How I’m Organising My Baby Photos Without the Overwhelm
It’s hard to believe, but Baby Zak is already 8 weeks old! My husband jokes that he must be the most photographed baby in the world, but I’d argue that there are some serious contenders out there. In fact, my camera roll currently holds 930 photos since his birth, which sounds like a lot, but when you consider that this includes my non-Zak-related snaps and screenshots, it’s not as wild as it may seem.
It works out to be 14 images a day and sure, it might sound like a lot of photos, but I’ve had the privilege of peeking into others’ photo libraries, and I can confidently say my photo-taking habits are relatively restrained. What makes me proud, though, is how I’ve been organising the photos as I go — and I’m already feeling ahead of the game.
I’ve started collecting photos so I can create a photobook of Baby Zak’s first year, and as of now, I already have 370 photos in his dedicated album. Plus, I’ve curated 50 of my very best shots in a special "favourites" folder for easy access. The best part? I’m not overwhelmed by the task of organising everything because I’ve been keeping up with it regularly.
Here’s how I’ve been keeping it all organised:
1. Creating Albums & Using Favourites
I’ve created a “Baby Zak” album, where I collect the best photos. This is my go-to spot to save photos I want to add to the photobook, and I also use the Favourites feature for the photos that really take my breath away. I only mark a photo as a favourite if it truly stops me in my tracks.
2. Taking Fewer Photos, but Making Them Count
I don’t go crazy with my camera. Usually, I take only 1-3 photos at a time. I treat my phone just like I would treat a film camera: I slow down, wait for the perfect moment, and then snap the shot. This helps me stay intentional and mindful about what I’m capturing.
3. Making Photo Review a Daily Routine
Every day, I take a moment to scroll through the latest photos on my phone. While I unwind by scrolling through Instagram and Facebook, I also scroll through my camera roll and delete the photos that aren’t worth keeping and add the good ones to the Baby Zak album. This small daily habit makes all the difference in staying on top of things and keeping my camera roll nice and clean.
So, What’s the Benefit of This Routine?
By taking a more intentional approach to my photo collection, I’m already seeing the benefits:
No Overwhelm: At just 8 weeks old, I already have shortlisted the photos I want to include for the first 2 months in Zak’s first-year photobook, organised and ready to go. I don’t need to spend extra time sorting through them later. And though I may not want to use all of them when the time comes to make the book, I’ll have an already curated and manageable sized collection of photos to choose from.
Enjoying the Memories: I love regularly looking through the Baby Zak album. It’s beautifully curated and gives me a simple, clutter-free way to relive his little milestones.
Printing with Ease: I wanted to print some photos for the fridge and was able to go straight to my favourites folder to find the stand-out shots. No digging required!
Seamless Display of Photos: I’ve linked my Baby Zak album to Google Photos on my Chromecast, so his pictures pop up as the screensaver on the TV. It’s such a sweet way to enjoy the photos daily.
My Final Thoughts
The trickiest part of creating a photobook is gathering and narrowing down the photos, but by taking small steps each day, I’ve made sure I’m not faced with a mountain of disorganised pictures later. You can start this process today too! Both Google Photos and Apple Photos have handy features that let you create albums and mark favorites.
So, don’t worry about organising everything from the past. Start fresh today: Take fewer photos, delete the duds, favorite your best shots, and create curated albums as you go. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
