Did you know that there are 1.7 trillion paper photos in existence today¹? We’d venture a guess that some of those are hiding in your basement or in those “who knows what” boxes you’ve found at your parents' or grandparents' houses.
But figuring out which photos to keep can seem like a ton of work. What’s the criteria? What do you do with duplicates? What if they aren’t the best photo, but they are still special enough to keep?
There is a simple 3-step method that makes the entire process easier for you: ABCs.
Sorting Photos: The ABC Method
The ABC method is a favorite of professional photo managers everywhere: a way of sorting and organizing photos that helps you quickly and easily identify what is worth keeping, those worth archiving but are not a priority, and photos that can be discarded.
- A: The best photos in that “who knows what” box. These are a priority and we want them to be digitized into an album.
- B: These photos aren’t necessarily the best, the most clear, or the most meaningful, but they are still special and you’d like them digitized to keep them safe. These will go into an archival box.
- C: Photos that are blurry, landscapes, duplicates, or one of the 75 photos of the tree in your parents' front yard can be discarded.
Bonus Photo Organizing Tips
Here are a few extra tips for getting through this process:
- Set a timer and do your sorting in 10-minute increments.
- Label containers so you know where images are being sorted, and you can easily take inventory later before you send in your collection.
- Use the 2-second rule: hold each image for no more than 2 seconds, then make your decision.
We know this can seem daunting, but we promise: starting is the hardest part, and the end result is worth it. The quality of printed photos decreases quickly, making it more important than ever to preserve those one-of-a-kind memories.
If you already organized your photos and are ready to digitize, chat directly with one of our team members, or give us a call at 267-322-6651 and we will help you get started!
¹Futuresource, September 2017