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What is the Best Way to Store Photos?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

Many people cherish photographs of their children, of current friends as well as friends from times past, and relatives both dead and living. Photographs help to preserve memories of days gone by, and may be passed from one generation to the next. This makes storing photographs for protection and preservation very important. Fortunately, there are more ways to store photos today than ever before. They can be kept in physically, in photo albums, or digitally, on a computer, online, or on DVD.

For many years, people have used photo albums to store and protect cherished photographs. In some cases, the photo album would include thick acid free paper as the housing for the photographs. Adhesive corners would be affixed to each photo, which would then be positioned on the pages. Later albums included adhesive pages that included clear plastic sheeting over each page. Over time, some of the adhesives used in these types of photo albums were proven to cause a degree of damage, and were replaced with others that are less likely to degrade the photos. Many people today still use the traditional photo album to hold their pictures.

Old photos may be preserved by storing them in specially made albums or boxes.
Old photos may be preserved by storing them in specially made albums or boxes.

Photo storage today also includes several electronic alternatives. There is the option of online photo albums, which allows digital images to be uploaded and saved permanently on a web site on the Internet. The ability to store photos online means there is no fading, tearing, or losing a valued photograph. One of the advantages of these online homes for photos is that it makes sharing the photographs with friends and relatives an easy task. If the album is open to the public, the viewer simply needs to know the URL. Private albums allow the owner to grant access to anyone he or she wishes to view and download the images.

Modern photo albums use adhesives that don't damage pictures.
Modern photo albums use adhesives that don't damage pictures.

Along with the online albums, people may choose to store photos in a DVD photo storage format. Taking only a small amount of space, a standard DVD will hold a large number of photographs. It is even possible to create sections of chapters in the DVD photo album, making it easy to organize the photos for easy retrieval. Best of all, it is possible to copy the entire contents of the DVD onto another disk, making it possible to create a backup in case the original is ever damaged, or even to copy the album and pass it on to other people. With very little cost involved, the DVD photo album saves time, money, and easily preserves images that will evoke happy memories for many years to come.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon233418

There is usually a fee for online storage and the more protection you want, the more it costs. My photos are in such abundance that it has slowed my entire system down. I have them on an external HD and I got a flash drive.

I need to get them off my PC. Does anyone know how to "save in chapters" to a DVD?

rosoph

Maybe I'm kind of old-fashioned about where to store photos, but I still prefer to keeps mine in a regular old, tangible photo album. I like to be able to display the albums around my house, so that anyone can look at them at any time.

And there's just something about flipping through the pages of pictures that I love. Somehow it makes the memories feel more real to me, being able to touch the pictures.

jlmk

I would like to store my photos online, but it makes me a little bit uneasy. What would happen if the website somehow disappeared? Would all of my pictures be gone?

On one hand it seems like such a good idea, because it would make it so easy to share my pictures with my family -- I'm horrible at remembering to give them actual photos. I would love it if they could just go online and see all of our pictures. I just don't want to risk losing them all.

write79

I am always paranoid about losing pictures, especially those of my children. Before the digital age was in full swing, and we were still taking photos with film, I always made sure to get doubles when developing them. That way I always had a spare if one photo got damaged.

It's so much easier now to be able to store my photos on my computer and on DVDs. I can print out a photo anytime I need one, and I have plenty of options for creating backups. I'm a lot less worried about my pictures now.

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    • Old photos may be preserved by storing them in specially made albums or boxes.
      By: diepre
      Old photos may be preserved by storing them in specially made albums or boxes.
    • Modern photo albums use adhesives that don't damage pictures.
      By: SilviuFlorin
      Modern photo albums use adhesives that don't damage pictures.
    • Photos can be uploaded and saved online.
      By: ra2 studio
      Photos can be uploaded and saved online.
    • DVDs can store many photos.
      DVDs can store many photos.
    • Photos taken on a digital camera can be saved until they are deleted from the camera.
      By: stokkete
      Photos taken on a digital camera can be saved until they are deleted from the camera.
    • Many people today still use the traditional photo album to hold their pictures.
      By: Photographee.eu
      Many people today still use the traditional photo album to hold their pictures.