Digital Photo Management

How to organize family photos

The simplest way to organize digital photos is by year, subdivided by season and then by events like parties and school ceremonies, birthdays, weddings…

For example:

2012 photos

1. Winter 2012

                Josh’s Birthday

                Rachel & Andrew’s wedding

     2.Spring 2012

                Alex’s Kindergarten graduation

     3. Summer 2012

                Disneyland

                Beach pics

                Pool pics

     4. Fall 2012

                School portraits

                Thanksgiving

Individual folders

For those of you who want to organize your photos even further, you may choose to have a file for each member of the family and add to them annually. Those files would not repeat each year, instead they would be subdivided by year within. If you add just one picture a year (school portrait) this will build up to be a nice video montage of his growth, perfect for a graduation gift.

For example.

 Ben

           Baby pics

                      0-6 months

                                  6-12 month

          1^st year

          Age 2

          Age 3

          Age 4

How often?

With this system it doesn’t matter if you upload your pics once a year or 4 times a year or by event. Your pics will have a place to be sorted into.

Use your time wisely.

The more often you organize and upload pics the less time it will take. When you have hundreds of pics that can be a real project. Make it fun by playing music while you upload pics. Plan another task at the same time so you don’t have to stare at the screen. Fold laundry or file papers as your pics load. This same technique applies to uploading pics to a photo account to print pics or create keepsakes. Upload by season or event. Most photo programs let you choose the names of the albums: Thanksgiving 2012, or Summer 2012.

Printing and Storing Pics

After your digital prints are organized you can begin to back them up by season or year online or onto cd's. The print worthy pics should be printed and loaded into albums seasonally or annually, your choice. This is a fun activity to do with the whole family during winter vacation (the end of the calendar year). This is also a great time to make family yearbooks with the best pics from that year. Snapfish or Shutterfly give coupons for photo books at various times of the year. Take advantage of those offers and services.