What About All Those Photos?

Over the past 20 years, most of us have stopped printing as many photos, but we still have boxes, albums, and framed pictures tucked away in closets and under beds, waiting for a purpose. If you’re wondering what to do with them all, here’s how to start:
Start With What You Have
Step 1: Sort Through the Boxes
If a photo never made it into an album, chances are it wasn’t the best of the best. Grab a box, sit somewhere comfortable, and set up a “keep” pile and a trash bin.
🗑 Discard:
- Blurry or damaged photos
- Duplicates (keep only one)
- Pictures of people you don’t recognize or events that no longer hold meaning
Make Your Memories Easier to Enjoy
Step 2: Rethink Your Albums
If you have albums, make them accessible so you can actually enjoy them. If they’re just taking up space, consider removing the photos and merging them with your sorted box photos to save room.
✍ If your albums contain captions or notes, write important details on the back of photos using an archival pen to preserve the memories.
Update What You See Every Day
Step 3: Refresh Your Frames
Do you still have framed photos of your kids as toddlers, even though they now have kids of their own? Swap out outdated pictures for ones that bring you joy today. Store any removed photos with the rest of your collection for safekeeping.
Preserve Memories Without the Clutter
Step 4: Digitize Your Photos
If you want to reduce physical clutter, digitizing is a great option! There are multiple ways to do this:
📱 Use a phone app to scan and save photos quickly
🖥 Scan them onto your computer for easy access
📦 Send them to a professional service to be converted onto a USB or cloud storage
Once digitized, you can easily share photos online, create digital albums, or make custom photo books as special gifts.
What’s Next?
What you do with your photos depends on what matters most to you. Whether you choose to keep, organize, or digitize them, the goal is to preserve the memories in a way that brings you joy—without the clutter.
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