Lights, Camera, Pictures: Organizing & Storing Physical Photos

Organized person or not, we all have those spaces that are anything but neat and tidy. For me, it’s a massive tub of loose photographs that has been lurking behind my couch for the last 7 years. Yes, 7 years.

So when stay-at-home orders happened, I created a few simple rules to organizing physical photos and hunkered down.

It worked. Now I am sharing these rules with you.

Expectation Setting: Organizing Photos Takes Time

First things first, let me say this: you will not conquer de-cluttering your mounds of photo albums overnight.

Going through pictures can be emotional, mentally draining, and plain old boring. Set yourself up for organizing success by tackling only a small handful of photos each night or every few nights. Add in some Netflix and drink of choice and it can almost be fun.

Now for the rules.

Rule #1: Let’s Get Digital

If you have a photo that’s already in the Cloud, this is your cue to toss the physical copy.

If that thought has your heart racing, think of it this way: That physical copy that you’ve planned to frame for the past x years never happened.

Plus, it’s oh-so-easy to re-print it should you ever find that magical time to get to hanging.

Rule #2: Say No To Multiples

If you find yourself with multiple pictures of the same event, or worse, the exact same shot (think yearly school photos), keep to one or two faves and say good-bye to the rest. It’s really as simple as that.

Rule #3: Focus On “The Keepers”

It can be tough to answer what falls into “the keeper” category. My guess is that this is what’s been keeping you from de-cluttering your photos this whole time.

Here’s how I think of it: A wedding, a birthday, a special picnic day, a shot of your charming little toddler – all keepers. The key here is being mindful of how many of these keepers actually stay. Keep to a few physical keepers and move the rest to the Cloud.

Non-Keepers: Pics of you mid-forkful, nobody looking at the camera, or shots of some random guy that nobody knows. These are the ones to toss to curb.

Products To Keep Your Photos Organized

Now that you’ve followed these 3 rules, you should be left with a nice little pile of keeper pics. Now it’s time to tuck them away.

My favorite way to organize physical photos is this simple acrylic bin from Amazon. These bins hold a bunch of smaller containers so you can divide your photos in categories. This gives you the chance to break photos into categories like baby years, weddings, birthdays, holidays, etc., making it super easy to find “that one picture” when you need it.

Digitizing Old Photos

When you only have a physical copy of an old pic (hello babies from the 80’s), it’s time to get preserving. There are tons of scanners on the market and local companies that will even digitize them for you.

If you’re willing to put in some of the work, get your smartphone ready and start trying out apps like Photomyne, Pic Scanner Gold, or even the Notes app of your iPhone.

I went old school by finding a well-lit room, a cheap poster board and snapping pics straight from my phone. It did the trick.

Flash Forward

So, there you have it. These are the super simple rules that helped me dig through 7 years worth of physical photos. If I can tackle it, there is hope for you, my friend. Just don’t wait 7 years like I did to tackle the mess.

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Lights, Camera, Pictures: Organizing & Storing Physical Photos