Widening the circle
When you have found all the facts and photographs that you, or close family members know, seek out the wider circle. Distant relations not contacted for years are seldom offended when you say that you are researching the past, particularly if you offer to provide them with the outcome of your research. You may discover that another family member is ahead of you in this field, which will save you time, money and effort.
Remember to ask if they have photos. And also remember that some of the stories will be erroneous, tales embellished over the years. Sometimes the information will be wrong, due to accident or design. Be aware that people in the past told lies about relationships or events and accept that you will discover anomalies.
Now turn to the internet. You can search for specific objectives, or feed in information randomly: names of family, place names, events, anything that might come up with a result, so that you save yourself time by discovering what is already there.
The internet is a marvellous random tool, but be careful about revealing any personal information to strangers. You can find out a great deal, while remaining anonymous. Look abroad, if you know people moved.