Part 2: Organize Reference Photos

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In Part 1, you began organizing your informational images by moving important screenshots to the Notes app and then deleting them from the Photos app. In Part 2, I’ll walk you through how to organize reference photos which include images of furniture, books, cars and clothing. Like with screenshots, remember to ask discerning questions to determine whether or not the reference photos are truly meaningful to you. Choose whether you’re going to work on your iPhone, iPad or Mac computer. Then move all valuable reference photos from the Photos app to the Notes app. Afterwards, delete the reference photos from the Photos app.

Organize Reference Photos

To locate reference photos in your photos library, you can certainly scroll to see what’s there — but there is a better way: search using keywords to find photos of objects. For example, a search for ‘document’ will show items such as recipes, book excerpts, products, product labels, quotes, CD covers, receipts and posters. Try the following keywords as well as your own:

Keyword Examples
Apple has designed the Photos app to recognize thousands of objects and scenes. Here are a few examples: document, book, chair, sofa, shoe, carton, wine bottle, food, musical instrument, car

iPhone/iPad
Software Version iOS 13 or newer

Search for Reference Photos

  1. Open the PHOTOS app

  2. Search for reference photos:

    • Tap SEARCH icon (at bottom)

    • Tap the Search bar

    • Type a keyword

    • Tap the category

  3. (Optional) If you see multiple photos you no longer need, delete them. Otherwise proceed to step #4.

    • Tap SELECT

    • Tap each photo

    • Tap the Trash icon

    • Tap DELETE # PHOTOS

  4. Tap the first image

  5. Ask discerning questions to help determine if you’re going to delete or keep & file the photo.

Delete Reference Photo

  1. Tap the Trash icon

  2. Tap DELETE PHOTO

Keep & File Reference Photo

  1. Tap the Share icon

  2. Tap NOTES

  3. For Save To, tap NEW NOTE, then tap a folder

  4. Tap CREATE NEW NOTE

  5. Add text to your note. Type one or more keywords describing the screenshot to easily search for it in the future.

  6. Tap SAVE

  7. Delete the image from the Photos app: Tap the Trash icon, then tap DELETE PHOTO

  8. Continue with the next reference photo

 
 
05 Reference Photo Search iOS.JPG
 

Mac Computer
Software Version 10.14 or newer

Search for Reference Photos

  1. Open the PHOTOS app

  2. Search for reference photos:

    • Click within the SEARCH bar (top right)

    • Type a keyword

    • Click the category

  3. (Optional) If you see multiple photos you no longer need, delete them. Otherwise proceed to step #4.

    • Click the first photo to select it

    • Press and hold down the Command key while clicking additional photos. Once all photos are selected, release the Command key.

    • Press the following two keys simultaneously: Command + Delete

  4. Double-click the first image. Ask discerning questions to help determine if you’re going to delete or keep & file the photo.

Delete Reference Photo

  • Press the following two keys simultaneously: Command + Delete

Keep & File Reference Photo

  1. Click the Share icon

  2. Click NOTES

  3. For CHOOSE NOTE, click NEW NOTE

  4. Point to FOLDERS, point to the appropriate folder, then click NEW NOTE

  5. Add text to your note. Type one or more keywords describing the screenshot to easily search for it in the future.

  6. Click SAVE

  7. While viewing the image, delete it by pressing the following two keys simultaneously: Command + Delete

  8. Continue with the next reference photo

06 Reference Photo Search macOS.PNG
 

Great work! Parts 1 & 2 of this photo organizing tutorial helped you declutter your main photo library by neatly organizing valuable screenshots and reference photos into folders in the Notes app. When you separate informational images from precious photo memories, you begin streamlining your photo collection to what matters most. And as an added bonus, you find your saved reference material more easily.

Going forward, I recommend creating a new habit of saving all informational images directly to the Notes app. This will save you endless time and effort. In the future you won’t need to take time out to organize these types of photos and most importantly, you can quickly search for what you need.

Let’s finish up the tutorial with Part 3 - Creating New Photo Habits.