By Eva Williams 4 days ago, Professional photography
There are lots of online and offline photo storage ideas. They all allow you to keep your images protected from the negative effects of dust and sunlight. If you aren’t sure what variant is most suitable in your case, you can read this post till the end, learn the advantages of every concept and then make a final choice.
This article contains the most popular ideas for photo storage based on convenience and cost-efficiency. You will be able to find really interesting solutions for different image types and sizes.
Using Bankers Box is probably the first idea that comes to mind when people need to arrange images in a convenient and creative way. This is a really wonderful option that allows you not only to organize your photos but also create a kind of decoration for a room if you embellish a box with ornaments. Another advantage of the file cabinet method is that you can sort out images based on a common ground – childhood, B-day party, etc.
If you are looking for photo storage ideas that don’t require spending much money, this one will work just fine. You can purchase snap-shut boxes that can hold up to 100 4x6-inch images and put your pictures inside without worrying that their quality will degrade because of external factors.
Such a storage system is perfect for sorting photos by month, year, any occasion, etc. Thus, you can easily find specific pictures. What’s more, there is a special place on a box for sticking labels, where you can write some related words.
There is a large box that has multiple small boxes arranged inside. Since the surface is transparent, you can easily locate a smaller box with the needed photos. Another plus is a convenient handle on the top, so carrying it won’t cause problems. All boxes have rounded corners, which means your photos won’t be wrinkled.
Since the handle is molded into the lid, you can put one large box on top of the other. The best part is that such boxes are BPA-, acid-, PVC-, and lignin-free. You can use them not only to store images but also to keep recipes, flashcards, seeds, and other stuff.
While choosing proper photo storage solutions, you need to keep in mind that objects with acids can totally spoil the quality of images. That’s the main reason, why so many people like using archival boxes, especially Pioneer boxes, as they are completely acid-free. Beside storing images, they also work perfectly for keeping wedding souvenirs, greeting cards, football or baseball cards, etc. Every box has a metal ID holder where you can insert a label and write something there. Moreover, since such boxes are available in different colors, you can create a really interesting display on a bookshelf.
One of the simplest picture storage ideas is to use paper folders. This is suitable for those who don’t have many photos. You need to buy folders and files to put photos inside. Folders can be signed on the outside and arranged on bookshelves. You can also purchase folders of different colors to sort photos by periods of life, years, or even seasons.
Creative people will surely adore this idea. However, keep in mind that by attaching an image to a page, you can hardly remove it without damaging. Fortunately, nowadays you can make several copies of a shot so as not to lose precious memories. Besides, you can merge several images into one, using free photo collage makers.
To make the scrapbooking process enjoyable, it’s better to find feature-rich digital scrapbooking software and take advantage of provided templates. What’s more, such programs typically allow sharing finished projects online.
Be inventive while making a scrapbook and add pockets and paper clips to pages for attaching more pictures. Just check whether they are crafted of acid- and lignin-free paper. Previously people used glue and tape to fasten photos to pages, but that made images yellow and crumpled. So, it is better to use cornet squares for holding photos or slipping them into photo albums.
If you have lots of images you took over 10+ years, you can organize them into standard photo albums. You can either arrange images in chronological order or choose any other variant. The main thing here is you choose an album with plastic overlays that don’t contain PVC elements, which drastically damage pictures. Today, the range of photo albums is mind-blowing, so you can choose an ideal one for your photos considering their size.
Besides, you’d better opt for albums where it is possible to insert additional sheets (such as binders). Thus, if you later find more images from a particular event, you can easily add them to an album without rearranging all other pictures.
If you are searching for photo storage ideas that don’t involve dealing with printed copies, you should definitely start with arranging files on your PC. Photographers, who travel a lot, usually use portable laptops to manage all their files. Besides, having such a device at hand, you can easily update a photography portfolio, keep in touch with clients, etc.
You can organize various thematic folders to have quick access to particular files. Also, on the computer, you can sort files by date to quickly find the photo session you need. You can easily print out photos saved on a computer at any time, or transfer them to clients through file sharing services.
Another reliable photo storage option is an external storage device such as a hard drive. An external hard drive for photographers is easy to carry around even if you travel to another city or country. Besides, it serves well for sharing images with clients. An external drive can satisfy both personal and professional needs. External hard drives can store more files than an entry-level computer and don’t hamper PC operation being connected to it.
With the advent of the Internet, storing files has become easier. Cloud storage for photos are remote servers where your photos are stored. You can access them from anywhere in the world and from any device just by having Internet access. You can also share them with other users, take advantage of unlimited photo storage, or even work on photos with a team. It is also more convenient to integrate photos to a site from the storage.
I really love digital picture frames, mainly, for their ability to rotate a collection of images and display them at predefined time intervals. Having such a frame at your table, you can show pictures from a recent trip or any other event.
Thus, you can not only store photos but also see your pleasant memories every time you come into the room. It is very easy to change photos demonstrated in a frame. However, you need to check the amount of internal memory of digital photo frames to define how many pictures you can transfer there.
Currently, we mainly deal with digital photos, but if you look through your family possessions, you’re likely to come across some slides and negatives. Of course, you’d better digitize them so as not to lose important stories. However, arranging negatives is also an important task.
One of the best photo storage ideas when it comes to preserving negatives is to use a negative storage sheet. Thus, you will have all pieces flat, chronologically organized, and easily visible. If you want, you can even add a short description on the outside of the sheets to instantly locate the needed frame. Later, you can put such sheets into slide boxes or binders to make sure they won’t be distorted.
If you are interested in long-term storage, you should opt for archival boxes made of acid-free material. Thus, you will have all your pictures neatly organized and categorized. If you deal with old and fragile pictures, you may notice a dull silver sheen on them. This means the original silver is coming through the paper onto the front side and you can lose your images forever. In this case, you have to address professionals who can duplicate photos and restore copies as soon as possible.
Cardboard boxes better cope with aging, keeping your photos in the initial quality for a longer period. But transparent plastic boxes cost less and allow finding the needed images faster.
Acids can spoil images by warping the chemical composition of photographs, which means you’ll get screwed colors over time. This is a crucial aspect to keep in mind while choosing photo storage solutions. The main culprit of long-term image damage is sunlight. Indoor light is also harmful but to a lesser degree. In this regard, boxes provide better protection for pictures than an album or a frame.
If you’ve chosen photo storage ideas that imply demonstrating pictures to anyone visiting your place, you surely want images to look perfect. In this case, you need to edit photos and then put them into frames or albums. With the help of these presets, you can correct colors in several pictures at once and ensure that share the same stylistics. Besides, some tools allow improving skin, eyes, and other facial features, as well as balancing lights and shadows.
