Do you have a bookshelf full of photo albums or slides, and are you thinking about your legacy and your family archive for the future? Perhaps no one in our family has room for such a large physical archive, so it may be up to you to organise, digitise and responsibly dispose of what is left. What do you want your children to inherit?
In a way, we’re out of the analogue era now. Even if you digitise your photo archive, you could end up with a jumble of digital folders that one can’t navigate, or worse, can’t access because they’re stuck behind files or biometric locks? Digital files are at risk of simply disappearing if they are not stored and managed properly.
We’ll give you some tips on how to digitise your family print archive and how to look after your current digital files. Your photographic legacy is important and there’s a lot of fun, nostalgia and happiness to be had in putting it together – and of course you can start sharing it straight away.
Physical prints, albums and slides
As mentioned above, you may have piles of physical albums, old prints in shoeboxes, thousands of slides and related ephemera. And they take up a lot of space.
Creating a digital version of these analogue memories is a great idea for many reasons. It means you can share your precious memories and family history with extended family and friends around the world. It also means that when the physical copies unfortunately have to be disposed of at some point, you still have a record of everything.
There are plenty of things that are not worth digitising. Poorly composed snapshots that don’t show anything of social/historical significance or people in them should probably be recycled – even digitally, make sure you keep everything!
Your digital archive
When organising your digital photo collection, keep in mind how others might navigate it in the future. A clear, logical structure makes all the difference.
Chronological Organization:
Start by creating folders by year, with subfolders for months or events (e.g., “2024 January New Year’s Party”).
Tagging and Metadata:
Add searchable tags to photos, such as names, places, or occasions (e.g., “birthday,” “Paris trip”). Tags make it easy to find specific images without scrolling through endless folders.
Captions and Notes:
Just as handwritten captions in photo albums provide context, embed captions in your digital files. Use metadata tools in programs like Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, or the free open-source app darktable.
File Naming:
Adopt a consistent naming convention, such as “2025-03-01_Birthday_001.jpg.” This approach ensures files remain in order and are easy to understand.
Numerous tutorials and resources online can help you learn how to tag, caption, and name files effectively.
Storage solution
Want to make sure your photos and data are safe and secure forever? Visit our dedicated page to find out how to store your photos in a way that keeps them safe and archived.