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What if this year, the advent calendar was not about chocolate... but about memories? In this episode, I share a gift idea from my dear friend Christina that costs very little and that the person you give it to will probably keep for years. A photo advent calendar turns the photos you already have into a countdown full of shared memories, and it is not just for children. If you start now, you still have plenty of time to have it ready before the first of December. In this episode: What a photo advent calendar is, and the simple basic recipe you can change to suit you.How to find the right photos quickly, even if your photos are not organised yet.Why everyday moments often bring out the best stories.Easy printing options that do not need to be complicated.What to write on the cards when a blank card feels a bit scary.How to adapt the idea for your partner, your parents or grandparents, a friend, and children of different ages.A little extra tip to keep the memories with your photos.Why this idea works for more than just Christmas. Free printable: Photo Advent Calendar Writing Prompts Not sure what to write on your cards? My free printable gives you sentence starters for your partner, your parents or grandparents, children of all ages and your friends, plus tips and an example card. Download it from here. Mentioned in this episode: Episode 125: Turn Your Photos Into Keepsakes (Golden Rule 5 of Photo Organising: Do Something!) Over to you Who would you make a photo advent calendar for? Let me know in the comments! Share the love If you know someone who would love this idea, please share this episode with them. And if you enjoy listening, a review helps the podcast reach more people who might find it useful.

AI can edit, restore and even help manage your photos, often for free and often without you even realising that you are using AI. But just because you can change a photo, should you? In this episode I share the five questions I ask myself before I let AI change a photo (which I kind of hardly ever do). I start with a very personal one: the last photo of me and my granddad, where my eyes are closed. I also share what happened when I tested AI restoration on an old photo of my brothers from the 1970s. There is no single right answer here... but there is your answer. In this episode: The difference between fixing a photo and changing the story it tells.What AI does well and where it goes wrong.Why a photo that shows its age may not need fixing at all.How a change you make today could confuse your family in fifty years.Why AI is great at finding duplicates and blurry photos, but cannot know what a photo means to you.Two simple habits that keep you in control when you do use AI. Mentioned in this episode: The iOS 27 and Apple Photos series, Episodes 128 to 130 What would you do with the photo of me and my granddad? Would you open my eyes, or leave it as it is? Tell me in the comments, I would love to know. And if you’d like to see the before and after comparison, make sure you’ve subscribed to my newsletter, I’ll share the pictures there. Stay in touch Subscribe to my newsletter. It usually goes out two days after each new episode, so you never miss one. As a subscriber, you also get little extras, for example access to a video about the episode topic. Add to my wishlist. Is there a topic or a question you would like me to cover in a future episode? Let me know. Learn with me. If you would like step by step help to organise your photos, have a look at my online courses.

Have you ever come home from a family holiday or a birthday party, and then spent the next two weeks asking everybody to send you their photos? And when they finally arrive, they come through WhatsApp, compressed and without the capture date?! In this episode, I show you how sharing photos on your iPhone has become a lot easier with iOS 27. Shared albums in Apple Photos got a big upgrade, there is a new way to turn your photos into a slideshow video, and I share four quick wins that help you enjoy your photos every day. This is part three, and the last part, of my short series about iOS 27 and Apple Photos. In this episode The six changes to shared albums in iOS 27, including temporary shared albums that delete themselves after 30 days.Why full resolution sharing is good news for prints and photo books, and what it means for your iCloud storage.How family and friends with an Android phone or a Windows computer can now add their photos to your shared album.One downside I found in my own testing, and what really happens to a photo when you add it to a shared album.How to make your own slideshow in Apple Photos and save it as a video.Four quick wins: save a video frame as a photo, find the photos you took yourself with Captured By Me, see all your selected photos on one screen, and get more out of the Photo Shuffle wallpaper.One small thing you can do today to get your photos back into your life Mentioned in this episode Part 1 of the series: Episode 128, Find Your Photos Faster with iOS 27Part 2 of the series: Episode 129, 3 New Ways to Edit Photos on Your iPhone Subscribe to my newsletter. It usually goes out two days after each new episode, so you never miss one. As a subscriber, you get little extras, for example access to a video about the episode topic or more tips. Is there a topic or a question you would like me to cover in a future episode? Let me know via the wishlist. Learn with me. If you would like step by step help to organise your photos, have a look at my online courses.

