Categories for Years of Family Photos?

[omio]

Not sure I can word this so it makes sense, but I'm organizing both digital pics and scans of photos going back a hundred years or more.

I've tried organizing by family group but then get bogged down with maiden names, married names, siblings marrying their spouses' siblings, and other family combinations.

For current pictures, it seems to work best to sort pictures into folders labeled by the location in which they were taken. (I may not remember WHEN but I always remember where.) Again, that becomes very convoluted when I'm going back with many generations who lived in the same towns and/or houses.

Any brilliant ways to "group" pictures that cover so many different families in so many different time periods?

[PacificTonz]

My older photos and scanned photos I've just stored into folders by years (and months within a year where I know it). This works for me so that when I come to scrap them I know what works together and can work our roughly the right age for people in the photo at birthdays etc.

[MizLiz]

I also group photos and scanned photos by year under a main folder called PHOTOS. If I know the date or event of a group of photos, I'll then have a subfolder using that name.

Any specifics (who, what, etc) of each photo, I use ACDSEE (http://www.acdsee.com/) for that extra layer of organization and ease of searching (other than my DSP purchases :tup:, this has been one of my best investments :yes:).

For the photo scans that I just can't pinpoint who, what, when, where, etc., right away, they live under the main folder of PHOTOS. I know I'll come across additional photos and scans that give me a clue which year folder and/or event folder it's closest too. Plus, my family (including extended - aunts, uncles, cousins, etc) are really excited that I'm doing all this and want copies too, so it's become part of gatherings for me to pull out the laptop, and we run the "mystery" photo scans to see if anyone knows specifics. I've been able to scribble lots of "good memories" that will be AWESOME for later journaling on layouts!

I did help a family at church that had a shoebox of photos. Their grandma had them in groups and kinda of labeled. So, on these I did folders for each group by the year, day and month and event or "key" word that was on the label...ex: 1932_04_27_BakerFamilyHomePics. It was more meaningful to the family and other members who wanted copies. If it didn't have a month or date, I substituted 00 (1932_00_00_BakerFamilyHomePics), to keep the years together as the files displayed.

[omio]

Plus, my family (including extended - aunts, uncles, cousins, etc) are really excited that I'm doing all this and want copies too, so it's become part of gatherings for me to pull out the laptop, and we run the "mystery" photo scans to see if anyone knows specifics. I've been able to scribble lots of "good memories" that will be AWESOME for later journaling on layouts!

This is SUCH a wonderful idea! My mother would have loved doing something like this and would have known nearly everyone in every picture. You might want to start a thread with this idea so people will see it in new posts. If I had family still living, I would do this in a heartbeat.

As for organizing, it really does keep coming back to dates, doesn't it? To clarify my first post, BTW, I've grouped modern pictures by geographical location and sub-grouped by date. My main problem with the old pictures is that so many aren't labeled and I can usually guess only the decade.

This is a bit off the point and I think you're both PC users (I use Mac) but I saw this new blurb on iPhoto 9 which is Mac's version of ACDSee? Not trying to recruit you to Mac :D but I think this will interest you because it is probably the way to the future for both platforms. It shows how to group by facial recognition and location or GPS points: http://www.apple.com/ilife/guided-tours/ I've used computers since the early 70's and continue to be absolutely amazed -- it's like magic!!! :shocked:

BTW, lrj, love your avatar!!! :tup:

[omio]

My older photos and scanned photos I've just stored into folders by years (and months within a year where I know it). This works for me so that when I come to scrap them I know what works together and can work our roughly the right age for people in the photo at birthdays etc.

That's really the main advantage to a timeline, isn't it? To be able to identify other photos. My problem with this was that I ended up with so many duplicate photos in different folders because I had guessed the years differently.

I'm whining about a lovely problem to have, I know. I'm an only child and was the only adult in the extended family who was interested in pictures so I have a ton. Guess I just need to back up and regroup...again. :annoyed: :lol:

Thanks to both of you.

[omio]

Plus, my family (including extended - aunts, uncles, cousins, etc) are really excited that I'm doing all this and want copies too, so it's become part of gatherings for me to pull out the laptop, and we run the "mystery" photo scans to see if anyone knows specifics. I've been able to scribble lots of "good memories" that will be AWESOME for later journaling on layouts!

This is SUCH a wonderful idea! My mother would have loved doing something like this and would have known nearly everyone in every picture. You might want to start a thread with this idea so people will see it in new posts. If I had family still living, I would do this in a heartbeat.

Hope you don't mind that I posted your idea with a link in the granny thread. So many of us do heritage layouts and many people have older family members living in the area. I just think this is a brilliant tradition to start in a family. :tup:

[scamptx]

Omio, are you tagging your photos? I love that feature in Bridge, and I think it's in lots of applications.

As far as organizing my old scans, so far it's by family group. But you're right, the maiden/married name does cause a conundrum!

[hiccup42]

I have a folder for each year, and a subfolder for each month, then each group of photos has its day and its location(eg 09 Frankensteins pub), and any stories etc I save in a .txt file in the folder. Most of my individual photos are numbered in the order they were taken, and have the names of the people (eg 56 Katie and Chris) in the order from left to right, front to back, as they appear in the photo.
I don't have many older photos, but if I did I would store them like this as much as possible, with a folder for each date/location as much as i could define things, and the names of all the people in the photo as part of its name, and any other info in a txt file with the same name as the photo.

