Perhaps you have a pile of photos that looks like this? You’re not alone and you can turn them into organized photos online to share with friends and family.
Several years ago, I owned 12+ photo boxes. I sorted, purged and threw away thousands of photos to keep only the very best.
Little by little, I reduced and organized our family photographs into a digital repository and cloud service. Now, I have peace of mind that memories are preserved and recoverable in the event of a disaster. (Like the pipe that burst in our home!)
Additionally, I’ve learned to take fewer photos. Just one can tell the whole story.
Old Photos
Do you have a box of family photos tucked away somewhere? Are you unsure of the people in them? Unfortunately, passed down photographs rarely include important details.
My Grandma Alice was a rare exception. She not only organized the photos but also sorted them into envelopes for her kids. We spent hours looking through them. What a gift she left us. Inspired by her efforts, I scanned the organized photos and her handwriting. Here’s how you can do the same thing.
3 Easy Steps
- Rough Sort – Separate photos into broad categories. I like to order mine by periods of time such as childhood, college, wedding/before kids, 1st child, etc.) Purge photos as you go. Less is more when it comes to photographs.
- Refine Your Sort – Take each category and refine the sort to specific events such as
Wedding/May 1999. Get rid of more photos with each sort. Throw away duplicates, extra scenery, blurry photos, and unknown people. Be brutal about keeping only the best of the best. Don’t let paper clutter become digital clutter. Then, use index cards and rubber bands to organize and label each event. - Batch scan – Scan the saved photos to your computer or use a scanning service to do it for you. Use the labels on the index cards to create a meaningful naming convention for the files to your computer. (1999_05_Wedding)
Note: For photo prints, 300 dpi is fine in general; scan at 600 dpi to make sure you get all the details hidden in your prints. Scanning beyond 600 dpi is wasteful; it’ll make the files bigger without giving you any additional image detail. Plus, the higher the resolution, the more time it takes to scan each photo. Consider scanning at 150 dpi if your plan is to just share via Social Media.
Scanning Service
- If you prefer, use a Scanning Service such as Scan My Photos. I love this service. With my box of 1,800 photos, I had a great experience! I opted for “Scan in Order” which was well worth the additional cost to maintain the labels I created.
Software Tools
- One Tool – Photos for Mac is where I store and organize all my scanned photos. No matter which software or website you use, choose one.
- Routinely Back-up to a cloud service such as Shutterfly, iCloud, Dropbox, or Amazon Prime. Schedule routine back-ups of your very best photos. Cloud storage is typically free up to a certain level. Save money by keeping only your favorites. Choose the system that’s easiest for you and meets your needs.
Would you like help getting started? Contact me to schedule a free consult.
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