As the year comes to a close, we’re inviting you to pause and reflect on what truly mattered. In this final episode of 2025, we share a simple, meaningful photo challenge to help you capture the heart of your year in just twelve images. It’s gentle, creative, and surprisingly powerful. Plus, we give you a little sneak peek at what’s coming next for DIY Photo Organising in 2026. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode 

• A simple end-of-year photo reflection: 12 for ’25 – Your Year in Photos 

• How to choose one meaningful photo from each month 

• Ideas for adding words, captions, or reflections to your images 

• Creative ways to enjoy or share your 12 photos (if you want to) 

• Easy tools and apps you can use (including a free Canva template) 

• A preview of our upcoming DIY Photo Organising Course launching in early 2026 

Why It Matters 

Photo organising isn’t just about clearing clutter — it’s about connection. This episode helps you slow down, notice the moments that shaped your year, and honour them in a way that feels achievable and meaningful. By choosing just twelve photos, you create space for reflection, gratitude, and story — without overwhelm. It’s a beautiful way to close the year and step into the next one with intention. 

Mentioned Links 

Click here to be notified about the launch of the DIY Photo Organising Course 

Click here to access the FREE Canva template to make your own 12 for ‘25 - Your Year in Photos 

Related episodes 

Episode 008 Create a Yearly Photobook 

Episode 012 Fabulous Photo Gift Ideas 

Episode 027 Photo Gifts for Christmas 

Episode 032 New Year’s Resolutions with your photos 

Episode 054 How to Design your 2020 Year Book 

Episode 061 Photo Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day 

Episode 067 DIY Photo Organising Courses 

Episode 082 Planning Photo Projects 

Episode 104 Photo Project Ideas and a Real Life Example 

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes! 

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects. 

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to: 

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au  

Fiona McLauchlan’s website: www.counsellingmemories.com.au or 

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au  

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home. 

*affiliate link 

Do you ever look at your photos and think, “I really need to sort these… but not today”? 

Whether it’s thousands of images on your phone, boxes of inherited photos, or unfinished photo book dreams — procrastination can sneak up on all of us. 

In this episode, we explore the hidden reasons behind photo organising procrastination and why getting started often feels hard. From emotional weight and overwhelm to perfectionism and fear of doing it wrong, we look beneath the surface to understand what’s really going on. 

Together, we talk about how procrastination is often a protective response, not laziness — and why your brain might be gently saying, “Not right now,” even when your photos truly matter to you. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode 

• The psychology of overwhelm: why your photos feel “too big to start” 

• When memories get heavy: how emotion, loss, and life transitions quietly fuel avoidance 

• Perfectionism’s trap: the invisible pressure to get it “right” before you begin 

• Pro-level procrastination moves: the everyday behaviours we all use to delay photo organising 

• The creative side of avoidance: tea-making, pantry-organising, and other classic detours 

• Your nervous system at work: why your brain sometimes says “not today” 

• The mental health lens: how avoidance protects your emotional energy 

• A gentle reflection: uncovering your hidden reason for putting it off 

Why It Matters 

Knowing why you procrastinate replaces frustration with compassion. Avoidance is often protection. With that awareness, your next steps become clearer and more manageable. Photo organising becomes an act of caring for your memories. 

Related Episodes 

Episode 003 Golden Rule 2 – Know Your Why 

Episode 023 5 Steps to get you Started NOW 

Episode 031 What to do with inherited photos 

Episode 032 New Year’s Resolutions with your photos 

Episode 049 How to Stop Procrastinating about your Photos 

Episode 064 Prepare for Emotions 

Episode 074 Dealing with photos that are difficult to look at! 

Episode 080 5 Essential Photo Management Tips 

Episode 106 How to move forward and stop procrastinating 

Episode 110 Roadblocks in photo management and how to overcome them 

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes! 

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects. 

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to: 

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au  

Fiona McLauchlan’s website: www.counsellingmemories.com.au

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au  

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home. 

Do you ever scroll through your photos and wonder why half of them are screenshots? From recipes and outfit ideas to reminders and funny memes — they pile up fast!

In this episode, we share practical ways to manage screenshots and “reference photos” on both iPhone and Android, so your camera roll stays clear for the memories that truly matter. 

