3 Tips for Organizing Your Photo Collection
Many of us have an old photo collection filled with pictures from previous generations. The problem with expansive collections is that they can get unwieldy and disorganized.
If you have a mess of albums and loose pictures, check out our tips for organizing your photo collection to put your collection in order!
1. Grab Your Supplies
Before you get started sorting through all your printed photos, you need supplies. Organizing hundreds of photos by hand can get confusing, so bring along some organization supplies like a notebook, Sharpies, Post-it Notes, envelopes or sandwich baggies, and any other visual identifiers.
As you go through your collection, sort the photos into different categories of your choosing, like favorites, year, or event (family vacation, wedding, etc.). Mark the piles with Post-it Notes, and put the different photo groups into their own envelopes or sandwich baggies. Be sure to title the name of each group with whatever it might be (i.e., Family Reunion 2006, Grand Canyon Vacation 1998, etc).
Pro Tip: Put aside your favorite photos as you work. You may want to frame those or add them to another photo album!
2. Condense the Collection
Before you start distinctly organizing your collection or going through it the first time, look for opportunities to condense it into a more manageable collection. Over the years, we all eventually accumulate duplicates or unnecessary photos that we won’t mind losing.
The fewer photos you organize, the better, so consider which photos you want to keep. Ask yourself, is this photo worth keeping and why? You’ll wind up with a slimmed-down collection that’s less of a burden.
3. Digitize Your Photos
We love the feel and look of actual, physical photos, but there’s no denying the convenience and security of scanning them. Digital conversion services allow you to digitize your entire photo collection to better catalog and preserve them for the future.
After organizing your collection, consider scanning them. Even as your physical copies age, your digital files will always be preserved, and you can access them at any time on your phone, computer, or tablet with a cloud storage service.
Should you decide to digitize your photos, digital folders can be created and named with the titles you provided on the envelopes or baggies as noted above. The digital images created from your photos can be placed in their appropriate digital folder. When your project is complete it will be much easier to find a digital image you are looking for rather than scanning through hundreds or perhaps even thousands of thumbnails.
After Organization: What To Do With Your Favorite Photos
You’ve got all your photos organized and ready. What do you do with them now? There’s no limit to what you can do with a vintage photo collection. Aside from scrapbooks and photo albums, some other popular projects people make with vintage photos include:
Framed collages.
Gallery walls.
Homemade fridge magnets.
Homemade greeting card.
And more!
We hope our tips for organizing your photo collection help you get your pictures in order! If you’re ready to convert them to digital or have questions about the process, consult with our experts at DiJiFi!