Helping my mom organize family photos. Tips?

Temp53431437508241 · August 2010

I want to get her several albums, since hers are very old. Would it be better to buy all of the same kind, or mix it up a little bit? Any tips on where to buy decent ones fairly inexpensively?

What's the best way to start a project like this? Separating them by year? I appreciate any hints, since this is a big project! Thanks!

dairygirl19 · August 2010

I buy mine all close to the same or in coordinating colors, because a) I'm cheap and love the clearance ones at TJMaxx and Gordman's so the matching happened naturally. b) They're going on open shelving eventually and I want them pretty.

I sort mine by friends, family, Dh and I, Vacation shots (without the people, more scenery) and Farm (not applicable to you probably, but H likes to track the events of the year).

It's simple enough to slide them in and be done, but I can still find what I need. I then sort by year (or close to) within that, but once you keep up they naturally fall in order.

srs5624 · August 2010

dairygirl19:

I buy mine all close to the same or in coordinating colors, because a) I'm cheap and love the clearance ones at TJMaxx and Gordman's so the matching happened naturally. b) They're going on open shelving eventually and I want them pretty.

I sort mine by friends, family, Dh and I, Vacation shots (without the people, more scenery) and Farm (not applicable to you probably, but H likes to track the events of the year).

It's simple enough to slide them in and be done, but I can still find what I need. I then sort by year (or close to) within that, but once you keep up they naturally fall in order.

Ditto this.

If you get albums that are all the same, they'll fit on a shelf nicely... even if it's just a closet shelf. Trying to fit multiple album sizes on one shelf is a PITA.

jengii · August 2010

I sort photos in weird ways... whatever suits my fancy. Usually by events. I'll have an album for each vacation or party, a lovey-dovey album, random photos will get sorted chronologically or by theme. Overlap happens--because everything I have is digitally, and I have them printed to be put in any particular album. So sometimes vacay pics end up in the lovey-dovey album, and so on.

I'd say by event, or time period, and then have a random album.

I also second getting similar or coordinating albums. All the same will look boring, but you want them to look good sitting all together... if you're caring about looks at all.