We dive into Golden Rule #4: Sort and Organise, focusing on one of the biggest culprits of digital clutter — screenshots and random note-to-self images. Whether it’s a book you want to read, a recipe to try, or a receipt to keep, we’ll show you how to decide what to keep, what to move elsewhere, and what to delete. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode 

• Why screenshots and reference photos don’t belong in your main photo library 

• How to find, review, and tidy your screenshots on iPhone and Android 

• Simple steps to delete or relocate images you want to keep 

• Where to store screenshots

• Tips for hiding or securing albums you don’t need in daily view 

• How to copy text from screenshots instead of saving the image 

• Quick actions to stop screenshots from cluttering your library in the first place 

Why It Matters 

Not every photo deserves a permanent spot in your library. By managing screenshots and reference photos with a few simple habits, you’ll keep your collection easier to browse, lighter to manage, and more meaningful to revisit. It’s all about curating the memories that matter most. 

Resources Mentioned 

• Chantal’s Get-It-Done Work Sessions – online co-working sessions to help you stay on top of your photo tasks 

• Apple Photos Course for iPhone and Mac Users – a 3-session online program for simplifying your photo management 

Related Episodes 

Episode 005 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 1 – Digital Photos) 
Episode 039 Photos that DON’T belong in a Photo Collection 
Episode 063 The Magic of Maintenance 
Episode 087 Transferring Android phone photos to a computer 

Episode 115 The AI Evolution of Apple Photos: What You Need to Know 

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes! 

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects. 

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to: 

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au  

Fiona McLauchlan’s website: www.counsellingmemories.com.au or 

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au  

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home. 

*affiliate link 

From recognising faces to sorting memories, AI is quietly transforming how we interact with our photos. What once felt like a chore can now feel intuitive, even enjoyable, if we understand how to make the most of the tools we already have. 

In this episode, we take a fresh look at Golden Rule #4: Sort and Organise, exploring how AI is reshaping the way we manage our digital photo collections, connect with our memories, and tell our stories through images. 

Our focus is on Apple Photos, and we’re joined by special guest Paul Einarsen, an expert in helping people organise and share their photos using Apple’s tools. 

Together, we unpack how artificial intelligence is transforming photo management within the Apple ecosystem, what’s new, what’s quietly powerful, and how you can work smarter, not harder, to enjoy your photo library. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode 

• How AI is making it easier to curate and enjoy your photo memories 

• Apple’s privacy-first approach to processing your photos 

• Simple ways to get started with People & Pets tagging 

• How Apple Photos finds and merges duplicates while keeping the best version 

• Why keywords are becoming less relevant, and captions matter more for storytelling 

• Seeing your photo collection as a “living document” that evolves with you 

• How automatic collections can ease photo overwhelm 

• Practical tips to build enjoyable, sustainable photo-management habits 

Why It Matters 

AI is changing more than the way we sort photos — it’s reshaping how we connect with our memories. The good news? Your iPhone and Mac already have powerful tools built in. With a little know-how and small, consistent habits, you can keep your photo library organised enough to enjoy, because it’s about reliving memories, not chasing perfection. 

Mentioned Links 

5 Minute Photos - https://5minutephotos.substack.com/ - Weekly newsletter with tips and insights about photography in 2025 with a focus on the Apple Photos ecosystem.  
 
Bluewater Imaging - https://www.bluewaterimaging.com/ - Consulting, coaching, and done-for-you photo management services. 
 
Bluewater Imaging Photo Workshops - https://learn.bluewaterimaging.com/ - Do-it-yourself online courses for professional photo managers and everyday photographers 
 
New Course - FIND YOUR PHOTOS FAST: How to use the new Apple Photos on iPhone - https://learn.bluewaterimaging.com/p/find-your-photos-fast-using-the-new-apple-photos-on-iphone-1  

Related episodes 

Episode 004 Golden Rule 3 – Create a Hub 

Episode 005 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 1 – Digital Photos) 

Episode 009 Understanding Photo Metadata 
Episode 018 Manage your photos using your iPhone 

Episode 063 The Magic of Maintenance 

Episode 096 The Apple Ecosystem with Paul Einarsen – Blue Water Imaging 

Episode 102 Is using only a folder structure outdated? 

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes! 

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects. 

