How's everyone doing on their big organization project for 2015??? This last week has been another crazy one in our house. So that means I didn't get to tackle more of my craft cleaning project, but I was able to finish up some projects and kit up some future workshops! I'll take that as partial organization!
Moving along with our theme this month, though, I wanted to talk about organizing photos! Without photos we really don't have a story to tell or pages to scrapbook. The hardest part, though, is these days we have photos of EVERYTHING! So how do you organize everyday photos, event photos, printed photos, digital photos....phew....it gets to be exhausting!
It doesn't have to be, though. Once you have a system in place, organizing photos becomes easier and easier, and you'll be able to find that perfect photo that you want to scrap or display in your home!
I don't have the perfect photo organization system, but what I do use works well for me! The biggest thing with organizing all our photos is making sure you have a reliable back-up system!
Not all back up systems are going to stick around in the next 5-10 years either! So making sure that you keep on top of your photo storage is important. I'm "old school" and use an external hard drive to store all my photos, documents, etc. It's always attached to my laptop, too, so I can access anything I need whenever I need it! I use Seagate's Backup Plus Portable Drive, and still have a ton of room left on there for more storage (and believe me...it's got a lot on there already).
My digital photos are organized in a pictures folder on my hard drive. When I open my pictures folder I have multiple other folders that are all labeled and dated (if need be). Especially if I have multiple folders that are similar; like Christmas. My folders are labeled "McMullin Christmas 2014....2015....etc" for example. I also sub-organize my folders. Again sounds like a lot, but it really doesn't take that long! I don't have every photo named or labeled, just placed in the right folder. For example, I have a folder named "Ian and Karina" in that folder I have multiple other folders of trips, events, everyday photos, etc. that are just my husband and I together!
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| Here you can see some of my folders when I open "My Pictures". Each Folder is labeled, and some folders have sub-folders. |
This system works for me, and I am able to find what I need quickly and efficiently, too! If you have questions or want more examples of my digital organization, please let me know! I would love to help you with this!
I also print photos pretty regularly. Printed photos are important to me because the idea is to get my favorites in scrapbooks and albums! I want to show them off not store them on my computer or in a box on my shelf (although that's where a lot of them are right now because I have so many printed). I usually print photos on a monthly basis, so I need a good storage system to keep all these prints organized until I am ready to scrap them or put them in pocket protectors!
I have a couple things that I use to organize printed photos! My absolute favorite storage container that I use is from any local crafting store (JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc.). They are called Iris Photo Boxes, and they come with 16 individual photo carriers that fit 4x6 photos perfectly! I have 3 of these boxes full of printed photos! I love that they are see through, portable, and easy to organize. Each individual photo carrier is labeled with a notecard to tell me what photos are in it, the dates, and main points to remember about those particular photos (funny details, quotes, etc). I also keep my photos organized in chronological order so I can find events and trip photos more easily.
I also love this system because if I'm going away to a crop weekend or scrapping with the friend, I can pull just the individual photo carriers of pictures that I want to work with for that particular project! It's very handy, and I have a lot of people ask me about them when I take them with me to crops.
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| Iris Box with 16 photo carriers full of photos (roughly 100 photos can fit in 1 carrier) |
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| Iris photo carrier with notecard labeling photos inside, details to remember, etc. |
These boxes can be a little pricey, though, and I would wait until I could use a coupon or get them on sale to purchase them. However, CTMH has a very similar system that you could modify to make your own organized photo box! The medium organizer will fit 4x6 photos easily, and you can fit the individual photo carriers from Isis in the organizer as well! The individual photo carriers can be purchased separately, and are very reasonable! I have a few extras that I put into my medium organizer when I am traveling to events and weekend crops!
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| Medium Organizer by CTMH with PML journaling boxes on the left, extra 3x4 PML cards on the front right, and 3 Isis photo carriers on the back right! These photo carriers also will store 4x6 PML cards perfectly, too! |
The medium organizer is a fraction of the cost, and you can get as many or as little photo carriers are you want! Plus the organizer will fit other products as well (like PML cards, embellishments, ink pads, adhesives, etc.). It's perfect for being organized on the go!! I love system as well, and have used it a lot more when traveling than taking all my Isis boxes!
Well I hope this has you thinking about organizing and tackling those photos! If you have any questions or need to get your hands on one of the medium organizers to help you get started, please let me know!
Also, if you need to print photos, there are a couple great deals going on right now!! Shutterfly has 101 FREE 4x6 photos that you can take advantage of when you use the code CARROT at checkout! Act quickly for this deal, though, because you only have until midnight to get your FREE print order in!
Snapfish is also still running their FREE prints for a year campaign when you download and order prints using their mobile app! I did it this last year, and it was awesome! 1200 free prints is nothing to frown upon at all!
So get those photos ordered, and start organizing them today! I hope you're having a great start to your week, and make sure to spend time on your organizing project! Until next time:
Here's to life, love, and creativity!
P.S. Sneak over to the CTMH blog for an exclusive giveaway today! Make sure and comment to enter so you can try and win awesome prizes!!
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