Organizing Photos

Photos are keepsakes that can be kept for generations to come. Arranging your photos in a manner that helps you display loved ones can be done with the help of photo albums, negative holders, scanners, and a location to store your photos.

• Time. A starting point in your journey towards preserving your photo keepsakes is to understand it takes time to organize the hundreds of photographs that have lied dormant in your closets, drawers, shoeboxes, and garage shelves. The number of photos to be organized will determine how much time you need to set aside. The photograph organization can take a couple of hours or a couple of days. Be prepared.
• Sorting. Photos can be organized by year, family, vacation, or special event. Once you have categorized all of your photos, find photo albums, binders that can be decorated into scrapbooks, or a scanner to upload images to your computer. Remember to add some descriptive information that will increase your memory of events surrounding the photos.
• Gifting. A point of contention many of us struggle with is whether we should delete or get rid of a photograph. Perhaps the photo has a picture of your past "significant other" but also happens to be a person who has significance in someone else's life. Although the photo means nothing to you, putting the photo into a batch that can be given to others that may cherish those photos may help you with your dilemma on what do with them.
• Go digital. Scanning photos onto your computer or writeable CDs, or copying your photos onto a memory stick can help you eliminate the many photos you have in your home. Placing cherished photos onto a screensaver program for your computer will allow you to see your favorite photos repeatedly. You also have the ability to update and change out the photos on your screensaver providing you with updated pictures of your loved ones.
• Personal favorites. Photos that you would like to keep handy to show to your family and friends can be kept in your scrapbooks or photo albums on a bookshelf. The easy access to your scrapbooks and photo albums will eliminate the need to start up your computer.
• Display. The desire to display photos can become overwhelming when you are limited in wall space and bookshelves are filled with framed photos. Many wall dividers and a variety of photo display frames provide unique shapes that can hold a number of photos that can take up less space on your walls and bookshelves. You have the ability to display many photos in your home and office using less space with a very creative and decorative flare.

Photos are memory keepsakes of good times that helps lift up spirits when they are low. Keeping photos organized and at hand can provide you with many unforgettable reminiscences.