| Author |
Message |
Donnalynn
Little SISter (16)
|
# Posted: 20 May 2007 21:22
I have a million pictures I swear! I have all the pictures mom gave me, plus all the pictures of my kids growing up and more of my granddaughter.... Does any one have a fool proof inexpensive way to organize and file all these photos? And where the heck do I start? I keep hearing...start with the most recent pictures but I have a thousand recent pictures too!!! I am feeling totally overwhelmed! Not that I mind having the pictures to scrap, and by no means am I complaining, I just want ideas on how you ladies get the pictures out of the shoe boxes and manilla envelopes along with all the extra stuff that goes with them (brochures, invitations, newspaper clippings etc...) and get them organizzzzzed!!!
|
 
krissie
Favorite SISter (6057)
|
# Posted: 20 May 2007 21:46
My MIL had that problem and she just had to pick a day to go through them and she sorted them by various piles and then filed them from there. I think it actually took her a few days because she would work it for and hour or 2 and then do her regular everyday stuff. She just fit it in and eventually got it done. Just jump in and do it. Utilize those shoes boxes you have and put your sorted piles in those. I use a shoe boex and then when I have gone through a few months of pics and scrapped what I want I put the rest in a photo album.
|
Alicia J
Stylin' SIS (228)
|
# Posted: 20 May 2007 21:51
you may want to check out big picture scrapbooking (both the book and website)... it totally works for long term usable photo organization.
maybe it wil help you.
|
 
kaylaaimee
The Little One
Favorite SISter (5840)
|
# Posted: 20 May 2007 22:07
all my pictures are dumped in one big box and then I just rifle through them til I find one I want to scrap. I am no help. I need a system badly :)
|
gigi
Favorite SISter (8595)
|
# Posted: 20 May 2007 22:11
you scrap what YOU want to scrap
& thank goodness you have 10 million pics! that means that you get to have LOTS of fun w/ us :)
i would just go through them when you can & pull out the ones that you really want to tell the story, the ones that just speak to you, the ones that you LOVE, really LOVE. put those aside & start scrapping with them.
creating pages about pictures your really love is so much fun whereas creating pages b/c you think you have to...not so much
can't wait to see your stuff!!!
|
ejsmith
Little SISter (15)
|
# Posted: 21 May 2007 07:31
I don't know about cheap but here's my system. It took me a while to get to this point, but now I'm all organized, yay.
I have 3-ring binders with photo pages bought from 20th century products (you can find them online, hope it's ok that I"m mentioning it here) and I put all the photos that I want access to in them, one binder for each calendar year. These are all the 'good' pics from before the digital era and all the ones that I've had printed from digi era on. I use these notebooks to pull photos I want to scrap from (sorry, bad grammar) and the kids look through these all the time. I'm pretty anal about putting my pics immediately in here once I've had them printed. The plus about this system is that I don't feel pressure to get my photos scrapped in order to have access to them or in order to be able to view them because these albums are available and the photos are safe.
The rest -- all the pre-digi duplicates, bad pics, photos my in-laws sent me, etc. are in photo safe plastic boxes (made by sterilite, I think?) in chrono order. I have about 6 boxes of these. I have the negatives in envelopes in back of each envelope of duplicates or extras or not-so-good pics. These are easy to access to for whatever or if the kids want to scrap I let them pull pics from here. I have one box devoted to the "extra stuff you mentioned.
On the computer I have everything identified in folders. Every few weeks I organize them. They are all backed up to CDs as well.
If you have a big backlog I would just work on it a bit at a time, it might take you months or even years to get it to a good point! But as long as you're working on it... buy the organizational products as you can afford them, make a plan, and just force yourself to work on it an hour or two at a time. You'll be so glad you did!
Oh and if you have ANY pics in those horrid magnetic albums ( maybe you're not that old, but I had a bunch!! ) get them out now. Just take them out and make a pile somewhere. Better disorganized than getting more ruined by the minute.
HTH.
|
MaryGeiger
Style Addict (1260)
|
# Posted: 21 May 2007 15:48
When I started scrapbooking I was this way. I had tons of pictures from when my kids were little, my life before kids, the hubs life before me, tons of pictures. When I decided scrapbooking was for me. I sorted through pictures I wanted to scrapbook. I put them in a special photo album and I just scrapbooked out of that album. I didn't think about all the other pictures. I felt like I was getting somewhere because there were more empty pages in my album. Once I finished it, I filled it back up and started over. This year I am really working hard at finishing up all my old photos. I waited to do my kids birth pictures and wedding pictures till I considered myself good enough to do them. I am at that stage now. I agree get them out of the magnetic albums. I had many pictures stuck together. Just go slow. Don't over whelm yourself by looking at all the pictures and thinking you have to do them all at once.
|
Bernadette
Model SISter (2757)
|
# Posted: 21 May 2007 16:07
Totally start one baby step at a time if you're overwhelemed. Your system is totally something personal to you, but for me, when I get overwhelemed by too much stuff, I just say "Okay...30 minutes, I'm going to do this" and then give myself a goal--ie, get through this one box. I love "tangible" tasks where you can SEE your piles of "needs to be sorted" going down and SEE the progress you're making. You should take before, during and after pictures throughout to inspire us.