The iOS 27 update has added three new AI editing tools to Apple Photos on iPhone, and in this episode I walk through what each one does and how to find them. Clean Up, the tool for removing things you do not want in a photo, just got a lot better. Extend and Reframe are brand new, letting you expand a photo past its original edges or even shift the angle it was taken from. None of it touches your original photo, so there is no harm in giving these a try. In this episode: What is new for editing photos in Apple Photos with the iOS 27 update.Clean Up, improved. How this existing tool now copes with bigger and more complicated objects, not just small blemishes.Extend - how to expand a photo past its original edges with a simple pinch gesture.Reframe - how to change the camera angle on a photo after it has already been taken.Where to find these tools on your iPhone, step by step.Why your original photo is always safe, and how to undo any edit with Revert. Want a reminder of all 5 Golden Rules of Photo Organising? This episode connects back to Golden Rule 4, Sort and Organise, my framework for getting your photos under control. Grab my free one page 5 Golden Rules of Photo Organising checklist here. Got a topic or question you would like covered on the podcast? Add it to my wishlist here. Curious about my courses? You can find them on my website here.

iOS 27 is out, and it brings three new tools that make it much easier to make your Photos Library more searchable. In this episode, part one of a three part mini-series on iOS 27 and Apple Photos, I walk through the new features that allow you to add keywords and star ratings on your iPhone and also the handy new Identity Documents album. Add keywords to your photos on iPhone iOS 27 finally lets you add keywords straight from your iPhone or iPad, not only from a Mac like before. A keyword can be a name, an event or a place, anything you would actually search for later. In the episode I show you exactly where to find this feature and how to add a keyword, how to see and manage your full list, and how to mark your favourite keywords so the ones you use most are always close at hand. I also share a quirk I found while testing this myself, about what happens to your keywords when you send a photo by text message or AirDrop. It caught me by surprise, so I cover it in full in the episode. Rate your photos with star ratings in Apple Photos Star ratings are a new feature in iOS 27, but they are switched off by default, so do not worry if you went looking for them and came up empty. In the episode I explain how to turn on Show Rating Controls, how to rate a single photo or a whole batch at once, and how to filter your library down to just the photos with a certain rating. I also share my own simple rating habit, and why I recommend writing your own rules down on paper, especially if you plan to use more than one star level. It is a small step that saves a lot of second guessing later! To make it even easier for you, I’ve created a handy worksheet for you to download for free! The new Identity Documents album, and how to keep it more private iOS 27 automatically gathers photos of your passport, driving licence and other identity documents into a new album called Identity Documents, so they are easy to find in a hurry. It is a handy feature, but it is worth a privacy check. Listen in to discover how you can easily add an extra layer of privacy. Free worksheet: My Photo Rating and Keyword Rules A rating and keyword system is most useful when you keep it simple and stay consistent. I put together a free worksheet to help you do exactly that, so you can keep your Photos Library searchable for good. Download it here. Got a topic or question for the show? I am always building my list of future episodes from what you tell me you want to hear. If there is a topic or a question you would love me to cover, send it my way using this link here.

Is keywording (or tagging) your photos still worth it, now that AI can search them? Photos on your iPhone and Mac can find things without you lifting a finger, so does that mean keywording your photos is a waste of time? In this episode, I explain what a keyword actually is, what Apple Photos can already find on its own, and where keywording still makes a difference, including a simple habit that keeps your search results from splitting in two. In this episode: ● What a keyword or tag actually is, and why it exists ● How Apple Photos can already find photos using plain language, no tagging required ● What AI photo search still cannot know about your photos ● Why a written keyword still earns its place, even with smart search ● How the newest update, iOS 27, lets you add keywords straight from your iPhone or iPad ● A simple habit that keeps your keywords consistent, so nothing gets lost in search If you have other photo-related questions, don’t hesitate to let me know via the wishlist so I can answer it!

In this episode, I am sharing my practical dos and don'ts for decluttering your photos, using tools that are already sitting inside the Photos app on your iPhone and Mac. This was the most asked question from my recent webinar, so if you have been staring at your camera roll wondering where to even begin, this episode is for you. In this episode: ● The Do that makes every decluttering decision easier. ● How to remove duplicates with a single tap. ● Other easy places to start your photo decluttering project. ● Favouriting versus deleting. ● How to avoid overwhelm. ● The importance of understanding your settings. Mentioned in this episode: ● Episode 122: Why your Photo Project keeps stalling - Golden Rule 2 Know Your Why ● Episode 124: Find Any Photo in Seconds - Golden Rule 4 Sort and Organise

