How to take, organize, and print your personal photographs: Family Heritage Series

I love the beginning of January. Not because I set big resolutions, but because it feels like a natural time to reset routines. It is also when I design my yearly photo book, something I have done for the past ten years. There’s something about reliving a year through photographs. My whole family loves them, and they have become a natural gathering point in our home.

This series exists because I believe printed photos matter. Not in a perfect, magazine-ready way, but in a real-life way. I want people to enjoy their images instead of feeling overwhelmed by them.

Organizing and printing photos can feel like a huge project, which is why I focus on small, realistic steps. Trying to do everything at once usually leads to burnout. Over time, I have built a system that feels manageable and allows me to create a book each year without stress.

Before getting into the practical details, there is one important question to ask. Is this something you want to prioritize right now?

In my own life, I have had to accept that I cannot do everything well at the same time. I have learned to choose what matters most in each season. For me, documenting our life is one of those things. That does not mean photographing everything or striving for perfection. It means paying attention to the moments that feel worth remembering.

If this feels important to you, make a simple commitment. Think about why it matters and what you hope to get out of it. Involving your family helps too. When everyone understands why photos matter, documenting life becomes more natural. You never know who you might catch stopping to document a special moment that might have otherwise been missed.

This series will walk through the systems I use to capture, organize, and print our photos in a way that fits into real life. Some of it may work for you. Some of it may not. The goal is not to copy a system, but to find one that supports the life you are already living.

I’m so excited to see what you do! Let’s organize and print your photos!

Read the rest of the series here:

How to Take, Organize, and Print Your Personal Photographs: Family Heritage Series Part 1

Capture Your Memories: Family Heritage Series Part 2

Organizing Your Digital Photos: Family Heritage Series Part 3

Backing Up and Protecting Your Photos: Family Heritage Series Part 4

Printing Your Professional Photos: Family Heritage Series Part 5