6 Simple Steps to Organize ALL Your Photos


 

If we asked you where all your photos are, how many answers would you have? If it’s more than two or you can’t even count, this article is for you.

Chances are you have thought about organizing all your photos once or twice, or you don’t even want to think about it because just the thought is overwhelming. This goes without saying, but the more you wait, the harder it’s going to be later on. We hate to break it to you, but it’s time to organize all your photos. Here are 6 simple steps to organize all your photos in the most efficient, stress-free way, along with tips to keep your future photos organized as they come.
 

Step 1: Compile

From pictures in shoe boxes to thousands of pictures on your phone, put all of your photos together so you know what you’re working with. Here are some places to look:

  • Old/current cell phones
  • Computer
  • External hard drive
  • SD cards from digital cameras
  • Photo CDs
  • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.)
  • Cloud storage (iCloud, Google Photos, Shutterfly, Dropbox, Flickr, etc.)
  • Tablets
  • Photo boxes
  • Undeveloped film

 

Step 2: Make a plan

With a plan in place from the beginning, your photo organization will run smoothly and be less stressful. Your plan should include:

  • A central photo hub: a photo hub is more important than you think. This will not only act as your storage place, but all those photos you’ll take and receive in the future will have a home that’s easily accessible. Without a photo hub, you’ll inevitably end up back at step #1 in just a few years.
  • A schedule for yourself: if you’re good at keeping yourself on task, no need to include this in your plan. But, if you have an abundance of photos, this step is helpful so you aren’t breaking off more than you can chew in one sitting. One night, you can look through your old phone. Next weekend, you can get through half of the box that has been collecting dust under your bed. Set your schedule and stick to it!
  • An organization system: you can organize them chronologically (our recommendation), by location, or by person. You can send duplicates to family or throw them away. You can even name your digital folders by event to easily find a specific photo in the future.

 

Step 3: Gather your tools

Depending on your plan, you might want to get a bin to organize your photos by the month and year they were taken (like this one),  a new hard drive to keep them all in one place, envelopes to send extras to family members, or a photo album to give to your kids.

 

organize your photos

Step 4: Start sorting

This step is the most time-consuming but the most fun. If you set a schedule for yourself in Step #2, sorting will be a bit less overwhelming. If possible, grab a few friends or family members to help and reminisce together. While you sort, make sure to label your containers and folders!

 

Step 5: Safeguard your memories

Now that you’re all organized, the most important step is to make sure your memories are safe. This can be done by scanning all of your photos (we can do this for you) to make them digital, uploading them to an external hard drive, and even uploading them to an online photo storage service. In case of an emergency, you can be sure your memories are safe.

We’ve encountered many instances where a customers’ photos, slides, or CDs were past the point of no return. These photo mediums do not last forever like digital files do. Don’t wait before it’s too late!

 

Step 6: Enjoy

This doesn’t just mean enjoy what you’ve accomplished, but now that you’ve looked through old memories, print some of those forgotten moments and put them on the walls. Create a photo book of one of your favorite vacations or milestones so you can relive them more often. You can even send copies to friends and family as a gift!

 

If this process doesn’t interest you or seems like too much work, Life’s Sweet will do it all for you! We organize photos, scan them to make sure they’re safe, and even make custom photo books so you can look through your photos effortlessly. We offer free 1-hour consultations. Give us a call today!

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