How to manage all those vacation photos

ORGANIZING YOUR PHOTOS

By Allie McComas

This summer was an amazing and magical time for my friend. She and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by going to Hawaii. Interestingly enough, they were originally due to go to Hawaii to celebrate their 10th anniversary but when that rolled around, they had three little ones who couldn't bear to be without them. Then they planned to do Hawaii for their 15th wedding anniversary. But, just as they were firming up their plans, they found out they were going to be parents again (despite modern technology and a little snip!).

Once again, they vowed to each other they'd definitely go for their 20th wedding anniversary. But, guess what? My friend's wedding ring broke (I don't even know that could happen!) and they agreed to use the opportunity, I mean vacation money, to get new rings. Hawaii would have to wait.

But, this summer they actually did it! They went to Hawaii and had a fabulous time. And, they've got hundreds upon hundreds of pictures to prove it!

My friend took so many pictures she doesn't know what to do with them all! In fact, the amount of pictures is so overwhelming that she just keeps them (all 600+ of them) on her counter. They have been sitting there for over a month and have blended in with the rest of her "to do" clutter. They sit there as a daily reminder that she must do something with them. She just doesn't know what that something may be!

What do you do after you come home from vacation and are faced with hundreds of photos? Here are some helpful hints for tackling the task.

First things first

Here's a quick and simple way to get started. It shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes. Within a day after getting home, store all of your pictures in one place. You can use one to several photo boxes to store your pictures. Depending on the number of photos you have, decide what kind of storage space will meet your individual needs, will hold more photos and keep them in the smallest amount of space. This way, if you need to stop, you can easily keep all of your pictures together. Do the same with you digital photo flash cards, if you don't have prints. Put the flash card in one specific place.

The tips in this article are mostly for dealing with prints you got back from your trip. But if you've got everything on a flash card, you can use some of the techniques we've discussed in our various articles on photo organizers. Just type the word "organize" into the search box at the upper part of this page.

Choosing the best display

I'm sure you want to display some of the pictures in frames but what about the rest of them? Are you going to prepare a scrapbook or put them in a photo album? Did you journal during your trip? Do you have souvenirs or memorabilia for embellishments? Are you putting any together for others as well? You might have a few you'd like to share online too. Before doing anything else, think about exactly what you want to do with them.

Choosing the best pictures

You need to begin by laying out all your photos. Put them in a place in which you can work. The kitchen table where your family gathers to eat every night is not the best place for this task. Pick a place that you can use for the entire project, whether it is for hours or, more likely, days.

Next, reduce the number of pictures with which to work. This is where you must be realistic. Now, you might feel that each and every picture you took is a mini-masterpiece but that's simply not true. You need to weed out the pictures that aren't "viewing quality. These are the blurry or out of focus shots, the ones where people aren't smiling or their eyes are closed, or the ones you may deem "boring". Also, if you have several photos that look alike, choose the best one of them and either toss them (highly recommended) or box the rest in an additional or finished photo box.

The order of it all

Decide what order you would like to lay out your vacation memories. The easiest way to do this would be to order the pictures chronologically. You can order the highlights of your vacation in the general way they occurred or, you could divide your pictures by category, for example, "Places We Ate", "Hotel Highlights", "Attractions", and so on.

Sort your pictures into segments. There are two reasons to arrange them in this way. The first is so you avoid getting overwhelmed by the huge number of pictures with which you might find yourself dealing. Second, as you look at your pictures to arrange them, you probably want to go slowly through your content and reminisce about your vacation. Dividing your photos into segments allows you to have the time you need to sort out pictures without feeling rushed and gives you starting and stopping points along the way.

Combine journaling with pictures

Did you journal while on vacation? Did you keep a log or follow an itinerary? Including journal or diary entries with your pictures gives an extra personal touch to your overall display or layout. Whenever you do journal, here are some good questions to answer.

Why did you choose the destination,
Why did you go on vacation?
Was it be relaxation, excitement, family reunion, etc.
How did it affect you?
Was it relaxing to sunbathe on the cruise ship, stressful dealing with extended family, in-laws or your own children? You get the idea.
How did you feel at the beginning, the middle and the end of your trip?
Have you changed from your experience?