Preserving Memories through photo organizing
We are storytellers by nature. Over time, we’ve developed a roadmap of the lives and experiences from those that preceded us. When the camera was invented it connected the world around us. In the past years, we’ve moved from dreary images of people sitting expression-less posing their best dresses, to families in colourful shirts and all kinds of situations, smiling broadly.
Vacations, special occasions and holidays are captured with cameras, iPhones and iPads with such fervour that it could take months to print, sort and archive photos. But this doesn’t have to be the case! By simply deleting those blurry photos of what may – or may not – have been a black bear sighting, or a thumb on the screen, you’re well on you’re way to managing the visual timeline of your life.
Why is it that we take so many pictures? Simply put, because we can. We’re having so much fun that we want to remember each detail. We want to keep those memories with us forever, so we take umpteen photos “just in case”. Without deleting unnecessary photos, creating photo albums, or even marking the event on the back of the photo, you’ve simply got a box full of pictures. The feeling that you desperately wanted to recreate has disappeared into a dark closet where your story is left untold.
Photographs are funny things. Each one can tap into our deepest emotions and transport us back to the moment it was captured no matter the date or time in our lives. It may have been your daughter’s birth, your first date, or even the day you bid adieu to the office for the last time. Photos bond families and friends, and bring hours of entertainment and joy.
How would it feel to have your photos organized, sorted and categorized, all in one place – a place where your favourite photos are easy to find when you need them or want to refer back to them? Here are some tips to get you started:
The ABCs of Photo Organization
A: ALBUMS – They tend to be reserved for your most beloved photos. Whether displayed in a coffee table book, framed in a beautiful collage, or brought to life in a digital photo frame, they lay in wait to be shared with the ones you love.
B: BOXES – Used for photos you aren’t ready to part with. To maintain their pristine condition for long term storage, it’s best to store them in an archival-quality photo box to prevent damage such as tearing, scratches, fading or cracking.
C: CAN DO? This may be hard to imagine, but yes you CAN throw out photos! Toss duplicates, blurry or unflattering photos, and excess scenery photos. When you imagine your legacy, have people see you in your true light – how do you want that to be? How do you wish they would remember you?
STORIES – A story is the most important aspect of any photo. If it evokes an emotion, elicits a memory, or captures your imagination, then keep it. Love it. Share it.
When it comes to sorting photos it can be overwhelming. The best thing to do is to imagine your life as a novel. Each chapter has a different thread as you grow and evolve through life. Sort your photos to reflect those changes, for example: Ancestry, Childhood, Vacations, Family, etc.
Now that you’re organized, it’s time to share them with the ones you love. For this holiday season I’m creating a digital scrapbook of my daughter’s first baby shower, a personalized calendar, playing cards of and for my family, and transposing a photograph onto canvas turning a picture into art. Bringing photos to life is a simple and extraordinary gift!
Everyone has a memory that they cherish. Mine is the day I gave my husband’s Aunt a digital scrapbook for her 80th birthday, with photos celebrating her life and legacy. She looked at me in awe and with love, and with tears glistening in her eyes stated “This was the most precious gift she could have ever received!” I get goose bumps every time she tells me that… and this is what you too can share with your loved ones.
Every photo and story connects our family through generations past and present. I’m fortunate to be a part of this rewarding experience.
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Daina Makinson is a Certified Photo Organizer and owner of Snap Shot Solutions. For more information contact her at 1-855-522-7128
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