Recently, I was working with a client’s photo collection; and as part of the job, there were 4 albums of photos.  Two were slide-in type albums and two were….(insert dramatic music here) magnetic albums! 

It seems simple enough to remove the photos, right?  ...since the process to get them IN the album was pretty simple.  Pull back the plastic, stick down the photo, put the plastic back.  ... and repeat......

For removal: Same concept in reverse, right?  However, you will find that the removal is not nearly as easy as the initial placement – heat, humidity, time, and GLUE have all had their way with the photos. 

There is nothing magnetic about these albums. 

ABC . . . easy as 123 --- it isn't just a Jackson 5 song.

The ABC's of Photo Organizing

Before you get overwhelmed with which snapshots and printed photos to keep, follow a few simple guidelines to stay on track.
You'll be making 3 piles of photos during the process... and keep some sticky notes close by.... (more on that later)

A stands for Album
These are the photos that are the most important.  The photos that are album-worthy.  If you were going to frame photos for a gallery wall, these the photos you would choose from.  As you're sorting your snapshots, remember that this should NOT be the largest pile.  Less is more, because you really do want the "A" photos to be the most personal and the most cherished. Your "A" photos definitely need backed-up after they've been scanned and digitized.

B stands for Box
These snapshots and photos are important enough to keep, and you definitely want to store the loose in archival-quality boxes for long-term storage.  If digitized, you'll want to make sure these "B" photos are backed up.

C stands for Can
These photos can go directly into the trash can or your delete file.  Be brave.  Toss duplicates, blurry, and excess scenery-type photos.  If you're sorting digital files, and you're not quite brave enough to truly delete, make a 'delete' folder and drag the terrible and excessive photos into that folder.  Remember, you're paring down and want to have usable files and piles.  

S stands for Story
Here's the super-important part -- and why you need the sticky notes.  If the photo tells a STORY, jot a note about it and stick to the back of the photo.  Today's high-powered (and fast!) scanners can scan both sides of a photo at once, so your story can be preserved.  FYI.....Try to resist writing on the back of printed photos with pens of any sort, graphite pencils work much better and an art pencil (lead 4B or 6B) is the best - or use a sticky note - we've all got those.

The ABC's of photo organizing can be used for your loose snapshots as well as your digital photos. 
If you have questions or want to explore how to move beyond the piles and get your snapshots and printed photos scanned, send me a note.  I have the newest types of scanners and can also help with information about backing up your collection of digital photos.  

Upcoming blog posts will include more information about sorting, safeguarding, and online storage of your photos.

If you're thinking about doing a photo organization project, either by yourself, or with the help of a Photo Organizer, you should think about the project itself and what would you like to get out of it.  

It is a journey....best started with a single step.  

Start with the simple stuff.  What all do you have?  

• Slides?
• Snapshots?
• Magnetic Albums that need a makeover?  (more on that in an upcoming blog post)
• Professional albums that you'd like a backup of ?
• Vintage photos in frames?
• Other Memorabilia or documents that you'd like a digital record of?

I'm a big believer in keeping "like things" together.  Get everything in one place, so you really know how much you've got.  If you have lots of moving parts, you'll want to do the project in phases.   

I always go through an assessment with clients (or folks asking my advice) and these are things you should think about as you decide how to move forward.  

Where are your photos now?

• Do you know about how many you've got?
• What format are your photos in now?  Digital?  Printed?
• Are you the main picture-taker in the family?  Who else in your family takes pictures?
• Do you have a current system for organizing?
• Do you throw pictures away or delete them?  Or do you save everything?

Taking all of those assessment questions a step further...

• In a perfect world, how would you like your photos organized?  
• Do you want them in plain view or tucked away?
• Do you want to be able to share the photos with family members and friends?  Via photo books?  Digitally?
• What has gotten in the way of this process in the past?  (time? money? space? technology issues?)

And another batch of questions as you think about the project....

• How involved do you want to be (every step of the way? not at all?)
• Do you have a timeline for any of the individual phases?  Maybe an upcoming special occasion that needs an album?
• How much time do YOU have to commit to the process?
• Do you want other people involved in the process?

As with any organizing or de-cluttering project, sometimes you have to get out of your own head and look at the end goal and work towards that.  

There are many benefits to having the project finished and being able to know where a photo is and access it quickly - isn't that what we're all wanting?  

Besides, it sure makes "Throw-Back-Thursdays" on Facebook a fun thing to contribute to!!