Earlier this week I shared the one big mistake you are making when organizing your photos. Today is the flip side: the ONE question that will help you organize your photos quickly.
When organizing your photos, ask yourself, Will this photo matter in 50 years?
Now, I’m sure your crystal ball works about as well as mine does, so I’ll give you a few questions to ask yourself to figure out how you’ll know if those pictures will be important 50 years from now.
- Does it have your favorite people in it?
- Is it good quality? Can you see what and who you want to see?
- Is it the best picture from that event?
- Does it make you physically smile? Does it make you laugh? Do you want to linger a moment or tell the story behind that picture?
Whether you are organizing your print photo collection or your digital photo collection, this ONE QUESTION will help you save the photos that will matter in 50 years, and help you reduce the overwhelm.
If you haven’t started yet, try applying this one question to a pile of old print photographs. Most of my clients find that 20-50% of their old prints aren’t worth keeping. Why so many? Remember that we kept all those prints when we paid for both film and developing. It was hard to throw pictures away then, but now with a little time and perspective, you can see what the photos are that matter twenty, thirty, even fifty years or more after the fact.
More than a few of my clients are excited to take their organized photos with them “down the shore” (the popular vacation spot in my area) to toss a few more pictures that aren’t worth keeping for another fifty years. I love that, because vacations can be a great time to share your photos with friends and family, too.
Still curious about what is THE biggest mistake you are making organizing your photos? Find out here.
Need a roadmap to build your first photo book? My easy, online class is ready to start when you are.
