and all of this is predicated on two things - interest by at least one person and migration of the electronic data over time to keep it fresh.

Good luck,

--Ken

 

[Zenon]

Not surprisingly, this topic comes up often. There are other threads that discuss various scenarios.

At 79 years, my Take: First of all, is there anyone in your family that will be really interested in your photos after you are gone? Will they be interested enough to learn how to use Lightroom? For most families, the answer is "No" and "No". There may be some immediate interest in showing a body of your work upon your death. That will go away not too many hours after your memorial service. To fulfill the Memorial Service slide show, You should put this together yourself. Periodically you should up date this slideshow. And make sure that your closest relation knows about it and can access it when you are gone.
Second, If there is another photographer in your family that is interested in your work. bequeath theLightroom account to them in your will along with your master catalog and image files. If there is n one in your family, consider your best photography /Lightroom user friend.

Third, Print any image that is really important. Frame them and hang them on your walls .

Thought I'd wait until someone replied because I had the same thoughts. It might hurt but I doubt the grandkids and other family members will choose to watch grandpas/grandmas image instead of a new movie or play games. I know I won't be the next Vivian Maier.

Also who will continue to pay for LrC? You can still use when you stop paying and view images but I think it would be easier to just use a basic image viewing app. Also if you stop paying you lose Portfolio.

All my RAW files are neatly stored on an external drive. I'll make copies of that. I'll archive all my favourite Jpegs in some fashion to show as a slide show to something else. I will get a few books printed with my favourite shots and my only request will be to keep them in the open and not filed on a bookshelf. Hopefully someone will pick one up from time to time.

I don't shoot video so I have nothing to offer.

 

[clee01l]

Another option for preserving your family photo heritage are PhotoFrames. There are several avaiilble digital frames. My extended family has adopted Aura Frames. Most of the photos are "Phone" snapshots but I have managed to add several of my own nature photographs. these have been generally well received. The family has several AuraFrames all over (Texas (X4), Maryland (X2), New York). All of the devices tie into the same Aura Account and are also available in a Phone app which can be used to upload photos.