Are Your Photographs Scattered Memories?
Organizing Life's Experiences
From the Week 27 chapter of
Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey
Now that most of us have switched to digital photography, those stacks of photos are no longer accumulating, but we still want to keep the memories of the past. At the office, photos might include pictures of the warehouse's stages of construction and evolution, company Christmas parties, or an employee's family.
The common theme is that people do not know where to put the numerous packages of photos, so those shots have joined the papers stacked around the room or stuffed in drawers. If someone is asked to make a decision about the photos, the majority of the pictures are either tossed or go home. Then the talk turns to the accumulation of home photos and how to handle them.
Dealing with the multitude of home photo packages from past years can be a major challenge. The more you have collected, the more of an energy drain it is as you contemplate creating meaningful order from the piles. If you number yourself among the group with photos as a future project, consider some typical questions and answers.
Q: Why do you take photos?
A: To preserve the memories of trips, to look back at stages of our children's growth, and to share those memories in future.
Q: How do you and your family enjoy these reminiscences?
A: We have not looked back on them because they are scattered in drawers and boxes.
Q: What are you planning to do with the photos?
A: I am going to sort them and put them in albums as soon as I have time.
How many years of photos have accumulated so far waiting for the right time? To treasure past photos and continue to add to your collection, you need a plan. You cannot simply buy a scrapbook and start putting in old prints because nothing is sorted yet.
In order to get started on the project, you can use an easy, two-step solution that gives you quick control over the huge backlog.
Step One: Place photos in boxes by year. You could buy photo boxes or use shoeboxes. Unless you plan on making this your permanent file, it does not have to be attractive at this stage. Once you have your boxes labeled by year and easily available, go through one room at a time. Gather all the photos from that location. Drop them into the appropriate year. If you have not labeled or dated the photos, guess the approximate year. When all of the photos are grouped, it will be easier to recognize a photo that does not match a particular time frame.
Step Two: Develop an index. After the photos are chronologically categorized, make a master list detailing the contents of each box so you can easily locate a past event. It could be done by hand or with computer software. If you choose a software package, good indexing tools include:
- Easily adding to the list
- Using a Search feature to locate any past event within seconds
- Cross-referencing to find related items, such as all your Cancun trips
- Producing printouts for each box with its specific contents and then also producing a master list of all the boxes
As with any project-- home or office--you must schedule the time or it will not get done. You might set aside thirty minutes each Sunday evening. Week by week, collect photos from each room and place them in the boxes. Do this until all the prints are gathered in the containers.
When that step is done, in your thirty minutes of evening time, make an index for one box at a time. By following these steps, you have taken a major project and subdivided it into manageable sections. The photos now become an enjoyable hobby because the clutter and confusion are gone. With this organization accomplished, you can determine how you want to arrange these. Options include:
Whatever you decide, the photos are under control and accessible.
For upcoming vacations, if you have switched over to digital photos, continue to maintain this same procedure. Create online folders using one of the common photo sites so that you can share with distant family members, but also keep your own CDs, grouped by year. Number them and list them on your index.
Let your pictures be available as special memories for future years so you can reminisce together and share those times with your children and grandchildren.
For more from "Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey" read the Introduction and Chapter One, "Systems Help Us Soar!"