How to Sort Your Photos
Did you know that we are launching a BRAND NEW online Photo Organizing Course on December 1? Learn more here!
Let’s get started with those boxes, bags, and dusty piles! Gather your photos from all corners of your home and get ready to organize. Sorting is our first step because this will help you clarify your intentions with these photos. The most important thing will be knowing how to find photos that you remember in a way that works for you. If you have absolutely no idea where to start, sorting by time is a good default.
Set yourself up for success with sorting your physical photos with some basic supplies:
sticky notes
index cards
permanent markers
re-sealable plastic bags
a clean surface
trash bag
TIP: As you work, stay focused on sorting your photos as quickly and as objectively as possible. This is just your first run through, so try not to spend a lot of time reminiscing. You will touch these photos multiple times, and that is okay!
We are usually militant about only purging after you have fully sorted, but in the case of photos, it will make sense to do some purging as you go.
We recommend tossing any photo that is:
unclear or blurry
a clear duplicate
representative of a negative or painful memory or time
one of multiple images of scenery
As we love to say, there is no right way to sort. For something as personal as photos, the method of categorizing has to be intuitive to you and whoever else will be sharing in the final result. Here are some of our favorite ways to sort photos:
Chronological - year is great, but five-year spans or even decades also work, as do groups of years (i.e. “college”, “1964-1971 aka When We Lived on Oak St.”)
Theme - general groups of vacations, birthdays, holidays, graduations
Event - a more specific way to do by theme (i.e. instead of “graduations” you have “Melissa’s Graduation” and “Bill’s Graduation”
Person - because of the trick of multiple people in one photo, separate out pictures of singular family members, then have a category of “sisters” or “family” or “kids with grandparents”
Location - can be city, home, vacation spot
Season - a broader way to do chronology
Favorites - the best of the best!
A combination of the above methods - maybe you do chronological except for the ones you can’t place in time - do those by category instead
Now is where you may think... Do I really have to sort all of these photos? The answer is yes. If you are doing this project, we want you to do it well! But we can break it down into smaller bites by prioritizing.
When you look at your whole collection, a few things may jump out immediately as the most important. But once you get past that point, it can be hard to narrow down your next step. Use the following questions to help make a plan for your next chunk of work:
What is deteriorating the fastest? What has the highest risk of permanent damage?
If you see mold, broken frames, or large rips, those photos should be prioritized!
What images are most interesting to you and loved ones?
those that tell a story
those with people you know, especially candids
those that capture a time period
those that make you wonder more about the scene
those that are the only one that exist
What hurts the most to lose?
Think about the worst case scenario - what would you grab first? These are the photos to prioritize next.
