Black hole, begone: 5 tips for curating your treasured photos

(BPT) – Are you one of those dedicated people who snap great photos at every meaningful moment of your life? And do most of those shots end up in virtual memory, filed away in a sea of unsorted images?

If so, you’re far from alone. Analysts say a whopping 1.2 trillion photos will be taken across the world this year, with many adding to the 4.7 trillion photo stockpile accumulating in digital storage.

In a way we’re victims of our own success when it comes to enjoying the key images that define our lives. While smartphone technology has made capturing and preserving our best memories easier than ever, we end up taking so many images we can’t curate them all; after that they often wind up forgotten or just plain lost somewhere in the digital realm.

There’s light at the end of the lens, however. The photography industry has offered up several solutions for helping you sort and curate the photos that remind you of your most treasured memories. Consider how the following ideas may help.

1. For easier organization and retrieval, there is software available to help you categorize, store and search for your most valuable shots, using technology such as face recognition and your camera’s GPS to make the process more efficient. Mac users can source the free Photos app while Windows users can invest in helpful tools such as Adobe Photoshop Elements.

2. Immediately print those meaningful photos, especially if they’d make great gifts. After an exceptional photo session, take your smartphone or memory card directly to a Kodak Picture Kiosk (found at most CVS and Target locations) that can create the prints in minutes. You can even order ahead through the Kodak Moments App or place an order through kodakmoments.com to have it home-delivered.

3. Before downloading your photos for storage, get in the habit of quickly reviewing them and sorting definite keepers from duds. Delete the bad ones or simply rank them via your camera’s rating system so your photo library software categorizes them accordingly. Be sure to clearly name and date your folders and subfolders using multiple descriptive keywords pointing to themes, subjects, locations, occasions, seasons, etc.

4. Check out other time-saving tools. For example, the easy-to-use Kodak Moments App offers a ‘Made for You‘ feature that automatically searches your rolls to identify standout photos and show you how they’d look as prints, cards, photo books, canvases, mugs or magnets. Such personalized items can make meaningful gifts for the loved one who has everything.

5. For added security, some experts advise maintaining files for your digital photos on at least three different media, with one set stored outside of your home. That ensures you’ll always have options for retrieval if something goes awry.

When they’re brought out of storage and enjoyed, your most stellar photos can remind you of the best parts of your life. Make sure you’re curating and celebrating your most treasured memories.

Brandpoint – Free Online Content