Do you have a backlog of printed photos to organize and you just find it overwhelming? You are not alone. Trust me, you are not alone! Many of us have boxes or bags of printed photos in the closet and just as many if not more digital photos somewhere on our computer. And there are probably more still on the digital camera and the smart phone.
Organized photos
I remember when I first started organizing my 30 years of printed photos. Yes, I said 30 years! So many photos and I didn’t know where to start. I picked up the first photo and started organizing by date, chronologically. Oh, if I had only known then what I know now!
Today I would do it quite differently. Sometimes there is a need for chronological order. And organizing by themes can make it easier to sort and easier to find pictures later. How would I do it today? Here are some ideas:
- Ricky (son)
- Brian (son)
- Birthday Parties (kids)
- Christmas/Chanukah
- Vacations
- Disneyland
- A favorite vacation spot
- Pets
Within those categories it may make sense to put pictures in some sort of date order. And I do have some vacation pictures sorted separately. When I think of making an album for each of my sons of their childhood, I know I have to go back through all those photos again and separate their photos because I didn’t sort by theme.
Do you think using themes would make it easier for you to sort your old photos?
Susan Berland is a Personal Photo Organizer and a member of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers. She organizes print and digital photos and memorabilia, and creates keepsake albums, displays and gifts. Her passion is helping people get organized and create a legacy for their families.
