One of the most common questions I hear from my former wedding and family portrait clients is, “How can we preserve our precious photos?”
I’m thrilled to share that my good friend Jennings King, a former professional photographer who is now a talented professional organizer, has written a fantastic guest blog post on this very topic!
Jennings, the owner of Space Maker Professional, is amazing at helping people organize, digitize, and preserve their cherished photo collections. I can’t recommend her enough! If you’re looking for assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to her. You’ll be in great hands!
Hi, I’m Jennings King! I help families organize, digitize, and protect their photos so
their stories can be shared and loved for generations. As a photo manager, I’ve
seen how much peace of mind comes from knowing your memories are safely
preserved. Whether you’re just getting your wedding photos or sorting through
old family albums, these steps will help you build a lasting photo archive you’ll be
proud of.
Let’s be honest — our photos are some of our most treasured possessions. They
tell our stories, capture our milestones, and keep our loved ones close even as
time passes. Whether it’s your wedding day or a Sunday family session, those
images deserve to be cared for and protected.
The good news? Archiving your photos doesn’t have to be complicated. With just
a few smart habits, you can make sure your memories are safe, organized, and
easy to enjoy for years (and generations!) to come.
For Digital Photos
When your photographer sends you a flash drive or download link, don’t just save
the files in one place and call it a day. Make multiple copies right away!
Here’s my favorite formula — I call it the “three places rule”:
1. One copy on your computer or external hard drive
2. One copy on a flash drive or second drive
3. One copy in the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, etc.)
This way, if one location fails, you’ll still have backups. Flash drives only last
around 10 years (less if used often), so the cloud copy gives you an extra layer of
safety.
For Printed Photos
If you’re working with printed photos — maybe wedding prints, family albums, or
old shoebox treasures — it’s time to digitize them. You can scan them yourself or
have them professionally scanned at 600 dpi for high-quality digital versions.
Once you have those digital scans, store them using the same “three places rule.”
How to Keep Everything Organized
Here’s my favorite little secret: the easiest way to keep your photos organized is
to name your files by date, not by name.
Start each file name with the year, month, and day, like this:
2025-10-21-JenningsAndBrennen-Wedding-001
This way, your photos automatically sort in chronological order on your computer
— and you’ll instantly know when the memory happened. The date is the most
powerful piece of information you can include.
Try to avoid naming files like JenningsAndBrennen-Wedding-1. It doesn’t tell you
when it was taken or how it fits into your life story.
Final Thoughts
Creating a photo archive isn’t just about organizing files — it’s about protecting
your story. By keeping your images in multiple places and naming them in a way
that makes sense, you’re building a beautiful timeline of your life.
Start small, stay consistent, and before you know it, you’ll have a digital archive
that’s easy to navigate and filled with moments you’ll love revisiting again and
again.
Ready for a Little Help?
If this all sounds wonderful but a bit overwhelming, you don’t have to do it alone.
I love helping families organize, digitize, and preserve their photo collections in a
way that feels simple and personal.
Feel free to reach out — I’d be honored to help you create a system that keeps
your memories safe and easy to enjoy for years to come.
Website: www.spacemakerprofessional.com
Instagram: @spacemakerprofessional
Facebook: @spacemakerprofessional
