The photo is the one part of a memorial necklace you can't redo. The style, the chain, the finish — those you choose with your eyes. The photo is different: a projection necklace or photo locket is made to order from the image you send, and that picture becomes the finished piece. That's a lot of weight on a single image, especially when you're scrolling through years of photos of someone you love. If you've been searching for how to choose a photo for a memorial necklace, start here: there is no perfect photo, and whatever you choose, you can't get it wrong. These guidelines just help the photo you love look its best once it's inside.
Start With the Clearest Original You Can Find
Begin with the original file — not a screenshot, and not a photo of a photo. If the picture was taken on a phone or digital camera, the original is the sharpest version you own. Screenshots compress and soften images; they're fine for sharing, but a keepsake that gets viewed up close deserves better.
If the best photo only exists as a paper print, scan it instead of photographing it with your phone. A flatbed scan at 300 dpi captures the full detail of the print, while a phone photo of a print adds glare, shadows, and an extra layer of blur. Scanning is also gentler on the photo itself — no flash, no repeated handling.
And before you settle, ask around. Family members often have the digital original of a photo you've only ever seen as a print, or a sharper copy of the same moment. More than one person usually photographed the same events, and the sharper version may already exist in someone's camera roll. A quick message is cheaper than settling for a soft copy.
What "Good Enough" Looks Like: Clarity, Light, and Resolution
Not every photo needs to be professional. Here's the honest bar for a photo that will work well in a pendant:
| What to check | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Focus | The face is sharp when you zoom in — no soft blur |
| Light | Even, natural light; the face is clearly visible |
| Resolution | The photo holds up when you zoom — it doesn't break into pixels |
| Background | Simple and quiet, so the person stays the focus |
A clear, sharp original from any camera — phone, point-and-shoot, or professional — is enough. Most modern phone photos are far larger than a pendant needs. The photos that cause trouble are the ones that are blurry, dark, or heavily compressed, not the ones taken on an ordinary camera.
Well-lit photos project brightest, which matters most for projection-style pieces. If your favorite photo is a little dark, a small brightness or contrast adjustment in any photo editor usually brings it back.
The Circular Lens: Why Centering Matters
Here's the step most people miss. The lens in a projection necklace is circular, and your photo is fitted inside that circle. That means the subject needs to sit in the center of the frame. If the person is off to one side, part of them will be cropped out of the finished piece — the necklace will show half of a face where you imagined a whole one.
Before you settle on a photo, check where the person's face sits in the frame. If they fall in the middle third of the image, you're in good shape. If they're tucked into a corner, crop the image so the face is centered before you upload it — or choose another photo. This is why portraits and square crops work so well for circular lenses: the face lands naturally in the middle.
Projection Necklace vs Photo Locket: What Each Tolerates
The two main styles of memorial photo necklace treat your photo differently, and that changes what you can get away with. Understanding the difference before you choose makes the whole decision easier.
Projection necklaces micro-carve the photo into the lens itself. The image is permanently part of the piece — it can't be changed once made — and you see it by holding the pendant to your eye, looking through your phone camera, or shining a light through the back to project it onto a wall. Because the image is micro-carved, it rewards photos with a strong, centered subject, good contrast, and clean light. A busy background gets in the way; a simple portrait shines. If you'd like the details of the viewing mechanics, our guide on how photo projection necklaces work walks through them.
Photo lockets hold a printed copy of the photo inside an openable case. The photo is fixed into the inner frame, and you see it the moment the hinged cover opens — a vintage, keepsake-box feeling, like a locket that's been passed down through a family. The locket tolerates fine detail better than micro-carving, but the framed print is small, so the same centering advice applies: keep the subject clear and central. You can see both styles in our photo locket necklaces collection.
| Projection necklace | Photo locket | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the photo lives | Micro-carved into the lens | Printed photo fixed inside the case |
| How you see it | Through the lens: eye, phone camera, or projected light | Open the hinged cover |
| After the piece is made | The photo can't be changed | The photo stays as it was placed |
| Photos that work best | Strong, centered, high-contrast subjects | Clear subjects, small framed prints |
How to Choose a Photo That Feels Like the Person
Beyond the technical checklist, choose a photo that feels like them. A candid shot of a genuine moment — laughing in the kitchen, holding a grandchild, mid-story at a family dinner — often carries more of a person than a formal portrait ever will. The slightly imperfect photo with the real smile is the one you'll be glad you chose.
