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Leah Russell3 min

Live A More Organised Life in 2020 With A Photo Detox

February 27, 2020

by CEWE

In this digital age, we’re all taking and keeping more photos than ever before, with research revealing that the average millennial now has 921 photos stored on their phone at any one time.

However, we’re no longer taking the time to appreciate the photo memories we make – with the average person only looking at 28% of the photos on their phone after they’ve been taken according to a survey of 1,003 UK adults conducted by The Leadership Factor. While our parents might have used their pictures to put together those photo albums that always embarrassed us growing up, doing something with all those photos we take has become a dying art. But, with 39% of millennials saying they feel overwhelmed by the number of photos they have on their phone, it could be time to give our photos a spring clean, just like we do with our wardrobes or our homes. So, is it time we all did a photo detox? Clare Moreton, photo expert at CEWE, shares her top tips on how to do a photo detox and how it can help you declutter your phone in 2020.

Take the photo film challenge

Remember the days when you only had 27 photos on a roll of film and you had to go to a shop to get your prints developed? While the limits imposed by film could be annoying, they were also beneficial as they made you really stop and consider every photo you took and whether it was worth using up your film. Digital cameras and camera phones put a stop to this, but to truly curate your photo taking why not bring it back with the photo film challenge? Next time you go on holiday or somewhere where you know you’ll be taking a few photos, challenge yourself to take only 27 photos and see how this changes your photo taking. You’ll probably find that not only are you more present in situations where you would usually be taking photos for the sake of it, but you’ll also create a much higher quality collection of photos.

Create digital photo albums

These days our phones have masses of storage, and the average 128GB memory card can store a huge 18,800 photos if you need it to. With all that available space, it’s no surprise that we feel compelled to use it, but storing thousands of average photos on your phone – from screenshots of text messages to pictures of that dinner you made three months ago – can make it easy for those stand out photo memories to get lost. We’re not saying you need to delete everything, but why not take time to sort out your photos like you would your wardrobe? Go through each photo on your phone and be brutal about the ones you keep and the ones you delete. Once you’ve cut down the overall number – why not sort out the remaining photos into digital photo albums? You could sort these by theme, such as family or holidays, making it much easier for you to find the photos that matter.

Get printing

To truly appreciate your photos, it’s vital to get them off your phone and printed out in a physical form. Swiping through photos on our phone might be fun but nothing beats looking through a photobook and reliving all the special moments they capture. It might be old school but there’s a reason the generation before us used to create photo albums – it allows you to take time to go through all the photos you’ve taken and pick out the truly special ones that you want to look back on again and again. And, while it’s always recommended to back up any digital photos you take, a physical book of your photos will help ensure those memories are never lost. To truly cherish your memories and be taken back to those happy moments each day, why not display them throughout your home? Compile a photobook that you can look at each time you need a pick me up, produce a beautiful piece of wall art that will make you smile each time you see it or create a calendar that will greet you with a happy memory each month. Having your photos in this printed form means that you’ll never be far from reliving all of your most cherished memories.