Ready for the next addition to the No Brainer Things to Toss series? If you're currently on a decluttering rampage in your home, this series is the perfect place to start. So far in the series, we've covered:
- No Brainer Things to Toss in Your Kitchen Decluttering Session
- No Brainer Things to Toss in Your Home Office Decluttering Session
- No Brainer Things to Toss in Your Closet Decluttering Session
- No Brainer Things to Toss in Your Garage Decluttering Session
- No Brainer Things to Toss in Your Paper Decluttering Session
Today we're tackling the topic of print photo decluttering! Since September is Save Your Photos Month, it seems like the perfect time to compile a No Brainer list centered around photo decluttering. Of course, photos come in both the print and digital variety. BOTH types of photo collections can typically benefit from a thorough decluttering process. In this post, I'll be honing in on print photos.
During the past year, I spent lots of time slowly working through box after box of print photos that have been stashed away in old photo albums and in photo boxes throughout our home (you can see the beginning state of my print photo collection here).
As I sorted through those mounds of photos, I came up with a set of decision rules about what print photos I wanted to toss from my collection in order to pare it down. Today, I'm sharing my list of decision rules with you in the form of a "No Brainer" print photo categories toss list.
When it's time for you to turn your attention to photo decluttering, I recommend that you create a set of decision rules up front, as it really does help to expedite the "should I keep or toss this photo?" decision-making process. Keep in mind that your decision rules may be different from mine. And that's o.k.!
The point of the exercise is to identify categories up front so that when you come across a photo that falls into these categories, you know to automatically toss the photo. This will cut down on decision-making fatigue and help you to work longer during your photo decluttering sessions.
Ready? Let's go.
THE PRINT PHOTO DECLUTTERING TOSS LIST
I realize that this is one of those categories that others might feel differently than I do. If you’re a pro photographer, or someone who is really inspired by nature, then by all means, keep that stash of scenery photos. For me, they are meaningful in the short-term, but not so much years later.
This image of St. Croix was taken on my honeymoon (obviously a meaningful moment in my life). But I’d much rather enjoy the photos that include my husband and I together with the gorgeous scenery in the background, since that is the essence of the memory.
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What categories will choose to include in your no brainer photo decluttering list? What other categories will you add? And the biggest question of all...will you keep photos of your EXs??!?
Once you've conquered your print photo collection, join the Digital Photo Organizing Challenge! I'll walk you through my step-by-step process for turning your digital photo chaos into a beautifully organized collection (you'll be able to find any photo in 5 seconds or less!).
Be sure to download my Declutter Tool Kit, a free resource for helping you declutter your home from top to bottom. Click on the image below to grab your copy:
Check out these other posts to help you declutter & organize your photo collection:
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- Organizing Your Print Photo Collection
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- Safeguarding Print Photos
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- Print Photo Organizing Prep Work
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- The Digital Photo Organizing Tool Kit
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- Digital Photo Storage
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- How to Make a Photo Book
Join the Digital Photo Organizing Challenge
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