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to: 

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au  

Fiona McLauchlan’s website: www.counsellingmemories.com.au or 

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au  

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home. 

*affiliate link 

What little choices in your photo habits might make a big difference—for you and the planet? 

In this eye-opening episode, Fiona and Chantal delve into the hidden impact of the staggering 2.1 trillion photos expected to be taken in 2025. 

Together, we explore the ripple effects of our photo-taking and storing habits—on the environment, our mental wellbeing, and the way we connect with others. With gentle insights and practical tips, this episode encourages you to rethink your relationship with your photo library—from cloud backups to emotional overload, from printing practices to digital clutter. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode 

• Mind-blowing stats: What 2.1 trillion photos a year really means 

• The environmental toll of digital storage: cloud servers, cooling systems, e-waste & energy use 

• The carbon footprint of printed photos (and what to consider before you hit “print”) 

• The mental load of photo overwhelm: decision fatigue, anxiety, and the myth of “infinite storage” 

• How photos impact social dynamics and intergenerational storytelling 

• Practical and sustainable photo management tips to reduce your footprint without losing your memories 

Why It Matters 

By bringing more intention, sustainability, and self-awareness to our photo habits, we can reduce our impact—on the planet and ourselves—and reconnect with the purpose behind the memories we choose to keep. 

Related episodes 

Episode 060 How many photos do we really need? 

Episode 072 Which 100 photos would you choose to document your life? 

Episode 103 Swedish Death Cleaning and Photos with Caroline Guntur – The Swedish Organizer 

Episode 109 A Conversation about Legacy, Photos and Life with Nancy Rose – Compass Rose Legacy Foundation 

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes! 

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects. 

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to: 

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au  

Fiona McLauchlan’s website: www.counsellingmemories.com.au or 

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au  

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home. 

*affiliate link 

How do you keep your photos safe and organised while you travel? 

This episode takes you behind the scenes of Chantal’s 12-week family adventure through Europe to share the simple system that kept their photos organised from day one. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode 

• Pre-trip planning tips – how a little preparation can save you hours later. 

• The daily photo routine – a quick practice that stopped photo chaos in its tracks. 

• Managing multiple devices – from four iPhones and two cameras, we explain how it all came together. 

• Backup strategies that work on the go – because having multiple copies is peace of mind. 

• What worked (and what didn’t!) – honest lessons learned from real-life travel. 

Why It Matters 

Organising photos while you travel isn’t about perfection—it’s about peace of mind.  

Related episodes 

Episode 002 Golden Rule 1 - Backup 

Episode 005 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 1 – Digital Photos) 

Episode 016 Keep photos safe while travelling 

Episode 038 Learn how to take photos you will want to keep - with guest Lauren Sandford 

Episode 058 Time to get your Backup sorted! 

Episode 087 Transferring Android phone photos to a computer 

Episode 090 How to share your family photos using SmugMug 

Episode 093 Digital Photo Management on the Go 

Episode 112 Photo management resources packed with fabulous ideas 

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes! 

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects. 

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to: 

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au  

Fiona McLauchlan’s website: www.counsellingmemories.com.au or 

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au  

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com * to find help closer to home. 

*affiliate link 

For years, our industry has celebrated September as Save Your Photos Month, dedicated to photo preservation and management. Throughout the month, professionals host free events covering various topics to help you protect and organise your photos.

This year, The Photo Managers are thrilled to offer exciting YouTube LIVE events twice a week, along with locally hosted gatherings by professional photo organizers around the globe. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to receive free training and join a fantastic community! 

Be sure to sign up here for reminders and updates about upcoming SYPM events.

As Fiona completes her studies and final exams, and with Chantal traveling for a few months, our podcast will be on a brief hiatus. We’ll return refreshed early next year.

In the meantime, we encourage you to make the most of Save Your Photos Month (sign up for free here) and explore our partners’ courses. Why not take this time to upskill and learn something new to better manage your photos? There’s something for everyone, whether you're looking for a short or a comprehensive course. Check them out here.

Mentioned Links

Related episodes

Episode 002 Golden Rule 1 - Backup

Episode 005 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 1 – Digital Photos)

Episode 006 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 2 – Printed Photos)

Episode 007 Golden Rule 5 – Do Something!

