Organize Your Vacation Photos

File Photos in Boxes

Adopt a System

Put photos that made the cut into photo boxes or download the images on a CD from your computer and slide them into plastic sleeves. Store them by date and event so they're easy to retrieve. 

Location is Key

If you want photos to last, make sure to store them correctly. Extreme temperatures and humidity can dramatically shorten the life span of your photos. "A good rule of thumb is if you're comfortable, your photos are comfortable," says Daniel Burge, an assistant scientist at the Image Permanence Institute at the Rochester Institute of Technology. So forget about stashing them in the attic, basement, or garage. Burge also cautions against storing photos near the kitchen or bathroom, where humidity is high, or in closets that back up to pipes, which could leak.