Golden Rule 5 of Photo Organising: Do Something! You've backed up, organised, and sorted your entire photo collection. But what's the point of all that photo organising effort if your photos just sit somewhere on a hard drive? In thisfinal episode of the 5 Golden Rules of Photo Organising, Chantal shows you how to turn your organised collection into photo books, gifts, and keepsakes you'll actually treasure, plus the simple habits that keep your Photo Hub running smoothly for good. In this episode: Why doing something with your photos matters.The simple six-step process behind every successful photo project, from deciding what to create through to hitting order.Ideas for photo books, framed prints, wall art, calendars, and personalised cards, plus a few fun (and slightly wild) photo gift options.Tips for creating digital projects like slideshows and video montages.How to maintain your Photo Hub going forward, so all the hard work you've put in actually sticks.  Mentioned in this episode: Blog: How to create Photo Books in 5 easy steps  Episode 108 How to make a photo gallery wall at home with Haleh Shoa (and on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iRUJZ25tkGo) Photo Organising Courses Got a topic you'd love covered? Add it to the wishlist

Revisiting Golden Rule 4 of Photo Organising: Sort and Organise You've backed up your photos and given them a home in Golden Rule 3. But can you actually put your hands on the one you want? In this episode, Chantal condenses what was originally two full episodes, digital photos and printed photos, into one, and walks through how to sort, structure, and cull your entire collection so any photo is just a search (or a flick through a labelled pile) away. In this episode: Why sorting and organising matters, and what actually happens if you skip it.How to deduplicate, structure, and cull your digital Photo Hub.A step-by-step way to sort, declutter, and (if you choose) digitise your printed photos.Whether adding metadata is worth your time, and how AI is already changing that answer.A simple way to make this step feel far less overwhelming. Mentioned in this episode: Episode 005 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 1 –Digital Photos) Episode 006 Golden Rule 4 – Sort and Organise (Part 2 –Printed Photos) Download folder structures here and make it yours PhotoSweeper (Mac) PowerPhotos (Mac) VisiPics (Windows, free) Duplicate Cleaner Pro (Windows) PhotoMove 2.5 (Windows) Big Mean Folder Machine (Mac) Photo Organising Courses Online class: Organise and Preserve your Printed Photos Live classes for Apple, iPhone & Mac users Got a topic you'd love covered? Add it to the wishlist Ready to hear more about photo management? Join Chantal's free webinar on 27 August 2026 for a high-level walkthrough of getting your photos backed up, organised, and under control. Details and registration here.

Golden Rule 3 of Photo Organising: Create a Photo Hub Your photos are probably scattered across your phone, an old laptop, a few USB sticks, and who knows where else. In this episode, Chantal shows you how to fix that for good, by creating one central home for every digital photo you own. In this episode: Why a photo hub matters, and what happens if you skip itThe three places your hub can live, and which one to chooseHow to track down photos hiding across every device and account you haveA simple, repeatable way to copy everything in without losing anythingAnswers to the questions listeners ask most about this step Mentioned in this episode: Episode 121: Is Your Photo Backup Actually a Backup?Episode 122: Why Your Photo Project keeps stallingFree checklist: where to find your photos DIY Photo Organising course Bonus class: organising your printed photosLive classes for Apple, iPhone & Mac usersGot a topic you'd love covered? Add it to thewishlistReady to hear more about photo management? Join Chantal's free webinar on 27 August 2026 for a high-level walkthrough of getting your photos backed up, organised, and under control. Register here!

It's not about time, or software, or how many photos you have, it's about the step that you might have skipped when you started your photo organising project. In this episode of the DIY Photo Organising Podcast, Chantal moves on to Golden Rule 2 of the 5 Golden Rules of Photo Organising: Know Your Why. Episode Summary Chantal explains why knowing your Why matters so much. Unfortunately, it is often skipped despite this step having a massive influence on whether a photo project actually gets finished. She breaks down the real difference between a Why and a goal, shares practical examples and walks through how to turn a vague reason into a clear, motivating plan. What You'll Learn Why Knowing Your Why is so important.The real difference between your Why and your goal.Real examples of a Why versus a goal, from yearbooks to family legacy collections.How to turn your Why into SMART goals you will reach. Resources Mentioned • Episode 121 - Golden Rule 1: Back Up Next Steps Ready to get clear on your Why and build a plan around it? Join Chantal's free webinar on 27 August 2026 for a high-level walkthrough of getting your photos backed up, organised, and under control. Register here! Got a question or topic you'd like covered? Pop it on the wish list here. The DIY Photo Organsing Course covers everything, step by step. It is a pre-recorded, self-guided course that works no matter what devices you use. And if you are in the Apple world, iPhone and Mac, live classes start mid September and registrations will open soon. Simply go on the waitlist here to be the first to know and find out more here.

