Photo organizing can seem like an overwhelming task. Here are some tips to help make your experience building a legacy capsule photo collection stress-free.
- Start with a Goal – Ask yourself why you want to organize your photo collection. Is it to secure your photos, to pass them on, to downsize, etc.?
- Sort for Clarity by dates and or categories like decades, years, holidays, vacations, etc. Remove the apparent duplicates, blurry, or unnecessary images.
- Combine the Two-Second Rule with the ABCS for a streamlined sorting approach for clarity.
Two-Second Rule – Hold an image for no more than two seconds. If there is no emotion or story, set the image aside or place it in the “C” pile.
ABCS of Sorting Photos
A – Image tells a story or makes you feel an emotion, so archive and digitize
B – Image is important but maybe not as strong as an A photo, so place it in another pile
C – Image has no emotion, story, or may be an obvious removal, so place in ‘trashcan’ category
S – Image has definite story or emotion, so archive and maybe display and share
- Document the 5-Ws with a photo-safe pencil (Stabilo) – Document the Who, What, When, Where, and Why in a few words so the story continues with the image for generations.
- Scan and Preserve – This will create a digital copy of your photo library.
For more information about photo organizing, please contact Gold Star Photo Solutions at info@goldstarphotosolutions.com or call us at 530-264-5995.
To sign up for free classes, visit SaveYourPhotos.org.