And KA--a big box of pictures that you rifle through every time? sigh. (smile)
B
|
Donnalynn
Little SISter (16)
|
# Posted: 21 May 2007 23:26
Yeow! Thanks ladies! Lots of great ideas!!! Thank You SOOO much I am going to start organizing this next weekend!! I really like the 30 minutes at a time ...that could work for me! and I guess shoe boxes are OK, I just want them organized!! cant wait to start! Thanks again! :).
|
cathyy
Little SISter (32)
|
# Posted: 23 May 2007 11:32
Also, someone has introduced me to mini albums for special occasions. Since I jus started scrapbooking not long ago, I to had tons of pictures. My oldest daughter is now 3. So rather than doing a page with just a couple of pictures on it, I have now decided to do mini albums for things like birthdays and such. Right now, I have done 2, on showing all the pictures of my girls together and one of my oldest dd 1st bday. I completely feel like this is do~able. Then I'm not so overwhelmed... HTH.
|
lpmkate
Favorite SISter (9453)
|
# Posted: 23 May 2007 12:24
When I have tons - too many - I start weeding them out. I used to feel bad doing this but realized it was necessary. The blurry ones, eyes closed, unflattering, doubles, etc just throw them away! I say...will I ever scrap this? If not I toss it. I know this isn't exactly what you asked, but "getting rid of" is part of the organization process.
|
Oceanside
Fashion Plate (439)
|
# Posted: 23 May 2007 12:29
I am in the same boat as you!!
I have most arranged by theme because that is how I scrapbook.
School
Beach/waterpark/pool (quite a bit in this category I have to admit!)
Birthdays
Amusement parks
vacations
sport
summery
pics with flowers
boy pics
grand kid pics
and now...military pics!
|
ae1girl
Fashion Plate (253)
|
# Posted: 25 May 2007 04:11
cropper hopper makes those awesome photo organizers. You can store thousands of them on one of those suckers
|
kihaku
Style Addict (1442)
|
# Posted: 25 May 2007 17:31
i did a photo backup last week and had 54,000 photosfor the last 3 years...
i keep all of mine on disk by year, them month, then date, then theme ie 2007, march, 22 march, fay in garden
i then go every week and print out my favourite 5 from each folder ie each day ro activity (ormore if required).
i then use a photo binder that has the slip pockets - mine has 6 per page - i put in 5 photos and int he 6th slot i put ina n index card witht he date, where,who, when and my basic thoguhts on the day ro photos etc
the photo albums are done in date order and seem to last 1 month sof ar :)
so should anything happen to me, the memeories are sort of there anyways..
then if i need photos, i flip though the albums and fidnt he relefant folder and reprint the photos i want to use.
i started this system a fe motnhs ago so currently i am doing 1 day new, 2 day old so i can play ctach up but i am doing it in small amount
|
kzjo82
Fashion Plate (405)
|
# Posted: 6 Jun 2007 12:00
I scrap what I find inspiring that day. As I tend to like me layouts more than. I also keep all of my digital photos backed up (I try to do this once or twice a month) *i need to take more pictures I have been so busy though and I am starting to scan in all of my photos that my mom had from when I was a kid and will then back them up. I plan on doing this for 1 to 2 hours a day until they are all in digital form. Then I will send the ones I love to shutterfly or costco and have them printed. I just do a little at time.
|
alohi
Favorite SISter (5145)
|
# Posted: 20 Jun 2007 12:38
i put all my photos in albums that i (or others) can look through and then i just scrap what i feel like when i do. i tried really hard to scrap chronilogical (however you spell it) but didn't get much inspiration, my baby books are still in the first 6 months and now they are 2 1/2 & 4. it feels alot less overwhelming this way to me.
|
Sandra
Baby SISter (3)
|
# Posted: 2 Aug 2007 20:36
cropper hopper makes those awesome photo organizers. You can store thousands of them on one of those suckers
I've got a couple of these... I think I need at least another 3 to catch up with the photos stashed in boxes
|
CreativeExile
Style Addict (1003)
|
# Posted: 19 Sep 2007 19:48
cropper hopper makes those awesome photo organizers. You can store thousands of them on one of those suckers
I use one for each decade...80s, 90s, 2000s...(oughts? Is that what they're called? LOL)
I'm a chronological organizer, but I scrap what I feel like...so sometimes I have to go back & dig for just the right photo. I love having everything organized digitally now. My 2000 box is mostly stuff I printed but didn't use.
HTH!
|
dipe
CosmoGirl SISter (76)
|
# Posted: 20 Oct 2007 13:59
I also got a problem with many photos.
I started scrapbooking 2 years ago but still I have tons of photos.
I have 4 children from 3- 12 years old and my husband and I take a lot of photos every month. My husband is a photographer and he makes so many great photos that it is difficult for me to choose.
First I organize my photo by date in albums but evey time I got emty space I need to move a lot of photos. Then I organize the ones I would like to scrapbook in boxes diveded in names and orcations but now I really fell bad because I can only see the stack of photo grows.
I dont scrapbook chronilogical but what ever I like when I got time. You know with children and a full time job it can be hard to find the time.
I was thinking about making minialbums for orcations but wuth 4 children it would be a lot of minialbums every year.
So now I don't know how to organise my photos because it don't seems work for me. and I dont know how to get through all those photos
**** dipe ****
|
AuntLavender
Baby SISter (3)
|
# Posted: 24 Oct 2007 21:11
lurking on this thread to see all the great ideas---I am so overwhelmed by my photos...I like a lot of these ideas----please keep them coming!
|
