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Boxes of photographs

For those of you overwhelmed by the idea of even starting to go through your photographs,
try this.

Grab a timer, a box of photos and two containers.
Set the timer for 30 minutes.
Open the box of photos and begin to sort.
At this point you only have two options:  Keep or Toss.
To make that decision as easy as possible, here are a few guidelines/suggestions.
Toss the duplicates.
Toss the scenery pictures.
Toss the out of focus ones.
Toss the pictures of people you don’t know or remember.
Toss the ones of people or places you’d rather not be reminded of.

When the timer rings.
Stop.
Whew!

Toss the Tossers and set the Keep container aside.

Continue this process until you’ve sorted through all the boxes.
(you may need more than one Keep container……just sayin)

If you never get any further along in the process than this initial sort,
at least you know you’ve been intentional about the ones you’ve kept.
And you have far fewer boxes than when you started!

At this point you may want to send the photos off to be digitized.
You may want to scan them yourself.
​You may like the options that having them available on your computer offers.

Or you may want to do a more detailed sort.

The next round of sorting the Keepers is to broadly categorize them.
All the birthday shots together.
All the vacation.
All the Christmas.
All of the single shots of one person or couple.
(No point in trying to figure out specific years)

Oh, and it’s okay to toss more as you are going through the images again.

At the end of this sort, again options.
Put them in albums.
Digitize.
Scan.
Create a book.
Offer them to family members who might be interested.

The point of this exercise is to edit and consolidate all your photos into a collection
that is manageable, accessible, and that you might even look through!
(and to absolve you of the guilt of yet another ‘should’ project in your life……)

Will it take several 30 minute sessions?
Yes.
Will it feel like work?
Yes, a bit.
Will you take a trip or two in the Way Back Machine?
Of course!

If it is important to you; you’ll create the time.
If it isn’t; you will find an excuse.
Honestly own either option.