I am so excited to share a photo ‘cleaning’ series with you this week – Clean Up Your Photos with Miss Freddy. Casey (Miss Freddy) helped me sort through my photo mess earlier this year. Having our photos backed up and sorted properly was such a gift – organizing photos is not my specialty and it was such a relief to know that everything was backed up properly.  I asked her to share her tips with you guys – I am thrilled for her to help you too!  See what she has to say – I know you’re going to love it!

Does the total number of photos and videos currently taking up space on your phone give you anxiety?  Is your Camera Roll littered with junk?  Photos of a grocery list, screen shots of your lock screen, toddler ‘selfies’ of feet?  It’s a lot.  A lot, a lot.

This is why I follow a habit of daily deletion.  Every night, after the kids are in bed, my husband and I wind down in front of the TV.  It’s become second nature for me to grab my phone after we flip on our latest Netflix binge, and take 5 minutes (usually more like 30 seconds) to quickly clean up my Camera Roll.  It’s a habit that will really help curb your overwhelm when it comes to digital photos. 

“But, but, but…. it won’t take ME only 30 seconds to do a daily delete, Miss Freddy…. my mess is too ENORMOUS!”  Here’s the deal: the past is the past.  Make a decision TODAY to tackle your photos differently in the future.  Start the daily deletion TODAY and only worry about FUTURE photos. I give you permission to let the past go.  (I do have tips coming up later in this blog series that will help you easily tackle old junk, if you wish to do that).  

Ok, do you feel a weight lifted?  Are you ready to try daily deletion? 

5 Photos You Can Delete From Your Phone Right Now

      1. Screenshots.  Nine times out of ten, screen shots are trash.  It was something you needed temporarily or texted someone, and doesn’t need to take up permanent residence on your phone.  For that one that’s worth keeping, consider creating a Pinterest Board and manually uploading the screen shot there (if you don’t use Pinterest, Evernote or another Notes app works too).  When you’re looking for that recipe or inspirational quote, honestly you’re not going to be able to find it quickly in the clutter of your Camera Roll.  It’s much easier to navigate a dedicated Pinterest board (I have one for Quotes, Recipes, etc, etc).  

Bonus Tip:  If you have an iPhone, did you know you can tap on Albums and scroll down to see filters by media type?  It’ll pull all of your screen shots into one handy album to make it super easy to clean up!

      1. Blurry photos.  Hear this clearly:  there is no way to make a blurry photo unblurry.  Trust me, as a professional photographer witch extensive editing experience… it’s just not possible. Unless the blurry photo makes you feel a strong emotion, it’s not worth the space it’s taking up.  Delete.
      2. Bursts.  It’s a pretty handy feature to take a burst of photos with your phone.  It’s especially handy for action shots or group photos.  During your daily deletion time, review the burst and narrow it down to the single keeper.
      3. Temporary Items.  My phone camera functions as an extension of my memory. I snap photos of my airport parking spot, a grocery list, confirmation codes, etc etc etc.  They are temporary item and most likely have served their purpose by the time you get to your daily deletion.  Trash them.  (On a related noted:  I’m terrible about seeing a text, meaning to reply, but then forgetting to reply entirely.  Now, if I don’t immediately reply, I take a screen shot and I’ll see it during my daily deletion time and remember to reply… so I may be a few hours late, but at least it isn’t lost completely.)
      4. Food.  Ok, this may be unpopular, but it’s my personal opinion that there’s no need to photograph your food.  It’s something that has become mainstream, but honestly what is the purpose?  Are you printing and framing this photo for your home?  Are you texting it to a family member to make them jealous (if so, it falls under a temporary item)? Are you going to re-create this dish at home (if so, file it on the Recipes Pinterest board).  Delete it from your camera roll.  Better yet, think twice before photographing your food in the first place.  

Casey, aka Miss Freddy, is a certified Professional Photo Organizer (yes, that’s a thing!) who helps people worldwide make sense of their photo mess.  She lives in Colorado with her husband, two kids, and micro-mini golden doodle (that’s a dog).  Follow her on Instagram for free tips on how to take better photos and use them in meaningful ways.

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