Episode 008 Create a Yearly Photobook

Episode 016 Keep photos safe while travelling

Episode 017 What does a Photo Organiser do?

Episode 024 Transferring photos from iPhone to Windows PC

Episode 026 Will your Photos survive a Disaster?

Episode 034 Storytelling with Your Photos with Mara Morrison - The Filing Fairies

Episode 037 Exploring Genealogy with Caroline Guntur - The Swedish Organizer

Episode 038 Learn how to take photos you will want to keep! with Lauren Sandford- The Eternal Second

Episode 045 Questions People Ask 3 How do I add tags in Windows Explorer?

Episode 054 How to Design your 2020 Year Book

Episode 055 Questions People Ask 7 How do I take memorable Christmas Photos?

Episode 056 2021 Trends in Photography

Episode 057 Story Jotting with Katie Chambers- Memories to Legacy

Episode 058 Time to get your Backup sorted!

Episode 067 DIY Photo Organising Courses with Miss Freddy, Adam Pratt and Caroline Guntur

Episode 068 Pet Photos

Episode 069 Photo traditions to document growth and change

Episode 072 Which 100 photos would you choose to document your life?

Episode 073 What is Save Your Photos Month?

Episode 075 A listener’s photo journey - with Lisa Johnston - listener

Episode 082 Planning Photo Projects

Episode 088 Expert tips on photo archiving with Kate Jacus - The Photo Curator

Episode 094 What’s A Photo Without Story with Hazel Thornton – Organized for Life and Beyond

Episode 101 Design Photo Books like a Pro with Libby Jeffery - Momento

Episode 102 Is using only a folder structure outdated?

Episode 104 Photo Project Ideas and a Real Life Example

Episode 109 A Conversation about Legacy, Photos and Life with Nancy Rose – Compass Rose Legacy Foundation

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes!

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects.

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to:

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au 

Fiona Staff’s website: www.photohelper.com.au or

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au 

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home.

Some links might be affiliate links

Today we are going to talk about identifying, converting and managing videos and home movies. Videos are of course part of our collection, and we feel is very important for us to do an episode just on videos – so we brought in and expert to explore this topic with us: Adam Pratt from Chaos to Memories. 

Regular listeners might remember Adam from previous episodes, and you might also remember that we love his courses*, about which we talked in episode 67. He has added new ones in the meantime and we highly encourage you to check them out. 

Adam loves people, photography, and a good story. After working at Adobe for 22 years he founded Chaos to Memories which is a professional photo and video preservation studio in Chicago. He’s also the author of the best-selling book, Declutter Your Photo Life about which we talked in episode 92.

Today, we will talk about videos and movies specifically because photos and movies are of course similar but different.

We are not only discussing and listing what to gather when you want to tackle this project, we also talk about preserving - which is the conversion from old to new media (check out  episode 42)  - and decluttering.

Finally, we chat about the fun part once everything is organised. And yes, we agree with Adam in saying that we recommend culling the unnecessary and unneeded videos, sorting them and adding some metadata before starting to create projects. It will be so much easier and so much fun!

Mentioned Links

Related episodes

Episode 003 Golden Rule 2 – Know Your Why

Episode 004 Golden Rule 3 – Create a Hub

Episode 007 Golden Rule 5 – Do Something!

Episode 024 Transferring photos from iPhone to Windows PC

Episode 042 What format is that? Converting Old Media to Digital with Adam Pratt- Chaos to Memories

Episode 067 DIY Photo Organising Courses with Miss Freddy, Adam Pratt and Caroline Guntur

Episode 082 Planning Photo Projects

Episode 092 Declutter Your Photo Life with Adam Pratt - Chaos to Memories

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes!

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects.

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to:

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au 

Fiona Staff’s website: www.photohelper.com.au or

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au 

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home.

*affiliate link

We’ve all been there! We finally want to tackle that photo organising project, we’re off to a good start and motivated and then we encounter the first roadblock which stops us in our tracks. Next thing we know: we are procrastinating and the project comes to a halt. 

Here are some of the most common roadblocks we have encoutered:

We discuss solutions to all those roadblocks and also invite you to listen to episodes 49 and 106 that are all about how to stop procrastination (see links in related episodes below)! And don’t forget to download our free e-guide about this very topic here!

