February Challenge: Organizing Photos (Digital Photos)

Hello and welcome to another monthly organization challenge. During the month of February I'm challenging you (and myself) to get your PHOTO'S organized. 

My photo collection includes both digital and printed photos from the past, which has made organizing them difficult. Throughout the month, I'll show you how to organize both digital photos and printed photos and how to display and preserve your memories.

Today I'm talking about organizing your digital photos, which in my opinion, is where you want to begin.

If your photo's are as unorganized as mine were a year ago, there is no way that you can get them all organized in one month.  However, if you are where I was, please, please, please join the challenge and begin taking control TODAY.  Trust me, you will be so thrilled that you did.

Spending one month on organizing your photo collections will do wonders. The longer you wait, the further behind you become and the larger the task of organizing your photos gets. That's pretty much where I was about a year ago.

Let me explain why this has been the biggest challenge for me. Before I decided that it was time to organize my photos, I really had NO rhyme or reason to anything.  True that! I had absolutely NO organization in the photo department.  I promise you, it was a MESS, a big unorganized (14 years worth) mess and it was driving me crazy. I HAD to take control.

I had some printed photos and ones that weren't printed AND to make it all worse, I had NO clue what had been printed and what hadn't. The biggest challenge for me was deciding where to begin.
After pondering it for a while, I decided that the very first place I needed to begin was organizing the digital photos that I have on my computer.

Although there are a lot of photo organizing software options out there, I don't use them.  I organize the photos on my computer the good ole' fashioned way.

I've set up files in my computer to organize my photos:

FIRST BY YEAR

THEN BY MONTH INSIDE EACH YEAR

THEN BY EVENT INSIDE EACH MONTH

A very important step is to delete the unwanted photos.   This one is hard for me to do, but I realize it's an important step. 

I simply right mouse click on the thumbnail and click delete.

Now that you have your photos organized by year, then by month, then by event inside each month, let me show you my way of keeping track of it all.

Every time I connect my camera to my computer and upload the photo's, I write it down on a printable page that I designed and have added to my shop:

It's the Photo Journal Log

 {click the photo to be directed to the item in my shop}

  I keep the photo journal logs in a binder,

Which sits right next to my computer. It's right where I need it, when I need it.

This is a habit that I've developed over the last year and it's worked great for me.  I know exactly what photos have been uploaded into my computer and which photos have been printed.  Once I print the photo, I then place a check mark in the appropriate box.  Later this month, I'll show you where a copy of this page goes after the photos from the year are all on the list and printed.  I'll also show you how I organize the ones that have been printed.

I'm still actually a long way from having everything in order, but I have a plan and a goal now and I'm on my way to having organizing bliss in the photo department.  Now that I have that, I feel SO much better and I finally feel like I'm making progress.

The biggest thing that I would like to stress is this - START TODAY! Develop a system and STICK with it.  It'll be so worth your time.

Work backwards. Start from the current year and work your way back.  

Don't expect to finish it all this month, it's a process that will take time, but starting today and focusing ONLY on organizing your photo collections this month will be one step closer to having your photos organized and your memories preserved.

Digital photos need to be backed up too.  I will go into further details about that, later this month.

May you be a little inspired!

Until next time,
DaNita 
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Wanna join in on the Monthly Organization Challenge? During the month of February, we're Organizing Photos! There will be a link party at the end of the month for you to share your Photo Organizing Posts.  Join in, take pictures and blog about it.  Then come back here at the end of February to inspire us all and share your photo organizing success.