Start 2025 with an organized photo collection that will allow you to cherish last year’s memories as you make new ones. These are a few of my tips for storing special moments as you create them.

Reflecting on Last Year’s Memories

Revisit the special moments:

Relive the joyous moments captured in photos and videos from the previous year. Did you go on a family vacation? Did you attend a wedding or birthday celebration? The most important moments should be highlighted in your photo collection, so it is important to note them at the beginning.

Sorting and organizing:

Many people find that organizing photos digitally is the easiest way to access them. A few of my favorite photo-organizing platforms include Mylio, Forever, and pCloud. Google or Apple Photos also work for digital organizing, but I always recommend that clients have their images backed up on a secondary platform or device. 

Creating a timeline:

Once you have selected your preferred organizing platform, curate your timeline by separating photos based on month or special event. By doing this, you are constructing a visual timeline of 2024’s events and capturing the essence of your family’s special moments and memories. 

Setting New Photo Goals for the Year Ahead

Defining your vision:

Determine what kind of memories you want to create and preserve this year. Are you looking to capture more photos with friends and family? Do you want to focus on minimizing your photo collection while still capturing the moments that matter? Or, are you hoping to live in the moment and take fewer photos? No matter what your goal is, take time to define what a successful photo collection looks like for you.

Capturing milestones:

Identify upcoming milestones or special occasions that you want to document through photography. Make a note of any upcoming graduations, weddings, or births from family and friends. These are moments that you will want to look back on in the future, so you may even want to make a list of certain photos you want to capture and share the list with others so you don’t forget. 

Exploring new techniques:

Try learning something new about photography or photo editing that will enhance your photo collection. This could be as simple as purchasing a selfie stick* so that you can capture more memories from unique angles, or include more people in your photos. Exploring basic editing tools like Adobe Lightroom may allow you to enhance mediocre photos, creating something that you can cherish. 

Making Your Memories Tangible

Photobook creation:

Having an organized photo collection is one thing, but it’s also important to preserve your memories in a way that allows you to look back on them. Try transforming your favorite photos into a photo book through a website like Shutterfly. Many platforms allow you to upload and create so you can design photo books surrounding your favorite events. 

Displaying memories:

I love displaying photos around my home so that I am reminded of special moments every day. One of my favorite ways to do this is through Nixplay. These digital devices allow you to display images in a slideshow. Upload the photos you want to see and the device will automatically filter through the images. Or, take a more traditional approach and swap out old photos in frames around your home with new memories. 

Sharing and Preserving Your Family Memories

Digital sharing:

Sharing photos with family and friends is my favorite part of having a photo collection. I utilize apps like Projector, which allow me to cast home videos and photos on the TV for everyone to view. This is something I love using at parties to display different memories.

Backing up your photos: 

When organizing your images, I always recommend the 3-2-1 backup method. This means that you have three copies of every photo. One of these copies may be stored on your main computer, another copy of this photo is automatically uploaded to an external hard drive, and the final copy is uploaded to a cloud platform. This method ensures that your photos stay safe if a platform crashes or a physical photo is destroyed. 

Legacy planning:

In simple terms, legacy planning is about determining what photos you want to leave behind for your family and friends. This is a specialized photo collection with your most important memories like weddings, birthdays, and celebrations. These photos can be stored on a cloud service or a hard drive that your family members will be able to access many years from now. 

Feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Schedule a free consultation with Lisa to kickstart your 2025 photo organizing goals. From organizing physical photos to creating a photo legacy that will last you years, my services can help you reach your next photo-organizing goal.