Today, we take photos as naturally as we breathe. Holidays, birthdays, dinners, walks, sunsets… every moment becomes a reason to pull out our phone. This spontaneity is wonderful, but it has a downside. Once a photo is taken, what happens to it? All too often, it gets lost in the flood. And that’s when our Photo Memory begins to fade.
Memory Saturated by Excess Images
According to Photutorial, over 2.1 trillion photos are expected to be taken worldwide in 2025. The number is staggering. Yet, most of these shots will probably never be looked at again. Too many images, too little sorting: this is the paradox of the digital age.
Our phones overflow with forgotten memories. Clouds are full, hard drives too. The result? Precious moments we thought we had immortalised become invisible. Photography, once considered a stimulus for our memory, turns into digital background noise.
Too much is too much: the trap of accumulation
The more photos we take, the less we actually look at them. It’s a fact. And when it comes time to sort them, the task seems insurmountable. So we postpone. Again and again. Until this mountain of images becomes a source of stress rather than pleasure.
And yet, these images have value. They tell our story. They anchor us, remind us of where we come from, what we’ve experienced, what we’ve loved. In times of change, or simply to pass on our experiences, they are essential. Provided we can actually find them… and give them meaning.
Relearning to sort to remember better
Fortunately, all is not lost. Sometimes it just takes starting, slowly but surely. Begin by deleting duplicates, blurry photos, and forgotten screenshots. Then, organise what remains. By theme, by date, by person. This sorting brings out what really matters.
Too many photos can create a sense of fatigue. Giving purpose to each image is essential. Think about sorting!
Creating albums is not only practical: it’s also a way of storytelling. Telling the story of a trip, a meeting, or a period in life. This visual narrative reactivates our emotional memory. We’re no longer looking at files. We’re reliving moments.
And why not print a few photos? Display them, gift them, place them in a frame or album. This simple gesture gives images a presence in our daily life. They no longer live only on a screen, but in our environment.
What Photo Memory Experts Say
In his article La mémoire photographique ou la sensibilité historique des photographes, photography historian Michel Poivert explains: “Photography maintains a link with memory through its very function as testimony and trace.”
This partly explains why the photos that mark us are far more than just an album in our heads. They influence our mood, our balance, and sometimes even our ability to refocus. When our photos accumulate without order or purpose, they can create blur… in our minds too.
The good news: sorting through your images often brings a bit of order to your thoughts as well. By choosing what to keep, we clarify our memories, give meaning to our experiences, and revive emotions we thought were tucked away in a folder.
Taking the time to sort is a real pause. The kind of pause that allows us to revisit our own history, to rediscover what moves us, what truly matters. In other words: sorting is choosing, in order to remember better. And it feels good!
Regaining Control of Your Photo Memory
So how can we avoid losing the richness of our photographic memories?
Today, platforms exist to help you sort, organise, and protect your photos. Not to expose them to the whole world, but to preserve them in an intimate and controlled space. These tools offer safe areas where you can create albums, manage access, maintain image quality… and rediscover the pleasure of looking at them. Ultimately, it’s not the quantity of photos that matters, but what we choose to do with them. Photo Memory is not just storage. It is personal heritage. And like any heritage, it deserves a little time and attention… to truly make sense.
