How many pictures are currently on your phone? Better yet, how many pictures of toddler foreheads are on your phone? With the advent of digital cameras comes the problem of storing and sharing digital pictures. But if you’re struggling to declutter, organizing pictures doesn’t have to be a hassle.
Digital cameras and better quality phone cameras have grown so much in popularity that it’s rare to see someone snapping shots with a film camera.
Digital cameras are handy gadgets, but many amateur photographers find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of pictures that can be taken in a single sitting. Without the limitation of film, one soccer game could yield upwards of 1000 pictures.
So, if you’re struggling to sort through all.the.photos, here are some tips to store and organize your photographs without cluttering your phone or camera.
Upload Pictures Immediately
Many people get into the habit of leaving pictures on the memory card of a digital camera. This can be a mistake if the pictures aren’t developed quickly because memory cards can be lost or damaged.
Uploading the pictures to a computer within a week after they’re taken will not only open up space on the card, but it can save the pictures from being lost.
How to Review (and Delete) photos
Although it can be a difficult task to even think about deleting your precious photographs, it has to be done.
- First, look at the quality of the picture. Delete overly blurry or darkened pictures as soon as they’re uploaded to the computer.
- Next, look for duplicates of the same or similar shots and poses. Delete the duplications immediately.
If you review and delete photos when the pictures are uploaded, it will save valuable time, especially as prints are being ordered.
how to store digital Pictures safely
Maintaining and storing pictures is another matter completely. Computers crash and memory cards can be damaged.
Treasured digital photographs need to be maintained in a secure and safe place.
One option for storing photos is using an external hard drive. I use My Cloud, which has four terabytes of storage and it’s really easy to use.
Being proactive with backing up valuable information on a computer can save a lot of headaches and a lot of loss.
There are also online back-up sites available for a fee, such as Carbonite or Barracuda Networks.
If backing up the hard-drive online is too technical, there are simpler options. Regularly making copies of the photographs onto a compact disc or digital video disc can be an easy solution, but it has to be done on a fairly regular basis.
Online Storage and Sharing options
There are several free online storages and sharing sites. Each seems to have its own advantages and disadvantages.
Shutterfly is a popular option, and it’s easy to navigate. Shutterfly allows free unlimited storage of photographs and offers the option to order prints to be mailed or picked up at a Target store. This site also has many unique and personalized gift ideas available. Pictures can also be shared with others in an online gallery.
I love storing pictures with Amazon Photos, which is free if you have an Amazon Prime membership. You’ll also get reminders of your memories that happened “on this day.”
Other online storage and sharing websites include Flickr, Photobucket, Snapfish, and Kodak.com. All except for Flickr offer an option to order prints. Any one of these sites may be a good option for online storing or sharing.
photo organization tips
Once you have your photographs stored safely, it’s a good idea to organize them so you can easily find them.
Creating folders and sub-folders on an external hard-drive or online storage site is a good first step to storing photographs.
Use descriptive titles like “Summer 2020” or “Tori’s 3rd Birthday” to save time when a particular picture is needed.
It may also be helpful to create a “To Print” folder for those shots that are definitely going to be ordered or printed.
Precious memories won’t be lost as long as a certain measure of an organization is maintained. Organizing digital pictures can be easy with the solutions mentioned above.