| |
How to Organize Photos  Organize your photos now and you'll have more time for making photo-worthy memories.
The Photo Challenge
You've conquered desk disarray, shoe-closet stampedes, and kids' clutter. You're well on the way to a full year of succeeding in that New Year's resolution to get organized!
Next stop: those drawers stuffed with photo-center envelopes, loose negatives, and stuck-together prints of people you can't identify.
It never fails: You develop a roll of film, flip through the photos a couple of times, and toss them aside, intending to sort them in the future.
Later, when you're on the hunt for a particular snapshot, you paw through overwhelming stacks of photos littered throughout the house or shoved into desk drawers, but the image you're searching for seems to have disappeared.
The next time you pick up your developed film, spend an evening sorting the photos right away. Make it a family event -- share laughs and reminisce about that shot of the dog eating your son's birthday cake -- and you'll be on the right track for keeping those precious memories safe, organized, and easily accessible.
Sorting Tips
Invest in a large set of matching photo albums and photo boxes. This will make it easy to organize your photos over the years.
Go over photos when you first receive them.
While you sort, record an identifying description, such as the date or who's in the photo, on the back of each photo.
Write on photo paper with a light touch, and make certain you use an acid-free, photo-safe pencil or pen (available at art-supply and crafts stores).
Don't keep bad exposures, blurry shots, or bloopers you won't look at again. Throw away any photos you'd rather not remember.
Nab your favorites to put in an album or frame right away; pick out images to give to friends.
Make a list of any reprints or enlargements you need and take it to the photo store next time you're out and about.
Boxing Options
Box It Up
You can use specially made photo boxes to create a filing system. Transfer prints from the photo-center packets to less bulky acid-free envelopes.
Clearly label each envelope with dates and any other identifying description -- Road trip to Yellowstone or Christmas 2004, for instance. Then separate the envelopes into specific categories for storage.
Label tabbed dividers to further organize into subcategories, perhaps by year or family member.
The key is to create categories that will fit all of your photos and that you'll remember when the time comes to search out that certain shot.
Tips to Protect Photos
Handle with Care
To protect your precious photos, keep these points in mind:
Temperature, humidity, and light affect photos. Stash stored photos and photo albums away from sunlight in a cool, dry area.
Hang framed photos on a wall that won't get the direct sunlight that fades photos quickly. Or use blinds and draperies to control the light.
Avoid storing photos in basements or attics, where temperatures and humidity fluctuate.
Oils on your fingers degrade photos and negatives, so handle them by the edges only. For additional protection, wear clean white cotton gloves.
Paper clips, rubber bands, glue, and tape shouldn't come in contact with photos, unless specifically designed as safe for photos.
Plastic pages, bags, and boxes that aren't acid-free may release harmful vapors that permanently damage photos. These plastic products are considered safe: Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Mylar, Tyvek, and Cellulose Triacetate. Before you buy, check labels on photo boxes, mats, and albums to make sure they're acid-free and photo safe.
Always frame photos using acid-free matting materials.
Keep photos away from wood, plywood, chipboard, rubber cement, animal glue, shellac, contact cement, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), pressure sensitive tape, and porous marking pens.
Adhesives may chemically interact with images and ruin the photos if you try to remove them from an album at a later date. Use only specially made acid-free glue sticks, markers, and corners on your photos.
Going Digital
Label and Backup
Even if you're not handling negatives or reprints, you still need to organize and protect your digital photos. Develop a system for storing digital images and stick with it.
Label digital photos the moment you upload them onto your computer. Assign each image a specific name and date you'll recognize. It may help to begin each file name consistently (OurWeddingOct04-cake003.jpg), following with a more descriptive title and a photo number.
Categorize digital photos into folders and subfolders on your hard drive. Or use software designed to archive images into computerized photo albums.
Protect digital files from menacing computer viruses and unreliable technology by backing up your image files or burning them to CDs.
|
|
