Organizing Your Digital Images For Easy Photo Sharing

"Digital photography is great because you can take as many pictures as you want and have many, many different options to choose from. Different exposures, angles, backgrounds, etc."

"Digital photography is horrible because you can take as many pictures as you want and have many, many different options to choose from. Different exposures ..."

Choice is a wonderful thing, until you're presented with too many choices. Then, it becomes a laborious burden filled with "what ifs" and "but if we pick this one, then." There's nothing like too many choices to awaken the two headed monster of self-doubt and procrastination.

Digital photography has given shutterbugs a whole lot more choices. Depending on the size of the memory card in your camera and the resolution size of your photos, you could have hundreds of pictures to review after just one afternoon in the park with your children.

So to avoid feeling overwhelmed by all those un-viewed photos on you camera, here are a few tips for picking the best one:

Don't fear the delete button. First, review the photos on you camera. This will save time when you upload them to your computer. As you're reviewing, delete any picture that is simply bad. Whether it's a poor exposure or just a really awful expression, don't be afraid to get rid of the picture. Take control - become a photo editor, and become a discerning one at that. If you waffle in the least, you'll waste time and effort.

Separate the keepers from the sleepers. OK, you've whittled 100 photos of your 1-year-old on the swing down to 62. Great work. You're making progress. After uploading the photos to your computer, create two separate files for the photos. Give the files similar names, such as "Day at the Park A" and "Day at the Park B." This next step is critical: Reserve file "A" for only put the most absolutely stunning and beautiful pictures. Tip: Think magazine cover. Would you want the picture to be displayed on the cover of a magazine. If there's any doubt, simply put the photo into file "B." You're not eliminating it - you're just setting it aside for the moment.

Upload them all to the Internet. The last step is the easiest. After you've separated the wheat from the chaff, upload them all to an easy photo sharing site. You'll have separted the files, so when you go to share them, you can start with file "A" and know with confidence that you are sending friends and relatives the best pictures. And if you want to send grandma everything (and you'd better!), you have file "B" to draw from.

Don't be shy about signing up of for a membership to one of the many wonderful easy photo sharing sites that are on the Internet today, if you haven't already done so. And don't be shy about spending a few extra bucks for a membership upgrade. It's well worth the one or two dollars a month to know that ALL your photos will be protected and safe. After all, there's no way to recreate that special afternoon you spent with your child - isn't that why you took hundreds of photos in the first place?