How I did it: I'm a scrapbooker so to have my photos organized was important to me.  Plus lots were in old, damaging magnetic albums so those needed disassembling.  I bought a few photo boxes (three in total).  One box is photos from topics I've already scrapbooked.  These are the extras.  Now I use them in funny cards, or I can make other gifts out of the extras, or I'll just know at some point that it will be ok to throw them if that's what I feel like.  The other boxes are events/topics I have not scrapped, but might.  That way I can be more cautious about what I use up in there, though I know deep down I probably won't go back to much of it.  So I have two kinds of boxes: "Negatives/already scrapped" and "Maybe to scrap."

Within the boxes the photos are organized by year, and if there are enough, event.

My digital photos are not as organized, maybe that's a second part of my goal that needs working since I'm writing this a year or two later . . . they are in iPhoto and labeled in the library.

Lessons & tips: Undo your old, acidic albums.  They will only damage your photos.  The sooner, the better.

BACK UP YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS.  I nearly lost all mine.  Wouldn't have died, and luckily ($125 later) they were recovered, but now I have them on an external hard drive as well.

Sep 22, 2008, 07:11AM PDT | 0 comments | 5 cheers