Featured Article: Top 5 Tips for Organizing Pics

I recently had the privilege of writing an article about photo organization for Home Transition Pros, a professional organization company that serves clients across the country.  

I shared my "Top 5 Tips for Organizing Pics" and while this article is targeted toward seniors, these ideas apply to anyone feeling overwhelmed by their growing stash of printed and digital photos. 
 
You can read the full article by clicking HERE or check out a summary of the tips below:

Tip #1: Start Small

• Give yourself grace and know you aren’t going to organize decades’ worth of photos overnight. Starting small is better than not starting at all!
• Decide if you want to organize your digital OR printed pictures first but only start with one or the other! 
• Add 30 minutes to an hour of photo organization to your calendar each week

Tip #2: Pick One Photo App 

Pick ONE photo app and focus on learning its basic menu and navigation tools. If you try to keep up with your photos in more than one place, you will likely be confused and frustrated. 

Here are a few things to consider when picking which photo app to use: 

• If you have an iPhone, (Apple) Photos is already built in and often the best way to go. However, if you love Google Photos you can still use this app on your iPhone. 
• If you have an Android phone, Google Photos is already built in and often the best way to go. You can’t access Apple Photos on this device.
• If you don't have a preference yet, consider using the app your closest friends and family use the most, especially if they like sharing pictures with you on a regular basis.
• If you already prefer one app over the other, stick with that! Changing for other people can create more of a headache than it's worth! 

Tip #3: Keep it Simple 

• Keep your photo app on the home screen of your phone so it's easy to access. 
• Accept that your photo stream will always be a mess and instead focus on creating albums to organize your pictures. Then all it takes is a few clicks to quickly find and share your favorites instead of endlessly scrolling through your photo stream. 
• Organize pictures from your phone... this is where you take, find and share them anyway. 

Tip #4: Digitize to Organize Your Printed Pictures

Unfortunately, our tech-savvy kids and grandkids won’t be going through our stacks, albums and boxes of old PRINTED pictures. But if we digitize these memories, we can not only share them with future generations but keep them safe from physical harm such as fire, flood or even from getting lost in a move! 

Tip #5: Take Action Now 

You're only going to take more and more pictures in the future so there is no better time than now to start organizing your memories! 

I believe pictures are truly some of our most prized possessions and share our family's stories like nothing else can!

As my business continues to grow, I am incredibly grateful for opportunities to help others through these tips each Tuesday, writing featured articles, speaking on podcasts and stages and teaching in-person and online classes!

Thank you for your support and please feel free to reach out any time you have a specific question or picture need! And of course, feel free to share these tips with any friends or family who might need a little help with their own photos! 

All the best, 
Melissa