by Whitney Hubbard,
Staff Photographer

The sun is out, the flowers are blooming. It's that time of year again- Time for Spring Cleaning! But this grand April tradition isn't just for your house. Make time to clean up your photo collection this year. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your quest for picture- perfect organization.

1) Get your photos off your digital camera! Start enjoying all those great snapshots you've taken! Take the time to upload your photos from the camera to your computer, and sort through them. You'll be able to see them better on a bigger screen, so get them on the computer first, and decide from there what you want to keep or trash. While you're at it, get your computer organized. Create a "My Photos" folder, if you don't already have one, and put it on your desktop. Inside the My Pictures folder, sort your photos and put them in folders named for what is happening in the pictures. Then, you'll easily be able to find them any time you want.

2) Make some prints! Nothing will re-energize your home like a fresh set of framed photos on your wall, or a new stack of albums to flip through on your coffee table. Once you've gotten everything organized, it should be easy for you to pick out some great shots you'd like to print. Pick out a good selection of images you'd like to have on display. If you don't have a printer at home, burn a CD of the pictures, or put them on a thumbnail drive. You can take them to any FedEx Kinkos or Walgreens and use one of their kiosks to print them out inexpensively, and the employees will walk you through the process if you need the help. You can even upload pictures and order prints online, if you don't want to go to the store. Also, think about the professional pictures of your family taken over the past year, and see if you've forgotten to place orders for prints. A collage of your son's sports photos, or a beautiful framed print of your daughter's senior picture will add a perfect, personal touch your plans to spring- ify your living room for the new season.

3) Use your camera! Now that you've got things cleaned up and cleared out, start using your camera to save some new memories. Spring is a wonderful time of year to take photographs. Make a trip with your kids to the park or backyard and take advantage of the blooming flowers and clear skies for some great snapshots. Maybe your gardening has paid off, and your yard and house look really nice this year. Photograph them! And get artistic - take your camera out on a photo expedition, just for fun. Everyone has a little artist in them, and some fun shots of favorite hometown locations or creative flower photos will add a little something special to your albums. Your family will enjoy these views into the world as you see it for years to come.

If the idea of organizing your computer, burning photo CDs, or handling a photo kiosk seem intimidating to you, check out these resources to help you along in your quest for clean.

FedEx Office

www.walgreens.com

www.wikihow.com (search 'burn a photo CD' and 'organize your digital photos' for some simple tutorials)

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"Mangiante has provided excellent graduation services to our students throughout the years. You don't even realize they are there, and they operate in such an organized, cooperative fashion. And the pictures are great!"

Mississippi Delta Community College - Dr. Larry Bailey

In Portland we pride ourselves on the culture of creativity that defines and unites us. Thanks to the inspiration of Donna Lee Holmes and the Focus on Youth program, even our city's most at-risk population has the chance to share their talents, express their creativity and be successful.

Focus on Youth is a nonprofit organization that works to keep inner-city teens on the path to graduation by using photography and mentoring to inspire them to achieve academic success. The program develops not only photographic skills and creativity, but also encourages students to focus on goal setting, personal responsibility and involvement within their community.

Mangiante Photography is proud to welcome our newest clients!

• Covington High School
• Southwind Swim Team

The future of our business truly depends upon the satisfaction of our customers, and we are happy you have chosen to become part of our family. We strive to provide all of our customers with fast, efficient service, along with the highest quality products available. If you are interested in our products and services, please contact us for more information!

Still curious who our satisfied clients are? Click here to view a partial client list.