I have always felt
photos were sacred, a moment in time that can never be replaced. I thought that a photo needed to be saved
forever. However, I have come to realize that there are reasons to throw away
photos. (GASP!)
 |
| 3 of the small boxes of photos from my mom's house. |
My mom has two 20
gallon totes and numerous boxes filled with photos still in the envelopes from
the developer. It has become my task to sort and organize these photos. This
process has made me look at my own photos differently. If I'm going to scrap them, they are sorted
and organized ready to scrap. If I'm not
going to scrap them they need a new home.
That new home may need to be the trash can!
Here Are 3 Reasons to Throw Away Photos
1. You have no clue
when, where, or who is in the picture. (These are typically pictures of scenery
on a trip and you don't know which trip.)
2. The photos are of
an event or activity that only you participated in and it no longer is
important to you. (Ex. I was a teacher
for 22 years and took photos of my classes over those years. I chose the most
important photos and tossed the rest. They're not something my family will ever
care to look at.)
3. Photos you're not
going to scrapbook or put into a photo album need a new home. Keep a digital
copy and any negatives, then gift the photo to someone else. If nobody wants it, throw it out. If your
family/friends don't want the photos now they will not want to sort them later.
Don't leave that task for your family to handle in the future. Toss them out.
I know it'll be hard but you can do it, good luck, Karen
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ReplyDeleteI love this. I felt the same way. Then one day I looked at a picture of an eagle in a tree. I had to circle the eagle with a Sharpie to even know there was a bird there. Why would anyone in the future want to look at something that was that hard to identify? I tore it up and put it in the waste can and felt liberated!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. So liberating to let go of pics that will never make it into a scrapbook. My dilemma is being single, never married and no kids I find myself wondering why I am scrapbooking these memories and who is going to appreciate/want them when I am gone? So I have approached my scrapbooking differently. I have my personal scrapbooks, then I have family books. I devote pages to my family members and when I leave this earth those left can easily take pages that relate to them. And as a friend reminded me, you are scrapbooking for the joy it brings you NOW and that is what should matter!
ReplyDeleteI know my son does not want my books, he is solely digital but I do it because I enjoy it. If in the end the books go in the trash sad but I won't be here so it's ok. I don't want to leave a ton of photos in a box for someone to sort though it's a daunting task doing my mom's and I just started.
Delete