Digital photos can cover anything from milestone moments to stunning vacations. And while you may accumulate thousands of photos in a short amount of time, there are still various ways to store and view them. Instead of just letting them take up space on your desktop computer, here are some great ideas for how to use your digital photos.
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Start With a Desktop Declutter
For starters, it may be worth cleaning out your photo storage. After you delete the doubles or the blurry vacation photos, go one step further. If you’re taking up space on your workhorse laptop, consider transferring your photos to the less-often used desktop computer. If you only have one computer, consider upgrading your hard drive to a solid-state drive, if it hasn’t been already, giving you a faster machine.
If you’re running out of space on your computer, this is a great time to upload all of your photos to a cloud service. You can upload all of your photos to Google Photos or the iCloud, giving you space back on your computer for future photos or other applications. Chances are that you can get a lot of cloud storage for a far better price than ponying up for a new computer just for the storage space. With your digital photos organized and your photo collections in good order, you’re ready to see what you have and get inspired about what to do with it.
Decorate Your Home
If you’ve been on a dream vacation, commemorate it with a large canvas to decorate your living room or bedroom. The same goes for your favorite wedding photo. There are sites like Canvas On Demand that deliver high-quality canvas prints to fill your home with, and you can often find deals on Groupon to reduce your cost.
If canvases aren’t your preference, head to your local arts and crafts store to pick out your favorite frames, then send your digital photos to your nearest printing service. Line your halls with wedding photos or decorate your office with photos of your family. Framed photos give you many options for decor and arrangements that make a statement to visitors.
While you may find framing and hanging photos tedious and time-consuming, a digital picture frame may be more up your alley. A digital frame, like this one from Skylight on Amazon, connect to your WiFi and can receive photos from an email. Then it will filter through a library of photos to entertain you or your guests. There are also options that can store photos via memory cards or USB drives, giving you plenty of options.
Photo Albums
Hung photographs and digital frames are a great outlet to show off your digital photos, but there’s something nostalgic about huddling around a photo album and going down memory lane with your family. Print your favorite pictures and pick up a photo album. Use it to document the years as they go so you can share photos with the people you love. Even better, after you’re gone those photo albums will still be there for anyone in your family to enjoy, even if they don’t have an internet connection.
Another idea is to buy an album for a specific occasion. You can also create custom photo albums on Shutterfly, which makes for a great addition to your home or an excellent gift.
Spread the Love
If you’ve been storing years’ worth of photos, a good way to get some use out of them would be to share them with your loved ones. Print your favorite photo with your mom and put it in a nice frame for Mother’s Day. Get a custom Christmas ornament for your child to put on their tree or a mug for your loved one to laugh over while sipping morning coffee.
Hone Your Skills
You’ve taken some great pictures, so why not kick them up a notch? Consider downloading a trial of Adobe Photoshop and enhance your images, giving them a pop that your camera can’t achieve on its own. There are also apps that allow you to enhance your photos straight from your phone. Once you’re comfortable with the app of your choice, use it to build a social media account focused around your photography or just use your own photos for home decoration or inspiration.
There are many ways to use your digital photos: you just need to find what works best for you. Whether you’re looking to decorate your walls or give a personalized gift, there are plenty of options that don’t break the bank. Whatever you do, keep taking pictures, keep documenting your experience, and keep enjoying the moments.
