EVERY PICTURE HAS A STORY TO TELL - IS YOURS SAFE?
A simple, no-overwhelm system for organizing, preserving, and protecting the photos, albums, and memories that tell your family's story.
Resources Mentioned in This Presentation
Amazon Supply List - everything used in the demo
Photo & Memorabilia Gathering Checklist: Free Download
Family Timeline Worksheet: Free Download (the golden ticket!)
Somewhere in your house right now, there's a box of photos you've been meaning to deal with. Maybe it's under the bed. Maybe it's in the attic, or scattered across old phones, CDs, and hard drives you haven't opened in years. Wherever it is — you're not alone, and you don't need a free weekend or a perfect system to finally start.
In this presentation, Certified Photo Manager and Space Maker Professional founder Jennings King walks through her simple 5-step system for gathering, sorting, and preserving printed photos, family albums, and memorabilia — so your memories are protected, accessible, and ready to pass down to the next generation.
Whether you have one shoebox or twenty years of albums, you'll walk away with a plan you can actually use.
The 5-Step System
1. Gather —Start with what's in front of you — one box, one stack, one album. You can't organize what you can't see.
2. Sort —Quickly sort into four piles: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Trash. Trust your gut — curating is an act of love, not loss.
3. Timeline —Map your family's major moments — births, weddings, moves, schools. A timeline makes placing undated photos so much faster.
4. Categorize —Organize your photos chronologically, by event, by person, OR by chapter of life. The best system is the one you'll actually maintain. (My preferred is chronological)
5. Digitize —Curate first, then scan. If a memory only exists in one place, it's at risk — digitizing is how you future-proof your collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best method for digitizing print photos?
The Epson FastFoto-680W is great for speed on standard-size photos, while the Epson V600 flatbed is better for older, fragile, or oddly-sized photos. Scan at 600 dpi which is considered high resolution — most drugstore and big-box scanning services only scan at 300 dpi, which limits your print size down the road.
What if I don't know the date on a photo?
Use a family timeline to cross-reference major life events — moves, births, schools — to estimate a year. If you truly can't narrow it down, date by decade instead of an exact year, and use clues like clothing, hairstyles, and photo paper style to help place it.
Should I keep negatives?
Only if you don't already have a high-quality print or scan. If a great scan exists, the negative has done its job and can be released.
What do I do with old slides or Super 8 film?
These need specialty conversion — a standard flatbed scanner won't do the job. Look for a trusted local or professional conversion service so nothing gets damaged in the process.
How do I organize the thousands of photos on my phone?
This deserves its own full conversation — and it's one of the most requested topics from this very presentation. Digital photo organization uses a different system than print photos, but the same gather, sort, and protect philosophy still applies. A good rule of thumb: your photos should live in at least three places — the cloud, an external hard drive, and a backup offsite stored somewhere safe.
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