Life Hack: Five expert tips to organise your photos — both physical and digital
Multiple coffee pictures taking up precious storage space on your phone? It's probably time for a digital decluttering
With each new year, many of us strive to improve our spaces, both virtual and physical. Decluttering is a popular resolution at this time of the year and for those of us who are snap-happy with the camera, we can accumulate a lot of images, and sadly not all of them are masterpieces.
Smartphone cameras are an easy way to take a photo on an impulse, and while many of these are cherished memories, many more are blurry, temporary reminders to stock up on milk during your next trip to the shop, and screenshots that are no longer relevant. It’s no surprise then that our photo apps fill up and digital storage space becomes a premium.
Photo printing specialist CEWE is encouraging photo enthusiasts to start the new year fresh by decluttering their phones and refreshing their photo collections.
“We believe that organisation doesn’t have to be boring or a chore,” says Steve Manfield, CEWE Ireland Marketing Director. “Instead, it can be a project that brings the family together and creates joy by looking back at your photos and reliving your precious memories.”
Kim Fitzgerald and Lyn Luxford from Irish professional organising service A Sorted Affair have teamed up with CEWE to advise people on organising their photos and decluttering their phones.
“Our mission is to help our clients to create serene and personalised spaces in their homes; this is a goal that CEWE shares,” says Kim. Lyn adds: “Organisation can take many different forms - including something as simple as decluttering your phone’s camera roll!”
The professional organisers have shared their top five organising tips for digital and physical photos.
“Get prepared when decluttering your home: label boxes with the following: 'Keep', 'Donate', 'Bin', and 'Maybe'. Apply the same principle to your photo library, deleting unwanted photos and keeping only your best memories.”
“Dedicate 15-30 minutes daily to declutter your home or digital life. After tidying up your space, use that time to go through your phone’s gallery and clear out duplicates, blurry photos, or irrelevant shots.”
Tackle decluttering by categories. For photos, create albums or folders based on events or themes (e.g., 'Family Holiday 2024') to make it easier to find and enjoy your best moments.
“Turn your favourite photos into a photobook. This not only declutters your digital space but also preserves your memories in a beautiful, tangible form that you can cherish for years.”
“Dedicate just 10 minutes after each event or holiday to sort, delete, and organise your photos. This small daily habit helps maintain a tidy gallery and saves time in the long run.”
