Photos and Photo Albums-How to Organize,Purge and What to Showcase?

At home, I only display professional photos that are framed. At work, I take a few fun pictures to display. After a few months, I'll rotate them out. All of my pictures are digital at this point and I'll order a few prints for family or to take to work. After a year, I'll do an online photo book with my favorite pictures for that year. If you really want to rotate out pictures, you might look at getting a scanner and a couple of digital frames. That makes it so much easier than trying to print pictures and only getting them out certain times of the year. Scanning them in also makes it easier to give copies to other people.

I agree with the digital frame idea then you can display lots. You can even scan in old ones. I have some scrapbooks that my mom did for me as a kid and their are several pics with people not in my life anymore but it's fun to look back and remember. That's what I would say is ask yourself do I remember this is moment/will I want to remember this moment years from now. If the answer is no garbage the pic (or send it to whoever else might be in the pic then they can decide whether to keep it or not). I also only have pics displayed in my house that are either posed or just a great picture that goes with a particular theme in my home (like pics of Daddy and daughter in her room, a collage of last summer in my room, my kids in their football themed team shirts on the "football wall" etc) Other than that I take moments that I want to remember and put them in photo album. Don't be afraid to throw stuff away. I liked the suggestion of starting with a 2 in stack and sorting. Once it's all sorted the organize by date and start stuffing into albums. I personally love looking back at old albums and my kids like looking back at their old albums. You can always scan the pics you decide to keep and then put them in a photo book from some online company that will take all the pics and put them in a book for you (not sure if it's more worth it to you to scan and then have some else book them or you book them and not scan them). Personally I think it's a never ending project because I'm always taking new photos and dealing with them. Good for you for starting with the old ones. My MIL gave me a box full of my husbands old photos that I have yet to sort through and book. Good luck. Chin up it's worth it.

I' have been a photographer since I was like 7 years old so I have a lot of photos. I've taken the project slowly but stayed consistent in moving forward with it. I started with my boxes of pictures and threw the ones that did not have any special memory or importance to me (about 2/3 of them) and put the rest in huge 500 pictures albums (you could also pay someone to scan them). I split them into loosely based themes or time frames so I would not go crazy trying to organize them. The ones on my computer I am also doing a similar type of purging and organizing. The ones I download now I always place in a folder that is organized in season and year or another relevant topic. Now that I have two boys I know I won't keep up with printing and albums so I am making picture DVDs to music so that I can watch them and walk down memory lane. I make a copy and place it in our safe so it is protected from fire and water damage. I also back up my photos on our computer to a external hard drive and an online website to have backup.

K., I have two ideas for you. First off I want to congratulate you for wanting to DO something this your photos! So many people do nothing with them...and then just pass them on to family, who doesn't know what to do with them!

Gather your photos, and as you go through them, if they are blurry or not any good, put them in a trash can. Old boyfriends, etc. I'd just keep a couple of those...

As you organize, my recommendation would be to do so by "child." You can begin making your children's "history," in albums with your journalling as a mother next to a lot of their photos. For example, instead of "Thanksgiving, 2010," you write (in your own handwriting), "Emma, look how beautiful you looked Thanksgiving morning, 2010!" So it is a written record of your love.

Here is something called a POWER Sort Box. I have one for each of my 3 children. They are the best thing since sliced bread!! lol
http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/marycluley/Content/Shop/Pro...

As far as showcasing in your home, there is an 18 x 18 frame called the EveryDay Display and you showcase the photos from that season with magnets....you change it out whenever you'd like per season of the year! It's so easy and just beautiful. Most people have them in a very accessible place in their homes....so everyone can see! It's pretty big. Here's a link to it:

http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/photos/quick_pr...
And here is another example. They come in white, chocolate brown and black.
http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/photos/quick_pr...

I hope you have found this helpful. You will be so happy you began organizing your photos!
Blessings,
M.
www.mycmsite.com/marycluley

Smile :)

My only attempts at decorating are when i pull out the tote with our christmas tree decorations, or the kids halloween buckets ( i re-use) or the the fourth of july wreath i always forget until august----- in each of those totes i have picture frames most are candids except for the Christmas ones. It was worth it to me to buy a few more frames and then just pack them up. I now i probably wouldn't think of it to take a frame off and endtable and switch out the picture IN it, instead of the whole frame. The exception being christmas, i have a beautiful snowflake frame and when i pull that one out i replace the old pic with our new christmas picture.

for me i would probably work with a stack of photos no bigger than 2 inches. Like NOT a whole box. I would start by throwing away the easy ones, like the blurred shots of the ceiling, you know i kept them, shaking my head. Then I might pull out favs. Then it does get tough, I'm sure if you don't want the photo and it's flattering to someone else, maybe make up and envelope and as you go through your photos stick ones you know Aunt Fran would like in her envelope and then send it out when it gets full or you run out of photos. But don't send her ones where her eyse are closed and she has abig zit.

Not so sure what to do with picts of people that aren't in your life any more, maybe you need a second opinion on those, is there a friend of a friend that can help you decide??

oh and i just wanted to say I think I actually prefer most candid photos i have snapped over the formal posed studio shots, but then again my studio is jcpenny's not some million dollar private photographer. So anyhow i would mix in a few candids. like shots of your kids first baths in the bathroom, or them covered in bubbles in the bathroom. Like that.

Not sure i helped or if i just talked in circles. Good for you for tackling this!!!