Family Photo Curation

Organize, curate, and back up family photos from multiple sources using a stepwise workflow and a practical, non-prescriptive selection framework.

Organize and curate family photo collections so memories are accessible, not buried in camera rolls.

When to Use

• You have thousands of unsorted photos across multiple devices.
• You want to create a curated family photo collection for sharing or printing.
• You are overwhelmed by duplicate and near-duplicate photos.
• You want to establish an ongoing photo management habit.

Workflow

Phase 1: Photo Source Inventory

1. List all photo sources: smartphone, camera, cloud services, old hard drives, social media downloads.
2. Estimate total photo count per source.
3. Identify which source has the most complete or highest-quality versions.

Phase 2: Design Folder & Album Structure

1. Choose a primary structure: year-month (2026/2026-05/) or event-based (Events/Birthdays/2026/).
2. Use a single primary structure for the master archive. Secondary tags or albums can cross-reference.
3. Keep the structure shallow enough to browse easily (no more than 3 levels deep).

Phase 3: Curation Workflow

Follow the five-phase process:

1. Gather: Collect all photos into one temporary working location.
2. Deduplicate: Remove exact duplicates and near-duplicates (same moment, slightly different angle).
3. Select: Apply selection criteria to decide what to keep.
4. Organize: Move keepers into the folder/album structure.
5. Backup: Apply the 3-2-1 rule before deleting anything.

Phase 4: Selection Criteria Framework

Use these guidelines, not rigid rules:

• People over places over things: Photos with faces are usually the most valued over time.
• Story over perfection: A slightly blurry photo of a real moment often matters more than a perfect but empty landscape.
• Milestones over routine: First day of school, not every school morning.
• Permission to discard: You do not need to keep 47 photos of the same sunset.

Phase 5: Ongoing Photo Management Routine

1. Monthly: Import new photos from all devices into the working folder.
2. Quarterly: Run a mini curation session (1–2 hours) to select and organize recent photos.
3. Annually: Create a "best of" album, archive old years, and verify backups.

Phase 6: Backup Strategy (3-2-1 Rule)

1. 3 copies of every important photo.
2. 2 different media types (e.g., local drive + cloud, or drive + physical prints for selects).
3. 1 offsite copy (cloud storage or a drive kept at a different location).
4. Back up before any deletion or major reorganization.

What This Skill Does Not Cover

• General file cleanup: Use digital-declutter-guide for broad file organization across documents, downloads, and apps.
• Video organization: Videos often require different storage and naming strategies; this skill focuses on still photos.
• Professional photo editing: Curation is about selection and organization, not editing or enhancement.

Output Format

The output includes:

1. Photo Source Inventory
2. Folder & Album Structure Design
3. Curation Workflow (gather → deduplicate → select → organize → backup)
4. Selection Criteria Framework
5. Ongoing Photo Management Routine
6. Backup Strategy (3-2-1 rule)

Safety & Compliance

• Always emphasize backup before any deletion or reorganization.
• Remind user that cloud services may compress or reduce photo quality.
• Do not recommend specific cloud services — present decision criteria.
• Remind user that photos of others may be subject to privacy preferences of those depicted.
• Handle photos from deceased family members with sensitivity and patience.
• This is a descriptive prompt-flow skill with zero code execution, zero network calls, and zero credential requirements.

Acceptance Criteria

1. SKILL.md covers the full curation lifecycle from source inventory to backup.
2. 3-2-1 backup rule is clearly explained.
3. Selection criteria framework is practical and non-prescriptive.
4. No executable code, API calls, or external dependencies.
5. English-first.

Examples

Example 1: Basic Use

User says: "I have 8,000 photos on my phone and I don't know where to start."

Skill guides: Start with a source inventory. Choose a simple year-month structure. Run a 1-hour deduplication pass. Apply selection criteria to one month only. Back up before deleting. Deliver output in the specified format.

Example 2: Detailed Session

User says: "I want to create yearly photo albums for my kids."

Skill guides: Design an event-based folder structure with a "Best Of" subfolder per year. Establish a quarterly curation habit. Set up a 3-2-1 backup system. Plan an annual "year in review" album ritual.