Easy and Effective Storage of Your Photos

Even in the age of digital media and online sites where photos can be saved in digital formats, you will still want hard copies (i.e., in paper and ink). You will find that there’s something comforting about actually holding your precious photos in your hands, placing them in traditional albums, and making scrapbooks from them. You should therefore ensure that your printed photos are kept in safe storage for future retrieval, such as during family reunions when embarrassing your brothers and sisters with their childhood photos is a tradition on its own.

Place them in Albums

You will find the process of placing printed photos in album sleeves as much a joy as taking the photos mainly because you can relive the times. You should, however, be careful about placing the albums with their photos in a cool place with low humidity, the ideal environment wherein the ink will not run into the paper (i.e., smudge).

You also have to store the photos in an off-the-ground place to prevent damage caused by dirt, dust and debris as well as water, among others. You should even think about keeping the albums away from places where rodents, bugs, and critters can get at them, such as in a cabinet.

You may also want to check that the photos are still in good condition after being placed in albums. You are essentially airing them out, too.

Place Them on Digital Devices

Aside from printing the photos at Walgreens or CVS, you should also prepare back-up copies on your SD card, personal computer, and social media account like Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr, to name a few. The more copies you have on hand, the better you can keep your photos for posterity, perhaps even contribute to collective history, in case your photos have historical value.

Better yet, you may want to have two copies of the most important photos printed. You just never know when you have to give a copy as part of your portfolio or as a memento.

While these tips may be commonsense in nature, you cannot be complacent about saving your photos. You have exerted considerable time, energy and effort as well as money on taking great pictures of your favorite people, places, and events that letting them be destroyed or erased due to negligence will be frustrating, to say the least. Your vigilance in ensuring that your photos are in safe places will pay off in the future, perhaps even in ways that you did not expect.