Deciding to organize photos into albums is a fun and rewarding experience. Whether you already have photos available, or are yet to take your first snapshot, these quick and easy steps will guide you through the most important decisions and help you organize photos into the perfect photo album.

Step One: Decide on film or digital photography

Before you decide you would like to organize photos into albums, you may still be deciding whether to record your photographs using negative film or digital technology as the most suitable medium. Both film and digital have their advantages, but are more dissimilar than you might expect.

Digital cameras often yield better results, especially in the hands of a novice photographer.

Many prefer the look of film however, which is still considered superior to digital imagery in terms of flexibility and quality. This is because film emulates the way that light exposure is processed by the human eye better than digital recordings.

The trouble with film however, is that it is much more time consuming, and often more expensive when considering the materials and special requirements involved. There are many steps involved with film, and error will be costly at any stage; however the results can be astonishing when adequate care and skill are applied.

Ultimately, the choice is yours.

If you have limited time and enjoy convenience, you might decide to organize photos which are purely digital in nature.

On the other hand, if you seek to achieve the highest possible image quality while learning a valuable skill, I would recommend film – so long as you have the time and resources that you will require.

Keep in mind that your decision should not necessarily revolve around whether you would like to ultimately organize photos as physical collage or an online albums, as digital photographs can be printed on high gloss backing as easily as film can be scanned and uploaded to online albums.

Step Two: Organize photos by either date or occasion

Once you have gathered your photographs, your next decision involves the method of classification.

The two most common ways to organize photos are by date (chronologically) or into categories.Your decision here should reflect your motives for deciding to organize photos in the first place.

For instance, if you have decided to organize photos because you have accumulated a large stockpile over time, or have photographs that date back many years, you would most likely choose to organize photos chronologically.

If you have photos of a single event, or distinct yet different subject matter, you may prefer to organize photos by category.

As with your decision to record your images on film or digitally, the choice is yours, but let common sense prevail.

If you choose to organize photos chronologically, start by cataloging photographs into large groups, and then further divide these into sub-groups. It is often easiest to begin by organizing photographs by year, then month, then day and even hour, minute, or even by second if the chronological sequence is instrumental in recounting a story. One noteworthy convenience of digital photographs is that the date and time are usually recorded onto the file the moment it is taken, which makes chronological sequencing as simple as a click of a mouse. Chronological grouping is the most common way to organize photos, and is especially useful for family photographs because it can illustrate progressive growth, change, maturity, and achievement.

Alternatively, you may organize photos by category. This type of organization is especially useful if your photographs fall into distinct types. For instance: weddings, graduations, funerals, holidays, or birthdays. Organizing by category may also be preferred when subject matter does not include family, and categories may be distinguished by landscape, season, landmark, object, or event.

Once you have sorted and organized your photos into appropriate groups, take a moment to label your photographs before you decide to publish them. This may be done either by writing with ink on the reverse of the photograph, or by renaming the digital image. It is wise to record as much pertinent information as possible while your recollection is strong.

Step Three: Publish

Now that the hard work is complete, it is time to immortalize your photographs by publishing. Your final decision will be whether you publish your album physically as a collage or scrapbook, or online in digital form.

A physical collage will invoke memories of childhood albums but exposure will be limited to guests in your home and therefore is ideally suited to private family albums.

Publishing to an online website, while less tactile, enables sharing across the world and helps to insure your memories against damage or deletion.

Note that while your previous decisions on how to organize photos during steps one and two were mutually exclusive, you may decide to create both a physical album and an online album and enjoy the benefits of each.

So there you have it. Three easy steps to organizing those pictures.

As in most activities if you take some time before to think about options, work involved, why you want the album, what purpose it will serve, and then go through these three steps: digital or film, organize photos by date or occasion, and publish, you will find the task of creating living memories easier and more effectively achieved.