Developing a Photo Organizing Plan: Shoebox Memories

This two-part blog series is meant to help you sort, organize, and share your family’s photographs. Part One will focus on organizing your paper images, while Part Two will walk you through decluttering and organizing your digital images.

Flood damaged photos

If your house were on fire, what would you save?

If you've heard this hypothetical question, you know our answers are not that different from one another. After family members and pets are safe, most of us would save our memories—photos, to be specific. But could you grab your life's most precious moments in less than 60 seconds?

If photos are so important to all of us, why are they usually the last thing we prioritize and organize?

The right time is now.

Time is not kind to photos. A combination of poor storage, cheap ink, and sticky photo album pages may be slowly deteriorating your photos right now. But it is not too late to save them. There is no better time than now to dust off your pictures and make a photo organizing plan.

Going through stacks of memories can feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to start. There are a couple of things you can do to make sorting your photos fast and easy—And with a little planning, you'll have a finished product that can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Planning your photo organizing project

Set your photo organizing goals. The first step in getting your photos organized is picturing the result. How do you want to share and celebrate your photos? Do you want to create digital albums you can share with others? Do you want to create photo books? Perhaps you want to file them, so they are easy to find.

Sort and stack your photos using the ABCs method.

A is for Archive! These are your best photos, the ones that deserve to be preserved, and the ones you would be devastated to lose. Think high-quality images of your family history and important events. These are the ones you should be digitizing!

B is for Box! These photos are the extras that support your A’s. They are the ones you aren't ready to part with and may want to access in the future. These photos will be archived for safekeeping, but they will not be digitized. 

C is for Can! Doubles, triples, and awful photos make up this category. Landscapes, blurry images, food, and other nondescript images that do not tell a story should be thrown away. Trust your gut—you'll know which ones these are! 

S is for Story! Does this photo tell a story, even though it's not the best quality or isn't the most flattering? Example: I have a blurry photo of my uncle and my cousin after they accidentally fell on top of each other on the dance floor at my cousin's wedding. It's a fun family memory that no one wants to forget—definitely a keeper!

Tip: Before spending time or money on scanning services, consider doing a second sort of your photos to be sure that you're only digitizing the best ones.

Implement the 2-Second Rule. Hold a photo for only as long as it takes you to determine if it is an A, B, or C. Resist the urge to stroll down memory lane while sorting through photos! It will be MUCH faster if you sort them alone. Save the show-and-tell time for after they are organized.

Tip: Wait to gather names, dates, and other pertinent photo information until you have sorted your photos.

Think theme! You might be tempted to digitize or file your photos chronologically, but theming is a more natural way to share memories. Examples of themes are family weekends at the cabin, trips to Disneyland, the holidays, Bobby plays football, etc. When considering themes, reference your photo organizing goals. With whom will you be sharing these? How might they get the most enjoyment out of the photos?

Project Idea: Consider organizing and digitizing your family Christmas photos together, then create a fun tradition of streaming them on your TV during the next Christmas gathering.

Tell a story. Report cards, certificates, awards, and other documents can help you unlock dates and additional important information about your photos. Sorting and scanning these documents with your photos will provide depth to your digital scrapbook. 

Be safe, not sorry. 

Once your photos are scanned, you should back up those files on to an external hard drive AND a cloud-based storage system. Original copies of photos should be stored in acid-free containers in a temperature-controlled room.

Tip: Not all cloud-based storage systems are created equal. Some free services can suspend or terminate your account at any time; others own the rights to your photos and can delete them at any time without providing notice. Read the terms and conditions before trusting these services with your memories! 

There are so many options for your finished photo organizing project!

Share and collaborate!

Now that you have devoted time and energy to organizing your paper photos, this is an excellent opportunity to share your results! Take the time to look through your photos with older family members who may be able to offer previously untold stories and history. These are the priceless moments you will not want to miss!

Tip: If you want to write names, dates, or other pertinent information on the backs of your photos use only a #2 pencil or Stabilo Marking Pencils. DO NOT USE INK!

You can now rest assured knowing that you have helped preserve your family's history for many years to come!

Aimee Olson of Life Done Simply is a Productivity and Organizing Coach and is a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO).