What is the one thing that bloggers that use a lot of photos in their posts have ... yep lots of photos stored from the years gone by!!
I have always been picture heavy in my posts, right back from the beginning in 2008. I find illustrating my words with my photos is a good way for people that don't know me that well to be able to piece together meanings and understand more easily what I am talking about. In my opinion it also makes reading a post more enjoyable if the written word is interspersed with a few pictures, be they photos, memes or even just borrowed images from Google etc.
It does mean that my external hard drive is absolutely packed with over 17 years of blogging photos and all their duplicates, as well as all the family photos, both my own and those that I have been entrusted with. So over the past few months whenever I have a spare half an hour and the computer is flashed up for something else, I spend a little bit of time, or what should be a little bit of time going through the photos and deleting duplicates, particularly poor photos and some that just make no sense whatsoever.
As you can see from the photos here, I go down into a rabbit hole of memories and end up finding out from original blog posts, just what was going on in some of them. Old blog posts are a brilliant source of your own personal history.
My polytunnel looking fresh as a daisy in July.
John Gray's First Prize winning hamper at the Prestatyn Flower Show. There's a story about that one ... but my lips are still firmly sealed!!
I have been determined to go through this huge collection of photos, and get rid of lots of them as I don't even want to leave too many computer files and millions of photos for my sons to go through when I am no longer here. I want the things that they find to mean something, and they really don't need hundreds of photos of our dinners, shopping and Alan chasing pigs. Of course I have saved quite a few of all of these, but only the very best ones.
All these photos have been from 2015, which is where I am up to at the moment ... so only another 10 years of photos to go!! 😄
Sue xx
That's something I should really get around to. Like you I would get stuck in rabbit holes
ReplyDeleteI started doing it on the cold wet days of Winter, and I bet I'll still be going through the files when the next cold wet days of Winter arrive!! It's very satisfying though.
DeleteThank you for an early morning giggle - I too have drives with zillions of photos and looking through them is not just a rabbit hole, but a time-sucking Black Hole! One I confess to enjoying greatly.
ReplyDeleteBut you are absolutely right about weeding out the rubbish, I try to do that at the time pictures are uploaded from my phone and big camera (goodness knows how long it will take me to do my Orkney photos, there are ~hundreds~ 🤭)
I am much better at weeding out the photos as I upload them these days, it would seem I was not so particular years ago, pictures of Ginger walking off shot for instance, dogs all looking in the opposite direction to the camera, they've all gone now, just their beautiful faces to look at ... and the odd fun shot.
DeleteI adore looking at all your pictures and photos, thank you, you make my day
ReplyDeleteLovely comment, thank you. I think images on a post are nice if you are not in the mood for reading reams and reams of text.
DeleteIt isn't the hard drive, it's the three biscuits tins full of old photo5 in the loft [ better put that on my 70s list]
ReplyDeleteDefinitely add it to your list. Far better a nicely curated biscuit tin or even better some nice family albums to be shared out.
DeleteUnless it's a great photo, once it's used on my blog I delete it from where ever it's stored, I tend to do it after each post, I use Instagram as well, so a few photo's I keep longer. I do print each year of my blog into a book, so the photo's live there.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say that you might lose them if Blogger ever closes, but as you print each year off you have a perfect solution. Your very own history books to look back on. :-)
DeleteAll my photos are automatically backed up to OneDrive. It then offers me an 'on this day' view every day. I'm trying to be disciplined and look at them every day, deleting ones that no longer mean anything (can't remember where they are) or are just not that good. I'm making steady progress and, for me, it's the only way I can tackle the thousands of files there are. Then, I'll get to review my progress and do it all again next year. 😳
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though you have a system in place that really suits you, and that's what is important isn't it.
DeleteThe pic of Alan with ALL the furries is wonderful. I've followed your blog for so long that they are friends of mine. I am going through my late husband's computer at the moment and I will have to do mine eventually. I bet you are enjoying getting your photos all sorted and tidy.
ReplyDeleteWendy (Wales)
I think that was the biggest that our indoor furry family got. :-)
DeleteIt's a long job, but yes it's pretty enjoyable. You've reminded me I have yet to even start on my Mum's computer, now she will have lots of saved things.
All these photos tell a story and thanks for letting us revisit with you. Catriona
ReplyDeleteSnippets of our past lives, all blogged about and down for posterity. :-)
DeleteI get so nostalgic over old photos that I do try to delete some every now and again before I get overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteLook at that gorgeous polytunnel ! I wish we had that on our allotment :) And that hamper in the photo appears to me to be smiling! It knows your secret!
Angie x
I loved stepping out of the polytunnel after a good tidying session, it was all very productive. The hamper knows John's secret for sure. :-)
DeleteI had DH’s old phone when mine died, and deleted about 99% of the images, mainly memes sent by his friends. It was a bit of insight into a mind stuck in the era of Benny Hill and seaside postcards, though some were very funny.
ReplyDeleteAlan's old phone was a bit like that, the one that got run over by about six cars ... I wonder if his new one is as bad?
DeleteQuite a task!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos x
Alison in Wales x
It's a mammoth task, luckily I am quick to make decision. Ten photos of one quiche ... be gone you silly photos. ;-)
DeleteThat poly tunnel was so orderly and productive, we hope to have one when we move.
ReplyDeleteThey are worth their weight in gold. I spent such a lot of my time in there, and it produced food virtually all year round. 😀
DeleteI enjoyed seeing all your old photos! I like the idea of printing out the old blog posts - I should do that!
ReplyDeleteMy Mum printed off a lot of my earlier farm posts, but I think I have too many to start printing now.
DeleteHow lovely to see the photos from your blog going back to 2015. I especially love the one of Alan with your fur family 😻🐶 It's a huge task but if anyone can finish it, it will be you👏
ReplyDeleteI'll keep having little sessions when I have time to spare. It does regularly make me go back and read old posts on my other blog, that is the time consuming bit. 😄
DeleteI'm late but the best picture is of Alan with the three babies.
ReplyDeleteI love that photo of Alan and all the beasts! I've got an appalling amount of photos on my PC and really ought to do something about it. I've also got a billion on my phone cos you never know when I need to bore some random person in the charity shop/pub or swimming baths with cat photos! xxx
ReplyDelete