Why You Should Organize and Protect Your Photos

Photographs do more than capture a moment in time - they are the starting point of a story. Over the last 200 years, photos have captured both special occasions and everyday life. They get passed down from generation to generation. With each advance in technology, people are taking more pictures every year.

If your computer or phone breaks down, or there’s a disaster at your house, the first thing you think about is what might be lost. It’s heartbreaking when treasured photos are gone forever. Protecting and preserving your photos keeps their stories alive for the future. This includes backing them up in various ways and storing them in archival containers.

Print photos

Whether they’re loose in a box or organized into albums, most people have photographs in print form. If your collection includes pictures from the fifties, sixties and seventies, they may be on slides that can only be viewed with a projector. If stored properly, print photos can last a long time. Unfortunately, many things can make a print photo break down, including writing on the back with a pen or marker, storing in magnetic albums, or the heat and humidity of a basement or attic.

Digital photos

When technology allowed us to start taking pictures without having to buy film or pay for processing, we began capturing many more photos than ever before. According to InfoTrends’ 2016 U.S. Digital Camera End User Study, Americans were expected to take 1.1 trillion photographs in 2016. Furthermore, InfoTrends estimates that there are about 4 trillion images worldwide stored on a variety of devices, storage media, and in the cloud. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these photos never leave the devices and are not printed out and enjoyed.

When photos are framed and displayed around the house, they can be seen by anyone who passes through. When they are put in scrapbooks or photo books along with the stories behind them, it adds another level of enjoyment to the photos. Looking at photos can launch discussions, make connections, and help people feel their story is valued.

It may seem overwhelming, but organizing and protecting your pictures is a worthwhile task. It’s not something that can generally be done over one weekend, but if you work on it a little at a time, you can make sure your photos, and the stories that are behind them, are safe for generations. If you’re looking for help, the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (http://www.appo.org/) offers a directory of photo organizers. The association and the organizers also often blog helpful tips for tackling part of the organizing project.

Enjoy your photos now, and protect them for the future!

Cheri Warnock is the owner of Cherish Your Photos, a Sterling Heights-based company that helps people organize photos and protect memories.