Many people do not really know how many photos they have laying around in boxes, in bags, or in old family albums. This article will highlight some ideas on preserving those photos for generations to come and at the same time enjoy the process.  Are your photos in totes as pictured above?  Yikes!!  Time to do something!

Do you have boxes of older family albums? Do you have boxes of loose photographs? Do you want to preserve those items for future generations? Most of us want to pass down those family memories to our children and grandchildren once we are gone, but don’t know how to do that besides just handing them boxes of stuff!

One recent client, Lisa from Little Elm, contacted me about the photos that she had inherited from her parents when they passed away. She wanted to get them organized so other family members could also have the photos that they wanted as a family momento.  We decided to scan and digitize her photos so each of her siblings could access them as well. This was the perfect solution for her family.

One way we are preserving those family photos is to digitize them by scanning. Scanning a box of photos sounds simple enough for a single week’s task until you stare down several large plastic bins of photos that you inherited from other family members. Your first thought is what do I do with all these images? Your second thought is will anyone care about these besides me?

When sorting through a box of old photos, develop a keep-toss-share mentality to help you organize, and preserve family photos for scanning.  Sort your images based on time periods, groups, family members, trips, events, etc.  Many people choose to set aside the scenic images, whether they know where they were taken or not, and business photos. Photos of family friends get their own separate pile. If this sounds like a lot of work, you are correct. It can be over-whelming to even think about starting the process. So remember to set aside about 4 hours of time to start, then check to see where you are after that initial session.

If you decide that it is too much for you to do, think about hiring a professional!  I am dedicated to helping you preserve your family history photographs and projects. Check out my website, www.PhotoOrganizingSolutions.net and sign up for my newsletter.