May is National Photography month, and I, for one, love all things photography! The bugaboo about photography is how to organize all those wonderful photos that result from this passion and art form.
Photographs of our family, friends, and past are probably the most treasured items in our homes, and yet they are the most disorganized, abused and inaccessible items we own. Our drawers contain strewn photos dated two years back, countless negatives, and rolls of undeveloped film taken last Christmas. Keeping up with the organizing of photos can be a real bother, but oh, the joy they bring when you can bring them out and show off your family to all your friends! Collecting, organizing, and displaying photos can be a lot of fun. The real problem I have found is not the photos, but simply the method we use to deal with their accumulation. The very best way to organize your photos is to insert them immediately into a photo book. It is easier to organize 24 than 124. However, if you have a lot of photos that are presently unorganized, here are some tips.
Sorting
The first step to organizing your photos is sorting them. This will take some time, but the peace of mind you receive will be worth it. If you have an enormous amount of photos, sort them by using large manila envelopes. You may have one envelope for each child, one for each home you have lived in, or one for each year of your life. You could also divide the envelopes according to subject (your child’s first birthday, Christmas 2010, etc.) Choose your own method of division. Most people file their pictures chronologically. They like their trips and activities laid out as they happened. As you are sorting, be sure to toss out unwanted pictures and bad-quality photos. The duplicate pictures you do not want can be sent to friends and relatives. The second step is to go through each envelope and label each picture on the back with a brief description and the year. Then place them back in the envelope. When you
have finished this step, you are not through organizing, but if you have to leave the task for later, at least you will have them sorted. If you find more pictures in one of your drawers, you can file them immediately in the correct envelopes.
Photo Albums
Next, you must decide what type of album you desire. Some people prefer large albums that come with corner tabs for the photos. Others prefer the stick-on types with the plastic covers. The most expensive ones have the plastic sheets that have several different sizes of pockets into which you can slip photos. Which type you choose is up to you. Take each envelope and put your pictures into the appropriate album. Write under the picture who and what it is and the date. If you ever find yourself with a few minutes to spare at home, you can choose an envelope and begin organizing. If you divide this huge goal into bite-sized steps you can accomplish the organization of photos without even trying. Creative Memories™ is a class you can take that teaches you how to creatively organize and display all your wonderful photos in albums. However you choose to organize your photos, you will be much happier if you make a habit of filing them in photo books immediately after they are developed. That way they will not accumulate and become clutter.
Next time: More tips on organizing photos, especially digital snapshots!