As you sort your photos, resist the urge to reminisce and linger. There will be plenty of time for that later. Instead follow the 2 Second Rule. Don’t hold your photo for any longer than 2 seconds, or the time it takes to determine its pile.
Do you remember when we took our film to be developed at the local photo lab or grocery store? We would drop our film off for one hour developing and get doubles or triples so we could give the extra to family or friends. Did you even make it out of the parking lot before you were flipping through the envelope for your ‘first look’ at these photos?
The problem with this ‘era of convenience’ was its contribution to excess and waste! Our good intentions produced boxes and boxes of printed photos that accumulated through the years, and we’re paying for it today.
Use the 2 second rule and the ABCs to quickly cull and sort your photos. Click To TweetThe ABCs of Photo Organizing
Professional photo organizers use a simple method to help their clients sort their photos, using an easy to remember acronym – the ABCs. And use the 2 second rule to help you quickly toss the duplicates and sort the rest.
A is for Album
These pictures are the best of the best! The ones that belong in an album, and the memories that you would mourn about if you lost them. These are the photos that you’ll want to digitize, backup, share, and display. It doesn’t mean we’re going to put all these pictures into albums; it just means they are ‘album worthy.’
B is for Box
These photos are the extras that support your best. They are the ones you aren’t ready to part with but want to have access to at some point in the future. These photos will be archived for safekeeping but not necessarily digitized.
C is for Can
Yes, you CAN re-purpose these pictures or throw them in the trash can! Your collection is filled with doubles, triples and REALLY BAD photos. If your photo doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, then it’s a C photo. We encourage you to be brutal here and set a goal to fill a garbage can with these! Use the 2 second rule to make quick decisions about your C photos.
S is for Story
Does the photo tell a story? These pictures play a significant role because there is something illustrative about the picture even though it may not be obvious. A picture of a single tree in the backyard may seem meaningless unless it’s the full grown sapling your Great Grandpa had planted before he passed away.
Does using the 2 second rule and the ABCs work for you?
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We also invite you to visit our sister blog The Photo Organizers for more tips and in-depth knowledge from some of the top photo organizing industry professionals. To find a photo organizer near you, visit the Association of Personal Photo Organizers.
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