Does that make sense? It seems awfully rambly, and i'm not sure its any help

[omio]

I have a folder for each year, and a subfolder for each month, then each group of photos has its day and its location(eg 09 Frankensteins pub), and any stories etc I save in a .txt file in the folder. Most of my individual photos are numbered in the order they were taken, and have the names of the people (eg 56 Katie and Chris) in the order from left to right, front to back, as they appear in the photo.
I don't have many older photos, but if I did I would store them like this as much as possible, with a folder for each date/location as much as i could define things, and the names of all the people in the photo as part of its name, and any other info in a txt file with the same name as the photo.

Does that make sense? It seems awfully rambly, and i'm not sure its any help

It's okay, hiccup -- I'm bi-lingual so I speak "rambly." :rofl: And, yes, it does make sense. It's getting back to dates being imperfect but the best system available.

Scamp, I've tagged some of the pictures. The main ones I'm having trouble with are the old prints that I haven't scanned yet. Those are the ones that I'm missing most of the dates on. I've hesitated to start scanning without getting the prints organized into some kind of system but maybe I just need to hold my breath and jump in. I suspect I'm into my old "if I can't do it perfectly, then I'll think it to death and thus do nothing at all" paralysis. :annoyed: :doh: :love2:

[sanra]

Not sure I can word this so it makes sense, but I'm organizing both digital pics and scans of photos going back a hundred years or more.

I've tried organizing by family group but then get bogged down with maiden names, married names, siblings marrying their spouses' siblings, and other family combinations.

For current pictures, it seems to work best to sort pictures into folders labeled by the location in which they were taken. (I may not remember WHEN but I always remember where.) Again, that becomes very convoluted when I'm going back with many generations who lived in the same towns and/or houses.

Any brilliant ways to "group" pictures that cover so many different families in so many different time periods?

So glad you brought this up. I have scanned old photos because I wanted to use them for a challenge or something and finally had to put on the brakes until I could find some way to organize. Last week for the Heritage I knew I had scanned one of me in Great-Granmother's wedding dress but couldn't find it. Then couldn't find the original. :doh::doh::doh: I finally found both of them but knew whatever I was doing was not working. So I am starting all over.

It isn't just the scanning and filing on computer but what to do with the scanned photos. Some I have taken out of old black albums, some have been in paper picture frames. Any suggestions or how have you stored the originals.

I am so glad to have the photos and would eventually would like to scan marriage licenses etc.

I am so open to any and all suggestions. :yes::yes::yes:

[omio]

Coincidentally, the topic of storing digitally came up on http://unclutterer.com/ this morning. I really like this site and check it every day. Will be interested to see the comments that are made to today's blog.

[beachin]

I have mine two different ways. First, all of them by year (2008 03 11). Then I have my family ones divided up by whose branch of the family tree they are (Dad 2008 03 11). That way, they are all kept in chronological order and I can find everything quickly.

[omio]

beachin, I started out that way (by family group) and then got discombobulated dealing with marriages, children and subsequent blending of families. So you start with two big categories -- your own mom and dad?

[beachin]

beachin, I started out that way (by family group) and then got discombobulated dealing with marriages, children and subsequent blending of families. So you start with two big categories -- your own mom and dad?

Yes. I started with the two big catagories and went from there. To keep things easy, I duplicate pictures where necessary. I have Dad, Mom, Gree (mother's father) and Jackie (my sister because I just copy all of her memory cards to my files) and then I have Pino (my Grandfather's family) and Amero (my father's family).

For the file Dad, I keep everything relevant to his lifetime. Prior to his lifetime goes in the Amero file. The same with my Grandfather... His lifetime goes under Gree and Prior to that goes to Pino.

I also have data files where I put interviews on word documents and place them there. I make sure that I have backed up all my data documents also.

It helps having the program that I do for doing this. As I gather information, I upload it right to my site. That way, it is backed up digitally. I also am working on doing a few different life stories digitally with this site. It makes it easier for me to have all of the information being put into a book when I can. I like the fact that as soon as I feel I am done collecting information, I can just have the book published. There is no rush. Also, I make sure that I ask my family tons of questions. Usually, the questions are asked while I am on the phone because they live so far away. I just type the answers into a word doc while they are talking to me. I will upload that information and then edit it when I get a chance.

[diturpin]

This is a bit off the point and I think you're both PC users (I use Mac) but I saw this new blurb on iPhoto 9 which is Mac's version of ACDSee? Not trying to recruit you to Mac :D but I think this will interest you because it is probably the way to the future for both platforms. It shows how to group by facial recognition and location or GPS points: http://www.apple.com/ilife/guided-tours/ I've used computers since the early 70's and continue to be absolutely amazed -- it's like magic!!! :shocked:

I've seen info about this and I am anxious to see how well it works. We've got an Apple Mac Daddy here at our church (he works in the educational sales division of Apple) and I keep meaning to ask him how well this works. In theory it sounds wonderful but the variables can wreak havoc. I wonder about things like picture clarity, facial expressions, partial faces (side views) and how those will effect it's performance. I thought the automatic red eye fix that PSE had was wonderful but it slowed down the upload process so much that it became useless if you were doing more than 10 pictures. It wouldn't be enough to make me change platforms but if it works well, someone will duplicate it for PC.

[diturpin]

Oh, BTW - I have no organization skills so all my "older" photos get dumped in a "Heritage" folder. I try to title the scanned photos meaninfully (names of who is in photo) but I have had very little luck finding dates on photos. It seems names were more important to my family than dates. I do have a few sub folders for folks that I have lots of photos of and I kind of group those by families. But other than that it is one big mess! LOL! So if you find any magical way to keep them straight, send me a message...in big bright shiny lights...so i'll see it!