Three kids and a house full of photos later, I find myself up to my eyeballs in pictures (digital ones too, but that’s for another post). Birthdays, holidays, first feedings, first steps, first day of Pre-Kindergarten, swim lessons and on and on (even my wedding pictures are in a box somewhere). This article will serve as a list of things to do in order to get this huge burden off my back and get these precious photos organized once and for all.
Weeding Them Out
Gather every single photo in your home to one area.
Toss all the blurry photos or bad exposures. Throw away photos you’d rather not remember or any bloopers. As you’re sorting, if you can remember the event and names (ages) jot them on the back, ideally with a photo-safe pen or pencil.
Sort Your Photos
As you’re weeding through, sort your photos.
Decide on a system first:
- Chronological
- Holiday/Event/Vacation
- Person
- Periods Of Life
Do whatever makes sense to you. Ask yourself how will you look for them when you need them? How will you scrap book them? Choose a system that will be easiest for retrieval.
Put your pictures in piles based on the system you have chosen.
Decide On Storage
Photo cases, organizers and boxes are available to store your pictures. Cropper Hopper is an online option that helps you “lose the mess and keep the memories”. Target and other department stores also have photo organizers.
Whatever you decide, make sure your system is one that will make it easy to organize your future photos.
If you’re lucky and have a space you can designate to your photos for scrap-booking and organizing purposes, get on it! Like any other workspace, create one that would be suitable for organizing, storing and creating awesome albums of your family life.
Have fun sorting through the wonderful memories. Feel the weight lifted off your shoulders for finally getting to it. I plan to start this weekend and I’m recruiting my five and three year old for some assistance (they LOVE going through pictures).
Helpful Links:
Tips For Organizing Your Photo Collection
Easy Ways To Organize Your Digital Photos
How To Organize Your Photo Collection
