4 Types of Photos You Need to Delete Right Now
Remove these not-so-great images to make way for more, and better, memories
Raise your hand if you’re guilty of keeping thousands of photos on your phone that you know you’ll never use or look back on. Is your hand up? If not, your self-discipline is unrivalled. But the more likely case is that you have thousands of pictures to sift through. The truth is, we live in a world where a billion new photos are taken every day. With so many images taken by the human race, chances are that a few of us, if not most of us, are hoarding pictures on our phones, computers and cloud storage accounts. The ones we love end up on social media but the rest may not be worth keeping. When trashing these pictures, you’ll feel a weight lifting. I know this from my own experience – purging unnecessary photos from my archives allows me to more effectively organise my family’s memories. Not sure where to start? Let’s begin with a list of photos that need to be obliterated from your digital albums now and forever.
More in this series: How to Organise Your Digital Photographs | How to Organise Your Digital Photographs | 6 Steps to Organising Your Loose Photographs
More in this series: How to Organise Your Digital Photographs | How to Organise Your Digital Photographs | 6 Steps to Organising Your Loose Photographs
Dump those not-so-perfect shots
I have a few duplicate photos on my phone… OK, I have a lot of duplicates. Who could blame me when I have 64 gigabytes of memory available to get just the right snapshot? The right photo of brunch? 20 snaps. The right picture of my grandchildren? 50 snaps. And we all know that when we ask a stranger to take a picture for us, we never actually mean just one photo. We want the whole burst of photos – the ‘hold the shutter button down for 10 seconds and voilà! 100 photos to choose from.’ I want options. Which leaves me with even more unnecessary clutter.
We all strive for perfection in our photos, especially when it comes to social media. Even so, post one image and delete the duplicates now. Including the 1,000 pictures of your dog, cat or guinea pig doing absolutely nothing. They’re cute but you only need one.
Keen photographer? Bring interior images to life using people and pets
I have a few duplicate photos on my phone… OK, I have a lot of duplicates. Who could blame me when I have 64 gigabytes of memory available to get just the right snapshot? The right photo of brunch? 20 snaps. The right picture of my grandchildren? 50 snaps. And we all know that when we ask a stranger to take a picture for us, we never actually mean just one photo. We want the whole burst of photos – the ‘hold the shutter button down for 10 seconds and voilà! 100 photos to choose from.’ I want options. Which leaves me with even more unnecessary clutter.
We all strive for perfection in our photos, especially when it comes to social media. Even so, post one image and delete the duplicates now. Including the 1,000 pictures of your dog, cat or guinea pig doing absolutely nothing. They’re cute but you only need one.
Keen photographer? Bring interior images to life using people and pets
Say goodbye to unphotogenic moments
Some photos are less flattering than others. Especially when they’re blurry, the angle is weird, the flash creates the dreaded red eye or people are blinking. Are you really going to put that blurry photo where no one is looking, or if they are, the flash has turned them into a demon incarnate, into an album? No. These photos are not how your memories deserve to be remembered. Remove them.
Some photos are less flattering than others. Especially when they’re blurry, the angle is weird, the flash creates the dreaded red eye or people are blinking. Are you really going to put that blurry photo where no one is looking, or if they are, the flash has turned them into a demon incarnate, into an album? No. These photos are not how your memories deserve to be remembered. Remove them.
Tackle shutter mistakes
Have you ever been shocked by your own face when taking a photo and suddenly realise the camera is turned on you? Or have you been digging frantically in your purse, aka the ‘black hole’, to find your phone before it stops ringing, only to find it’s too late, fumble, and then end up with a few photos of the ceiling? I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but you need to dump these accidental photos. Preferably right when they happen.
Snapping outdoors? See how to take atmospheric garden shots
Have you ever been shocked by your own face when taking a photo and suddenly realise the camera is turned on you? Or have you been digging frantically in your purse, aka the ‘black hole’, to find your phone before it stops ringing, only to find it’s too late, fumble, and then end up with a few photos of the ceiling? I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but you need to dump these accidental photos. Preferably right when they happen.
Snapping outdoors? See how to take atmospheric garden shots
It may seem overwhelming to begin the process of discarding extra photos, but don’t worry. Time spent in the dentist’s waiting room or queuing at the supermarket is perfect for dedicating five minutes to this task, every so often.
If you don’t streamline your images, treasured photos of family gatherings, football matches and graduations may be lost forever in a hoard of pictures you’ll never actually use or share. Your story matters, and the fewer photos you have to work with, the better the stage is for your story to play out on.
If you don’t streamline your images, treasured photos of family gatherings, football matches and graduations may be lost forever in a hoard of pictures you’ll never actually use or share. Your story matters, and the fewer photos you have to work with, the better the stage is for your story to play out on.
If you’re a foodie, adventurous traveller or pet lover, as I am, then you’ll understand the need to constantly take screenshots of recipes or a cute cat pose. Pictures of shoes on sale and colourful meals quickly fill my camera roll. Delete these photos now!
I know, I can hear you saying, “But I was going to try and make that meal” or “I really am going to remember to buy those shoes when they go on sale.” No, you won’t. If you don’t use these photos within a month, toss them away or find somewhere else to save them.