A few years ago I started going completely digital with my photos. When I need one for a frame I usually just print it out myself and settle for a framed paper version. No one notices! However, lately I’ve been thinking about my mom’s photo albums and how happy it makes me to look through them.

This summer I was packing my things to get ready for the long road trip from Florida to California. I found myself going into my mom’s photo albums one more time before I left. I found a photo or two I wanted to keep and smuggled them in one of my books. A few weeks ago I stumbled across them and they made me so happy, though a little homesick as well.

Lately I’ve been looking at my camera and wanting to make more use of it. I think maybe I’m at the start of my life where I want to start documenting what’s going on, so my kids will one day be able to look at my photos and appreciate them the way I appreciate my mom’s. Josh and I are getting married in March 2013, and planning for the big day has opened my eyes to why pictures are so important. And this is coming from a girl who only had about 5 photos of her and her fiancé together before the engagement photo shoot!

So I’m exploring the possibilities and taking more pictures with my camera. Here are some possibilities of how to store your photos.

Virtual Photo Storage

• Computer: I’ve been storing all of my photos on my computer only. I still think this is the best option, because it allows you to keep every photo and only develop the ones you’d like to share.
• Hard Drive: I know some people who have a hard drive used only for photos and backing them up. This way they’re always available, can be transferred to any computer, and there is a back up just in case your computer photos are deleted.
• Flash Disc: If you don’t take many pictures, I can see a flash disc being a cheaper alternative to a hard drive.

Traditional Photo Storage

• Scrapbook Album: My mom frequently used old style albums that required each photo to be stuck on using corner adhesives. These will take some time but allow you to scrapbook and get creative with your picture collection.
• Protective Album: Most photo albums these days come in the style of using clear protective covers as pages. These are a faster way to create an album and there are some nice options out there.
• Printable Album: I’m seeing this trend a lot lately, and I have to admit I love it. You can send your photos to places like Shutterfly and they will mail you a printed and bound album using the design and photos you chose online. It’s like mixing the first option with the second! This is also great for creating albums with themes like wedding, summer vacation, 24th birthday, etc.

Photo Album Ideas