The beauty with this amazing technology is that we get to snap anything and everything. I love it, really I do. But I also find it a bit overwhelming.
What is one to do with ALL of those adorable pictures that can tend to just sit…on our phones, and cameras….
I have fears that my daughter will be nominated for Homecoming Court when she gets to High School, and the school will want adorable childhood pictures of her for a slide show presentation….and I won’t be able to find ANY!
So in my attempt to save myself from this crazy predicament. I try to keep it simple with managing all of my precious family photos (Maybe not the best motivation, but a motivation all the same!)
Here are my tips to help you to keep those photos from hogging your memory space on your devices, and actually in places where you are able to enjoy them. And, maybe even find them down the road too!
Managing Memories – Photos
1-Try to minimize how many devices you actually take photos with.
I primarily use my phone and/or my fancy camera. I don’t use the Ipad or the Itouches lying around the house. I find that the more I change up what I actually take pictures with, the harder it can be to keep track of where exactly the different photos are.
2-Schedule to regularly upload your photos on your main computer.
Frequency will depend on how many photos you take. I tend to do a FULL download monthly. I also have just started using Photostream, but need more time with it to see how to best use it.
3-Organize your photos on your computer within your photo program.
Set up categories/events, or by month, week, year…whatever works for you…consistency is key.
4-Back up your photo storage.
You will want to ensure that you have your computer backed up as well – to some form of external hard drive and/or an off site host. I back up to an external hard drive and I also upload everything to Shutterfly. Organize your photos in the same manner on your off storage site as well, for simplicity.
5-Decide how you want to display your photos.
I used to put pictures into photo albums, until I realized that I would soon need a dedicated bookshelf for all of the photo albums! After filling up six albums, I decided to do an annual Photo Book on Shutterfly. It is a great way to highlight the past year’s events and to also add some documentation. They are thin, fun to look through, and I actually keep them out for display, so we can enjoy looking through them. The only time I print a picture is for framing, gifting, baby books etc. – pretty much on a need only basis.
6-Delete A LOT!
I am an aggressive deleter. If I don’t like a photo, I don’t keep it. I don’t want to have to deal with it later, so I try as much as possible to delete on the spot. Keep this in mind as you begin snapping.
This is an example of a Shutterfly Photo Book.
Happy Organizing!!!
