Creating and/or starting to create family photo albums can be easy if you have a system in place. And if you are thinking, "Oh my gosh! I have so many photos in my phone, I wouldn't even know where to start!" Don't worry, I have your back.
First, I will tell you a couple of things. I am currently up to date on my albums ONLY because I have a system in place. And, once an album is "full", I'll get to what that means in a minute, I print it. It's delivered right to my home and then the whole family can peruse and enjoy. I usually leave the most current one out on my coffee table so that if any one has a few minutes on their hands, including guests, they can browse through the book too. 9 times out of 10, the friend looking through it is in it too!
So what does "full" mean? I use Shutterfly album service online. Their particular books usually hold about 111 pages. I try to get a whole year in the book. Once I have filled all the pages with images and text, it's "full". Once it's full you order and it gets delivered right to your doorstep.
Follow these steps to get a routine in place and get your family photos organized in albums so that your photos AND MEMORIES can be enjoyed DAILY! Your goal is to get them off your phone! :)
Focus on the current year. Put all of your photos from 2022 into a folder on your desktop. Then, if you'd like, you can make other years prior and put photos in those folders accordingly....and I'm going to stop you right there because I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, but I want a holiday book and a vacation book and a....NO! I know this sounds bossy, LOL!, but you really want to focus on just getting your photos into albums chronologically. If you think you are going to spend time on different books, you're not. It gets too confusing, time consuming and you'll end up with duplicate photos, etc. Trust me. I've gone down that rabbit hole. LOL!
After you have your folder on your desktop, you are going to choose an online service like Shutterfly. I recommend that because I use it and I can answer your questions if you get started and get stuck. There are plenty out there though. When you are ready, you will log on, create a new project which will be a photo book and proceed from there.
Once you have created the book you want, the company you are using will ask you a few questions when getting the book set up, like size, theme, etc. The next step will have you upload your 2022 photos. It will give you step by step instructions. Remember, you are just going to focus on getting your 2022 year album up and running.
When your photos are uploaded to the service, you can choose to have them automatically placed or you can place them yourself. Totally up to you.
Once you have all of your current year photos in the book, SAVE the book and it will sit in your account until the next month when you log in.
Now, when June 2022 rolls around, you will log in to your account, upload all of your May photos, place them in the book, hit SAVE and then wait for the next month. Most books can only accommodate so many photos so when the pages are full, the system will ask you to print the book. Shutterfly ends most books at 111 pages.
Now you have a system. Upload and place photos in the book at the end or beginning of every month. Whatever works for your schedule. By the time December rolls around, you will have documented your family's life with just a few clicks of the buttons. After you have a system in place, then you can create other books, like 2021, and upload all your photos from that year, and place them in the book. Up to you. Or just start with this year and be happy you have a new routine in place to FINALLY GET THOSE PHOTOS OFF YOUR PHONE and in your hands so you can enjoy them!
Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions. I have been doing this a while and can answer most questions regarding the Shutterfly platform.
I'm a natural light photographer working in beautiful, southern California! I photograph families, couples and seniors all over San Diego, Poway, and Coronado and would love to work with you, document who you are today, and create memories that will last a lifetime!
Good luck and, most importantly,
HAVE FUN reliving all the amazing moments in your life!
I'm a natural light photographer living my best life in sunny San Diego!
I specialize in families and high school seniors.
I love this idea! I am making Zoe a Shutterfly album for graduation (basically birth through Sr Year, by categories like school days, girl scouts, sports, etc) and I love making them! I made one for Maddie and she loved it! It's made me realize I need to make some for us to have at home to look through. I've made other albums for big trips, etc, but not just everyday ones. I can do it with all the free time I'll have soon ;-)