Everyone understands the value of family photos. They’re likely the first thing one would grab during an emergency yet they’re usually the last thing tackled on a home to-do list. “Organizing a lifetime of memories can seem like a daunting process, but it’s something you’ll want to knock out sooner than later,” says Gretchen Bender, a personal photo organizer with Creative Spaces Organizing. “Photo organization is about protecting everyone’s stories. It may seem hard, but it can also be fun,” she adds. Bender recommends following these steps to organize and maintain a family photo library.
1. Create a photo workspace. “Gather all photos into one spot,” she says. “Collect your photo albums, memory cards, digital slides, and home cameras.”
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2. Make a plan. Decide how you want to categorize the photos: By year? By date? By holiday? “Think about how you want to arrange your print photos and how you want to tag those photos when they are on your computer.”
3. Weed them out. Go through your prints and decide which ones to scan and keep and which ones to toss. Bender recommends using the ABC’s of organization: “A are the photos you absolutely want to keep or hang on a wall. B are the images that support a story or an event. They are important, but not good enough to display. C are the pictures you’ll get rid of. These are the ones where you missed the shot, have extra copies of the same shot, or just don’t like.”
4. Set a schedule. Think about when these photos will be most useful, says Bender. “Is there a special anniversary coming up, perhaps a wedding? These types of events are usually the main motivation my clients have for starting a photo organization project.”
5. Ask family members for help. “Is there a historian in the family? Someone who can help you match faces and events with dates? Ask someone to help you go through the photos!”
6. Back up your photos. Once you have all your photos scanned and uploaded onto a computer, you’ll want to back them up on a hard drive, Zip, or other tool. You may also want to consider a good online software package. “I use Forever,” says Bender, “but you can also use iCloud, Amazon Prime Photos… There are endless options.”
7. Maintain organization. We take hundreds of photos every month. Bender says the best way to make sure your photos stay organized is to upload them from your devices on a monthly basis.
8. Understand that organization is a process. “Know it’s going to take time. You’re dealing with a family library,” says Bender. “Reach out if you need it.”
