Blog
Is your photo organization project bigger than you thought it would be?
Does looking at your unorganized photo collection may you feel like you are trying to navigate the Amazon river without a Jungle Cruise captain?
Mini-courses to help you organize your photos
All through the month of September, The Picture Org (anizer), in association with The Photo Managers, is presenting a daily tip to help you get motivated to organize, identify, and save your photos for both today and the future. Do you want more than just some quick ideas?
Protecting and storing your printed photos
Once your pictures are organized, you need to protect them. You will spend a lot of time organizing and sorting your original prints. Once you are done, you’ll want to protect and store them in a way that gives them the best chance to survive the ages.
The best backup for your printed photos
Scanning (or digitizing) your pictures is the first step. Our prints and photos all suffer from the risk of loss due to fire, flood, water damage, rodents, mold, mildew, or just general fading. I have seen many photos from the early 1900s that have almost faded out of existence. (I’ve also been able to restore many of them, but that is for another day.)
Create a ‘will’ for your photo collection
What do you want to happen to your pictures after you have passed?
You have a lifetime of photos, but what will happen to them when you are no longer here?
If you could only save 100 photos…
If you could only save 100 photos…Which ones would you choose? Which photos are the most special to you?
Which photos bring out the most memories?
Which photos bring out the most emotions?
Week 2: Making a photo plan
How would it feel to easily find and share your photos?
You’ve found your photos, but now what? You need a plan. This week, we’ll explore creating a photo legacy.
Dealing with duplicate photo prints
Before you do anything else, decide what to do with your duplicate pictures. One of the great sales pitches for photoshops in the ‘80s and ‘90s was double (and sometimes triple) prints for the cost of one set of prints. This sounded like a great deal at the time! We could share the prints with our friends and relatives, while still having one set for ourselves!
How many photos do you REALLY have?
Do you have 100, 1,000, 10,000, more? Knowing how many you have helps you figure out the scope of your photo project. Here are some industry standards we use when estimating photo counts -
Create a family timeline to help identify your photos
When you start organizing your photos, you will find out that most of them don’t have dates or events conveniently written on them. To help jog your memory, start making a timeline of major events in your family.
Digitizing a Scrapbook or Photo Album
Have you created (or inherited) some great scrapbooks or photo albums? Do you want to preserve them against damage, loss, or just share them with the family?
Holidays and Photos
With the holiday season already upon us, our photos can connect us with friends and family who are apart from us this season. Let The Picture Org (anizer) help you organize your photos for easy sharing and enjoyment!
Your Family Archive - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
Private online family websites and cloud storage companies let you upload, share, and archive family photos and memorabilia. Easily collaborate with family members, collect family history, and create timelines. When choosing a provider, take advantage of free trials and run a test with a small group of photos before you commit. #SaveYourPhotos2020
Adding Metadata - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
Metadata is information that is digitally attached to your images and can help identify key information. This data makes it easier for you to search for your images and helps tell the story of the photo. Photo organizing software allows you to embed this information into your image files. #SaveYourPhotos2020
The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
Use the 3-2-1 backup strategy to safeguard your digital files. Create THREE copies of your digital data (photos, videos, documents, etc.) stored on TWO different types of media or devices (a computer and an external hard drive, for example), with ONE copy located off-site (another physical location or the cloud). #SaveYourPhotos2020
Make Good Choices - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
When you choose photo organizing software, you need to consider your comfort level with technology, your operating system, your time, and most importantly, your lifestyle - how will you access and maintain your photos? #SaveYourPhotos2020
Beware the Chemical Sandwich - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
Old magnetic or "sticky" albums contain unsafe components that act as a chemical sandwich for your photos. The acids from the plastic and adhesive are very harmful to your photos and will cause them to deteriorate. Remove the photos as quickly as possible! #SaveYourPhotos2020
Eliminate Duplicates - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
Do you have too many duplicate images cluttering your photo collection? There's an app for that! Use a duplicate finder to locate and eliminate duplicate and near-duplicate images. #SaveYourPhotos2020
How to Organize - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
How should you organize your photos? There is no right or wrong way, just whatever makes sense to you. If you already have some chronology in place, look for ways to build on that structure. If your photos are unsorted, start organizing by theme: holidays, vacations, kids sports, etc. #SaveYourPhotos2020
Start with Digital - #SaveYourPhotosMonth
Tackle your digital photo collection first. Your images may be at greater risk than your printed photo collection if you don't have sufficient backups in place. You will also be creating a home for your soon-to-be scanned photos. #SaveYourPhotos2020