If you’re like me, you use your digital camera to take family photos these days, but you also still have boxes of old print photos lying around, including some passed down from your family. Admit it, they’re there-gathering dust and multiplying in shaky stacks of shoe boxes that you pretend don’t exist stored in closets that you ignore.
This is the time to get the old photos out of the closet, get them organized, and reclaim both your closet space and some family memories that are perishing among the dust. The following tips can help.
Decide on an Organizational System
Before you get started, decide how you will organize the photos as you go through them. Organize the photos in a way that makes sense to you. Options include chronologically (by year and month) or categorically (e.g., birthdays, holidays, parties, nature, school, travel or vacations, etc.). You could also organize by person (e.g., an album for each of your children).
Find a Space and Get Started!
Now, find a space you can devote to the project and gather all of those photos from the closet (and anywhere else they’ve been hiding). Go to work sorting them into the categories you’ve chosen–use boxes, baskets, or trays to help you sort. Start with the most recent photos first and work through the photos one at a time as you have the time. (Do make the time, though, or you’ll be back here next year!)
As you go through the photos, do the following things:
Label your photos using an acid-free and photo safe pencil or pen available at most photo processing centers and craft stores. Include the names of all of the people in the photos, the date (approximate the month/year if you’re not sure), and the location. Store any important negatives away from the photos, and be sure to label the envelopes the negatives are stored in. Toss bad photos that are too blurry, too bright, too dark, etc. (Alternatively, if the photo is particularly important to you, investigate digital enhancement options.) Toss or give away duplicate and near-duplicate photos.
Store Your Photos Properly
From here, you can further organize photos into albums, photo boxes, scrapbooks, and so on. Whichever you choose, do show your newly organized photos a little kindness, and move them out of the old shoeboxes for good. Look for photo storage options that are designed to hold photos–such items are generally labeled non-acidic (or acid free), non-PVC (or PVC free), and/or archival. Visit sites like organize.com, Adorama, or Get Smart Products.
Now that your photos are organized and stored properly, you’ll want to treat them right, so store photos in a cool, dark, and dry area in your home. Keep them away from areas like your attic, basement, garage, or any area where there’s water. (And yes, that means they can go back in the closet, if you want. But now they’ll take up less space, and you’ll be able to retrieve important photos more easily than you have in the past.)
Hey, congratulations! If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve also taken an important step in preserving your family’s history! If you’d like to go even further, consider digitizing your family’s photos, either yourself with a scanner or using a kiosk at a pharmacy like Walgreens or CVS or through services such as Digital Memories, digmypics.com, or ScanMyPhotos.