Some ideas for the moment itself: their favorite holiday, a hand you remember holding, a pet they adored, a place they loved, the two of you on an ordinary Tuesday. Memorial necklace photo ideas don't have to be posed or professional. What matters is that when you look at it, you see them.
If you're choosing for someone else — a parent picking a photo for a child's necklace, or a friend choosing on a family's behalf — think about what the recipient would want to see. The photo that tells the story of the relationship is usually the right one.
Working With Old, Blurry, or Damaged Photos
For a lot of people, the best photo is an old one — faded, creased, decades old. You can absolutely use it, with two caveats.
First, digitize it properly. Scan the original at 300 dpi or higher rather than photographing it with a phone. The Library of Congress's guide to caring for photos explains how to handle fragile prints, and the National Archives' guide to preserving family photographs covers digitizing old family photos — both are worth reading before you handle something irreplaceable.
Second, be realistic about blur. Light blur can often be improved with a photo editor's sharpening tools, but heavy blur can't be fully fixed — and a deeply blurry image won't produce a clear micro-carved projection. If your only photo is too soft, a photo locket, which holds a printed copy, may suit it better than a projection piece. If you're unsure whether a photo will work, our FAQ on photo requirements lists what we need for the best result.
And don't let age stop you: a faded photo with a clear subject can be revived with basic editing — brightness, contrast, a little color correction — before you upload it.
One Photo or Several? How to Decide
If you can't narrow it down to one photo, you're in good company. A projection necklace holds a single image — the photo is micro-carved into the lens permanently, so it's one moment, chosen once. A photo locket also holds one photo, fixed in place when the piece is made.
So how do you choose? Try this: pick the photo that makes you stop longest when you scroll past it. The one you keep returning to is usually the one. If you're torn between a formal portrait and a candid shot, the candid one almost always feels more like the person. And if you're still deciding between the two styles themselves, our comparison of projection necklaces vs photo lockets walks through the differences.
Before You Upload: A Quick Checklist
Run through this before you send your photo:
- The subject is centered — nothing important sits close to the edge
- The face is sharp and recognizable at full size
- The photo is well lit, and the face is clearly visible
- The background is simple, with no second face competing for attention
- The file is the original — cropped if needed, not a screenshot
- Check how it looks at a small size; that's closer to how it will appear in the pendant
One more thing worth knowing: each piece is made to order, and there's a short window to change the photo after you order — about six hours, before production begins. It's a small cushion, not a plan. Choose the photo you're confident in, and you won't need it.
A Gentle Note on Grief — and Where to Find Support
Choosing a photo for a memorial necklace can stir up a lot, whether you're choosing for yourself or for someone you love. It's okay if this takes a few evenings, or a few boxes of tissues. You're not doing it wrong, and there's no deadline on feeling what you feel.
If you're in the middle of loss right now, you don't have to carry it alone. GriefShare offers support groups and resources for people navigating loss, and many communities have local grief support programs. A necklace is a small way to keep someone close — it can't replace them, and it isn't meant to. It's just something to hold onto.
The Photo That's Right Is the One That Feels Right
A memorial necklace doesn't need the technically perfect photo. It needs the photo that means something — the one that makes you pause, the one that sounds like their laugh. A slightly blurry picture of the moment you laughed hardest will always mean more than a flawless portrait of a stranger. Whatever you choose, you can't get it wrong: the photo you pick is the right one, because you picked it with love.
When you're ready, browse our collection of photo necklaces to see projection and locket styles side by side, and find more memorial keepsake guides on our blog.