Day 1: Set Up Your Workspace and Gather Memories
Begin by finding a well-lit space, preferably with a spacious flat surface. Ideally, this area will allow you to leave your memories undisturbed for a few days. If that's not possible, devise a plan for storing them between your sorting sessions. The significance of this becomes more apparent as the number of memories you need to organize increases.
Now, gather your memories. Chances are, they're scattered in various places throughout your home. Bring them to your designated workspace so that you're prepared to start sorting tomorrow.
Day 2: Pre-Sort
Take a few moments to survey the memories you've gathered. Assess the quantity and your familiarity with them. This quick evaluation will guide your sorting approach. While there are numerous ways to organize, simplicity is recommended.
If your collection includes photos spanning multiple centuries, consider initially sorting them into two "century" piles. Following that, you can further categorize by events such as birthdays, weddings, holidays, and vacations. For memories not tied to specific events, consider sorting by person or family. To enhance organization, you may opt to arrange each type of event or person/family pile chronologically. Precision is not the primary goal—focus on efficiency and relish the journey down memory lane.
Expert Tips:
1. Consolidate duplicates into a designated pile.
2. Identify memories you're certain you want to digitize and place them in your "To Digitize" pile.
3. Separate blurry photos, those with unfortunate thumb-in-lens moments, or ones you simply don't wish to keep into a Discard pile.
Day 3: Delve Deeper into Sorting (and Relish the Time Spent with Your Memories)
Continue the sorting process. Today's objective is to make a thorough initial pass through all your memories. The enjoyable aspect of this task lies in the opportunity to truly engage with your memories – an activity we often intend to do but seldom find the time for.
Expert Tip: Keep a magnifying glass within reach. This is crucial, especially when sorting slides or negatives. It can also aid in discerning details that assist in approximating dates on photographs.
Day 4: Complete the Sorting Process and Store Your Memories in Their Permanent Location
While sorting, you've probably been contemplating the storage of the physical memories you've chosen to retain. It might have become evident that having additional boxes or varying sizes would be beneficial. Consider labeling or making notes about your memories. (Note: Writing on the back of a photograph is not the most optimal choice.) Use sticky notes instead.
Day 5: Ship Your Package or Make the Drop-off, and Commemorate Your Achievement!
Hooray! You've accomplished it! Once you've dispatched your order to us, it's time to revel in a well-executed task. Digitizing is a fantastic way to safeguard precious memories, a goal many aspire to but often postpone due to life's demands.
If a friend joined you in the Challenge, take a moment to celebrate your collective efforts. Now, relax, confident that our skilled digitizers are diligently working on preserving your memories. Anticipate receiving your completed order approximately four weeks from the time we receive your media. This package will include your originals along with any USB or DVD you've requested.