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Our photos are a journal for our – and our kids’ — lives. Make sure those memories are in order and backed up. The abundance of photos on our devices can be overwhelming. Here are 5 steps to follow to help breakdown the process and feel like you can gain control over your photos.
1. Establish Your Vision
What do you ultimately want to do with your photos? Create a photo wall for your grandchildren to look at when they come over? Create photo books for each year or special occasion? Have an online gallery so grandparents, aunts and uncles, and your future grandchildren can view your family story? Work on establishing this now.
2. Consolidate
Make a list of all the places your photos live. Your phone, your desktop, your spouse’s phone, email attachments, text messages, iCloud, OneDrive, thumb drives, etc. It’s time to bring all those photos to one place. Download my free inventory list below to help guide you.
3. Sort
Now that your photos are all in one place, it is time to sort them. Common categories: month and year (timeline); special events (theme); person; and period of time (decade, school year). Delete duplicates, blurry photos, any photos with a finger, screenshots, etc. Don’t be afraid to delete 80% of your photos to just save the best!
4. Backup
You’ve spent your precious time organizing, now it is time to make sure you have backup copies. Aim for 3 sources (i.e. a cloud, your desktop, and an external hard drive) and store one offsite in case of a fire or other disaster.
5. Share
Take your favorites and print them, create photo books, or add them to an online gallery. My favorite resources: MixBook and Shutterfly for photo books, Forever, SmugMug or Mylio Photos+ for sharing online galleries, and Express Photo or Walgreens for local printing.
Still feeling overwhelmed or that you just don’t have the time to dedicate and want your digital photos organized for you? Schedule a complimentary call with me below and let’s discuss your goals.
Some tips for keeping your photos organized moving forward:
- Take 2 photos instead of 5 at a time.
- Delete duplicates and outtakes while waiting in the school pickup line or set a timer for 5-10 minutes to delete each day.
- Set 30 minutes aside at the beginning of each month to consolidate, deduplicate, and backup your photos from the previous month.
