How to Get Your Photos Off Your Phone and Into Your Home
Take these 4 steps to organise your phone’s photo clutter and save the images you want to keep
Our mobile phones have sadly become the final resting place for many of our family memories. Pictures of first days of school, wintry adventures, family gatherings at home and other priceless moments in your family history never make it out of our mobile photo albums. This is understandable, because these days we are no longer taking the allotted 36 snaps on our film cameras. Now we have the digital memory to take thousands of photos. If you take, say, 10 photos a day every day for a year, that adds up to nearly 4,000 photos left to stagnate on your digital device.
But they don’t need to be lost and unseen. In fact, organising and clearing your phone of clutter is similar to cleaning out a disorganised cupboard at home. When you’re cleaning, you’ll wonder what made you keep certain photos for so long, much like you might wonder why you kept a jumper you’ve had since your college days. You’ll also discover forgotten treasures, just as you’ll no doubt dig out of your cupboards, like an old guitar or your grandmother’s favourite earrings. No time is better than the present to sort out the mess on your phone.
But they don’t need to be lost and unseen. In fact, organising and clearing your phone of clutter is similar to cleaning out a disorganised cupboard at home. When you’re cleaning, you’ll wonder what made you keep certain photos for so long, much like you might wonder why you kept a jumper you’ve had since your college days. You’ll also discover forgotten treasures, just as you’ll no doubt dig out of your cupboards, like an old guitar or your grandmother’s favourite earrings. No time is better than the present to sort out the mess on your phone.
Find time to delete
Amanda Rogers, a professional photo organizer, says to “be selective, and try to do so promptly.” Spend time deleting photos while in line at the grocery store, or set aside time once a week to delete photos. Isabelle Dervaux, another professional photo organizer, says, “Deleting is the key. The only way I can get people to delete is by teaching them how to look at a photo: subject, emotion, expression, gestures, composition, distraction background, light, four corners, horizon line.”
Just like the minimalist mantra, if something doesn’t bring joy, get rid of it.
Find a professional organiser in your area
Amanda Rogers, a professional photo organizer, says to “be selective, and try to do so promptly.” Spend time deleting photos while in line at the grocery store, or set aside time once a week to delete photos. Isabelle Dervaux, another professional photo organizer, says, “Deleting is the key. The only way I can get people to delete is by teaching them how to look at a photo: subject, emotion, expression, gestures, composition, distraction background, light, four corners, horizon line.”
Just like the minimalist mantra, if something doesn’t bring joy, get rid of it.
Find a professional organiser in your area
Organise what’s left
It takes time and computer know-how to begin the organization of your digital files, and this should also be an enjoyable process because you get to reminisce on past moments. Once you’ve sifted through which photos to keep and which photos to toss, you can begin placing the photos in folders, either separated by year or by an event. This is exactly the process you might use when you are organizing your messy closet. Put winter items in one box, summer in another, and so forth.
Preferably, you’ll want to store your photos on a cloud storage service for increased safety, as many computers and hard drives tend to crash.
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It takes time and computer know-how to begin the organization of your digital files, and this should also be an enjoyable process because you get to reminisce on past moments. Once you’ve sifted through which photos to keep and which photos to toss, you can begin placing the photos in folders, either separated by year or by an event. This is exactly the process you might use when you are organizing your messy closet. Put winter items in one box, summer in another, and so forth.
Preferably, you’ll want to store your photos on a cloud storage service for increased safety, as many computers and hard drives tend to crash.
10 Ways to Store CDs and DVDs (Yes, Some of Us Still Have Them)
Photo from Chatbooks
Display your phone’s photos
Next you’ll want to get your photos off your computer and put them on display for all to see. Photo books have been increasing in popularity because you can create them easily. And once you have your photos in print, you’ll have another backup.
Display your phone’s photos
Next you’ll want to get your photos off your computer and put them on display for all to see. Photo books have been increasing in popularity because you can create them easily. And once you have your photos in print, you’ll have another backup.
Photo from Chatbooks
There are now so many companies that make this simple for you, with prices starting as low as £5 for a small-format book. A quick internet search should help you to find the best option for your needs, from themed books to softcovers.
There are now so many companies that make this simple for you, with prices starting as low as £5 for a small-format book. A quick internet search should help you to find the best option for your needs, from themed books to softcovers.
Photo from Canon
Another option is to print the photos yourself on a smartphone instant printer as well as proper compact photo printers, not solely designed for use with phones. There are numerous models on the market. You can even get portable designs that you can take with you to events and print out photos from your camera’s memory card and social media.
Another option is to print the photos yourself on a smartphone instant printer as well as proper compact photo printers, not solely designed for use with phones. There are numerous models on the market. You can even get portable designs that you can take with you to events and print out photos from your camera’s memory card and social media.
Photo from Framebridge
Lastly, don’t overlook the value of displaying the moments and memories that bring you joy in frames around your house, and most offer custom framing right from your phone.
Don’t hide your photos on your phone. Show them off to family and friends, and recognise the value they hold, not only to you, but to others.
How do you manage your phone’s photos? Share your tips and ideas in the Comments section.
Lastly, don’t overlook the value of displaying the moments and memories that bring you joy in frames around your house, and most offer custom framing right from your phone.
Don’t hide your photos on your phone. Show them off to family and friends, and recognise the value they hold, not only to you, but to others.
How do you manage your phone’s photos? Share your tips and ideas in the Comments section.
We truly don’t need thousands of photos. If you scroll back in your camera roll, there may very well be duplicate photos, screenshots of recipes you never used or poor-quality photos. Delete these! You want your photos to tell a story about a memory you have, and keeping photos that you will never use again only adds to the clutter. And clutter is the last thing you need when it comes to photo organization.
Beginning this process may be intimidating. It’s much like opening the closet you’ve been afraid to open for years, for fear that a ton of junk will tumble out. But you’ve got to let go of the junk to get to the memories that matter most.