A lot of people get daunted or overwhelmed by the process of organizing photos. It can be SCARY!! They don’t know how to get started. They don’t feel like they have the right tools or knowledge. In fact, organizing photos is the same as organizing your basement or garage. Getting your photos organized can protect your valuable memories from damage. YIKES! Properly displaying your photos means you can enjoy them rather than having them stuffed in a dark room or closet. SPOOKY!!
Regular maintenance makes photo organizing less MENACING.
Sometimes clients hire me just to have a regular appointment to keep. If they are paying me they know they don’t want to waste their money and time. Photo organizing is one of those tasks that, for many, can fall by the wayside in our busy lives. You can always put it aside for something “more important.”
But after a while the task gets too big to manage because you’ve put it off for so long. Often the bigger a project gets, the more money you end up throwing at it in order to solve the problem. I recommend setting an appointment with yourself once a month to download photos off your camera, sort them into folders on your computer, or even have them printed.
Watch out for CREEPY photo storage containers.
If you want to protect your photos, you should always find products that are classified “photo-safe” and “acid-free.” Archival storage for your precious memories can come at a price. Looking for sales at your local craft store can be one way to save money. Also, photos should never be stored in a garage or basement (because of temperature fluctuations) or anywhere there might be potential for leaks or floods. Great places for photo storage are in a guest room closet or under beds in sealed containers.
Too many photos can be FORBIDDING.
We all take far more photos than we actually need. The proliferation of smart phones, tablets and digital cameras allow us to take thousands of photos in a lifetime – yet nobody wants to sit and look through these thousands of images. Sort and save your key memories, the truly beautiful shots, the true “gems” of your collection. This will keep your photos manageable as you aim to display or store them. As you take photos, be wary of taking too many “background” shots such as landscapes or buildings. Without a person in the photo, a personal connection to an emotion or a time, a photo of a landmark or mountain might as well be a postcard you bought in a gift shop. If you add personal relevance to the image, you will be more likely to save it for generations to come.
Jody Al-Saigh has a background in photography and design and earned a B.S. in Photojournalism photography from Syracuse University. She worked for 10 years in print production and graphic design. After having kids, Jody decided to start her own business, Picture Perfect Organizing http://www.pictureperfectorganizing.com. Her background in photography and design led to her specialization in photo and collection organizing. Follow her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PictPerfectOrg and Twitter http://twitter.com/PictPerfectOrg.