It is not a matter of if you'll lose your photos, it is a matter of when! In this relaunch episode of the DIY Photo Organising Podcast, Chantal goes back to basics with Golden Rule 1 of the 5 Golden Rules of Photo Organising: Backup. Episode Summary Chantal kicks off the solo relaunch of the show by revisiting the single most important step in getting your photos under control: backing them up. Drawing on real stories, she explains why photo loss can happen to anybody, and why backup has to come before any sorting or organising. She breaks down the crucial difference between synchronising and a true backup, and walks through the industry-standard method she recommends for keeping your photos safe for good. She also shares the exact backup setup she uses at home, what should be included in a backup, and a few simple habits that prevent future headaches. What You'll Learn Why backing up photos is Golden Rule # and the most important of the five.The real difference between syncing and backing up (and why iCloud, Dropbox and OneDrive aren't true backups on their own).The simple, industry-standard method Chantal recommends for backing up your photos properly.What to include in a backup (hint: it's more than just your Pictures folder)!Simple habits to build in to save you from future stress. Resources Mentioned Episode 120 Backblaze (cloud backup service) Time Machine (Mac) / File History (Windows)Related episodes: Episode 13 and Episode 42 (digitising prints, slides and film reels) Next Steps Ready to get your photos backed up and organised? Join Chantal's free webinar on 27 August 2026 for a high-level walkthrough of getting your photos backed up, organised, and under control. Register here! Got a question or topic you'd like covered? Pop it on the wishlist here. If you're interested in the self-paced online DIY Photo Organsing Course, find more details here. Go on the waitlist here to be the first to know when the live-classes for “Mastering Apple Photos” will be ready.

Every season has an ending, and today we have one of our own to share. This is our final episode together as co-hosts, and it marks the end of one chapter for this podcast, and the beginning of a new one. Fiona's own path has grown in a new direction. She went back to university to study counselling, and her focus is now on helping people through counselling and psychotherapy with Counselling Memories. It is the right time for her to step back from co-hosting and put her energy into that work. Here is what is staying exactly the same: Every past episode, right where you have alwaysfound it.The podcast wishlist, where you can askquestions or suggest topics. The 5 Golden Rules, including the DIY PhotoOrganising Course built around them, are still at the heart of everything we teach. Chantal will keep hosting the podcast, with the same practical tips and conversations you know, plus some new formats ahead. Today, we also want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for letting us into your life and letting us be part of your photo organising journey. It has been a privilege and a joy, and we hope it continues with future episodes. Mentioned in this episode: The DIY Photo Organising Course, feel free towatch the free introductionEpisode 119: The DIY Photo Organising Course  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 023 5 Steps to get you Started NOW Episode 033 5 Golden Rules Highlights

It’s no secret that we’re passionate about helping people organise their photos. After years of working with hundreds of clients, recording over 100 episodes of the DIY Photo Organising podcast, and refining our framework, we’re so excited to officially launch our DIY Photo Organising Course! In this episode, we share why we created the course, what’s included, and how the 5 Golden Rules provide a clear, flexible, and timeless structure to help you move forward with confidence. Over the years, we kept seeing the same patterns: People overwhelmed and unsure where to start. People organising without backing up first. People jumping in without knowing their “Why.” People getting stuck and giving up. We realised most people weren’t lacking motivation - they were lacking clear principles. That’s why we created this course. What you'll hear in this episode Why we decided to turn the 5 Golden Rules into a structured course The common photo organising mistakes we see over and over again What’s included in the 8+ hour pre-recorded courseA walkthrough of each of the 5 Golden Rules: Back Up, Know Your Why, Create a Photo Hub, Sort & Organise, Do Something.What the 40+ page workbook includesDetails about the two bonus lessons: Organise and Preserve Your Printed Photos and When Organising Photos Feels HardHow the Live Intensive Workshops work - and who they’re for Why it Matters Organising your photos can feel overwhelming - until you have a clear framework. The 5 Golden Rules are timeless principlesthat work whether you have 500 photos or 50,000, helping you protect what matters, reduce the fear of loss, create clarity, and move forward at your own pace. Links referenced Link to the DIY Photo Organising Course and the Live Intensive   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 023 5 Steps to get you Started NOW Episode 033 5 Golden Rules Highlights Episode 049 How to Stop Procrastinating about your Photos Episode 110 Roadblocks in photo management and how toovercome 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 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 ww.thephotomanagers.com to find help closer to home.

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