Tackle the Backlog

Once you've got control of the current photos, you're ready to start on the backlog. Before you start, though, adjust your expectations.

Set Realistic Expectations

Organizing your backlog photos may take days or even weeks, depending on how many you have. Decide now to take it steady.

Instead of trying to pull one long marathon session, schedule "photo organizing" blocks of time. When your time is up, put the project away and schedule another organizing session for yourself.

Take It Step By Step

When you're ready to start, follow these steps to tackle your photo backlog.

Step One. Gather all photos into one place.

The first thing you have to do is get all your photos in one place. Go through your house on a "photo hunt." Look in the basement, drawers, files, closets, old cards and letters from family – anywhere photos might be stashed.

Don't overlook old "magnetic" albums you might have lying around the house. You may want to remove the photos from them in order to avoid damage.

If the albums are already organized, and you like the way they're set up, just get new archival-quality albums and transfer the photos page by page. If the photos are stuck into the albums just for storage, however, consider removing them now and adding them into the mix for your new system.

In either case, start with the most recent albums and work your way back in time. Most of the damage done to a photo occurs in the first five years.

If you have trouble removing some photos from "magnetic" albums, try these methods for removing them:

• Use dental floss to pry them off.
  
• If that doesn't work, try a blow dryer on LOW HEAT for a few minutes to loosen the glue.
  
• If all else fails, the product UN-DO removes adhesive. You can get UN-DO at office supply stores like OfficeMax.
  

If photos simply won't come off, have copies made from the photos right on the page.

Step Two. Sort photos into decades.

Since you'll need to break the sorting task into manageable chunks, start by sorting into decades. Chronological sorting is usually easiest, but if you like, you can also sort by eras ("childhood," "high school," "college," "early marriage years"), events, or people.

Label boxes, bins, or manila envelopes with the decade or era, and put the photos in these. As you sort, throw out any photos that are out of focus, too dark, or similar to better photos.

This is also a good time to put aside photos you want to frame or pass on to friends or relatives. Set aside duplicates as well. Later, you can send them to the people in the picture as a great way to keep in touch.

Step Three. Purchase photo storage.

With your weeded photos in front of you, you'll have a good idea of how many photo boxes you'll need to store all your photographs. Next week we'll go over ways to store negatives. This is a good time to get those supplies now too.

Step Four. Sort photos into years.

Working with one decade or era at a time, further sort your photos into years.

If you're an avid photographer, you may find that a decade's worth of photos fills an entire bin. If this is the case, label shoe boxes or envelopes with each year in the decade and sort the photos into these.

Once you get your photographs down to a manageable "shoebox" size, you can grab a box next time you're in front of the TV and start putting your photographs in order.

Here's a simple way to fine-tune your sort, keep the sorting organized, and set up your photo-filing system all at the same time:

1. Create tabs from 4x6 index cards:
   
   • Create an index card for the decade ("2000-2009").
     
   • Create color-coded cards for each year in the decade. Use more than one color in a decade if needed.
     
   • Create month cards in the same color as the year ("June 2004," "July 2004").
     
     
2. Spread the index cards out on the floor or on a table, or put them into the photo box. Put the decade card in front, followed by the year cards. Put month cards behind the appropriate year.
   
   
3. Sort the photos by placing them on or behind the appropriate card.
   
   • If you're not sure of the month, put them on the year card.
     
   • If you're not sure of the year, put them on the decade card.
     
   • Later, you can examine the photo more closely for clues as to the month and year.
     
     
4. If a month has several special events in it, create event cards in the same color as the month. Place them behind the month.
   
   
5. Label each unlabeled photograph on the back at the extreme edge with the date/event/people/location pictured. File index cards and photos into photo boxes.
   
   
6. Make notes on the index cards of the events and people in the photographs as well as special memories you'd like to record for 10 or 20 years down the road.
   
   
   

Step Five. Label photo boxes.

Once a box is full, label the outside of the box with the years included. You can even get creative and put a photo on the front that represents the box contents.

Step Six. Store photo boxes in their permanent location.

Make sure the location is cool, dark, and dry.

Step Seven. Create albums for special events.

Now that all your photos are organized, you'll find it much easier to create albums for events and memories you want to highlight – such as weddings, new babies, or vacations.

You might even want to create an album for each family member as a special gift for their high school or college graduation or as a personalized wedding gift. Be sure to use archival-quality albums so you and your family can enjoy the memories for years to come.


Next>> Contain the Negatives