Mentioned Links

Related episodes

Episode 002 Golden Rule 1 - Backup

Episode 003 Golden Rule 2 – Know Your Why

Episode 004 Golden Rule 3 – Create a Hub

Episode 005 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 1 – Digital Photos)

Episode 006 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 2 – Printed Photos)

Episode 007 Golden Rule 5 – Do Something!

Episode 013 Scan or not to Scan

Episode 023 5 Steps to get you Started NOW

Episode 031 What to do with inherited photos

Episode 033 5 Golden Rules Highlights 

Episode 034 Storytelling with Your Photos with Mara Morrison - The Filing Fairies

Episode 035 Introducing you to the world of Digital Scrapbooking with Melissa Shanhun - Digital Scrapbooking HQ

Episode 047 What should I do with my old photo albums?

Episode 049 How to Stop Procrastinating about your Photos

Episode 057 Story Jotting with Katie Chambers- Memories to Legacy

Episode 059 What Photo Management Software is Right for Me?

Episode 067 DIY Photo Organising Courses with Miss Freddy, Adam Pratt and Caroline Guntur

Episode 070 Realistic time frames in Photo Organising

Episode 071 Realistic time frames when Scanning

Episode 072 Which 100 photos would you choose to document your life? 

Episode 076 What to do with slides

Episode 082 Planning Photo Projects

Episode 088 Expert tips on photo archiving with Kate Jacus - The Photo Curator

Episode 089 5 tips for sorting printed photos

Episode 094 What’s A Photo Without Story with Hazel Thornton – Organized for Life and Beyond

Episode 095 What to do with Negatives

Episode 097 How a timeline can help with photo organising

Episode 104 Photo Project Ideas and a Real Life Example

Episode 106 How to move forward and stop procrastinating

Also published on our YouTube channel.

We are honoured to have another wonderful guest with us: Nancy Rose from the Compass Rose Legacy Foundation. Nancy is a Legacy Doula and the Executive Director of Compass Rose Legacy Foundation. Her lens captures the profound beauty of human stories and the moments that define our legacies.

Join us to find out what we mean when we talk about a legacy, what it encompasses and how a possible outcome might look like. 

Find out how Nancy helps people to capture the essence of their life and to find the soul thread, as she calls it. She shares touching and some personal stories that you will hopefully find as inspiring as we do.

You will be astonished to hear that she has brought her personal legacy down to 5 - yes, that’s five!!! - pictures and stories to capture the core of her life story. 

Nancy also shares some practical tips and tools she uses to capture stories and much more.

Again, please watch it here (and subscribe to the channel, we might add more videos in the future) and share with anybody who might be interested - thanks!

Mentioned Links

Related episodes

Episode 003 Golden Rule 2 – Know Your Why

Episode 007 Golden Rule 5 – Do Something!

Episode 031 What to do with inherited photos

Episode 034 Storytelling with Your Photos with Mara Morrison - The Filing Fairies

Episode 035 Introducing you to the world of Digital Scrapbooking with Melissa Shanhun - Digital Scrapbooking HQ

Episode 037 Exploring Genealogy with Caroline Guntur - The Swedish Organizer

Episode 041 Managing your photos and videos using FOREVER with Shelley Murray - Photo Organising Services

Episode 057 Story Jotting with Katie Chambers- Memories to Legacy

Episode 072 Which 100 photos would you choose to document your life?

Episode 077 Why bother preserving your photos?

Episode 082 Planning Photo Projects

Episode 088 Expert tips on photo archiving with Kate Jacus - The Photo Curator

Episode 094 What’s A Photo Without Story with Hazel Thornton – Organized for Life and Beyond

Episode 103 Swedish Death Cleaning and Photos with Caroline Guntur – The Swedish Organizer

If you have any photo-related questions we haven't answered yet in one of the previous episodes, please don't hesitate to share them with us via the Wishlist for Future Episodes!

We invite you to have a look through our DIY Photo Organising Courses so you can decide which of these courses might be what you need to help you move forward with your photo organising projects.

If you’d like to learn more about us, go to:

www.diyphotoorganising.com.au 

Fiona Staff’s website: www.photohelper.com.au or

Chantal Imbach’s website: www.photosinorder.com.au 

If you are not in Melbourne and would like to explore having a Photo Manager help you, check out www.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home.