What is a Photo Manager?
SOMETIMES YOU NEED A SPECIALIST IN YOUR CORNER
In the mid-80’s I read that the sum of human knowledge had crossed the tipping point of complete understanding. The author declared that one person could no longer know everything.
Too much detail.
Too much stuff.
Too much much.
I think I used that very reasoning with my 10th grade history teacher. But that was years earlier.
I digress.
Regardless of the time threshold, it’s a fact that we now live in a world of specialists. People who have dedicated time and attention to mastering one thing or other to efficiently resolve a task or provide the exceptional experience. The black belts among us who we can rely on for good advice. You don’t need to know everything about wine, for instance, if you know a good sommelier.
Technology is full of experts like that. Tech whisperers you could count on to make broken things work again. After spending hours of frustration trying to fix a glitch or recovering a lost file, those are the kind of people you want to find.
So when people get overwhelmed with their photo collections, it’s natural to look for a good IT wizard, right?
Well, maybe. But IT is like the general practitioner of the tech world. They may be a terrific general practitioner, but not as savvy with photos and videos as you might think.
That’s where a photo manager comes in.
Where IT is concerned about managing all kinds of data, photo managers - PM’s - are focussed on memories and stories. The quality of life stuff that the media represents. So whereas you might go to IT to resolve a hard drive problem, a PM will guide you through the decluttering, curating, and organization of the photography that IT saved.
Which is not to say that photo managers aren’t pretty tech savvy in their own right, but that’s just a support talent to the goal of keeping your life’s journey accessible, organized, and safe. In fact, most photo managers share an origin story centered on photography, family history, or personal organizing. Not building computers from scratch.
If you don’t have a photo manager listed in your specialist contacts along with a home decorator, landscaper, travel consultant, plumber, party planner, and the rest, you’re excused. The business has been under the radar until recently when PM’s have started showing up in library presentations, podcasts, and TV. With almost 2 trillion photos being created worldwide in 2024, and personal photo collections commonly topping 100k images, it’s a service that’s time is right.
And welcome.
Photos are the thing on everyone’s “must grab” list when disaster strikes. They are personal and irreplaceable. For most people they are the only visual journal of a lived life. The refresh of dimmed memories. Times shared. Places seen. People loved.
The iPhone has added another component. The photo collection as junk drawer.
Because we always have our phone/camera with us, convenience photos have become an unruly part of the mix. They infest our precious photo collection like crabgrass. Screenshots, signage, furniture, and bent fenders mix it up with Jason’s first birthday and the Cliff Walk in Newport.
But at the same time, it’s never been so easy to capture every moment of our life experiences like we can now. The sheer volume of photos and videos we take is staggering compared to the pre-iPhone digital numbers, and film photography before that.
It’s no wonder that the first sentence photo managers hear from a client usually includes “overwhelmed.”
So what does a photo manager actually bring to the table?
Patience - Getting your photo collection in order is rarely an overnight task. A “quick” cleanup can take weeks. A large collection that includes legacy pictures and extensive tagging may take months to sort out. Often, by the time someone recognizes the need for professional help, they have already spent months unsuccessfully tackling the organizing on their own. An experienced photo manager can provide valuable perspective and set reasonable expectations.
Horsepower - Digital photo managers have extra storage space for copying and merging photo collections. They also use time-saving software that is unnecessary for the average user. Ditto for hardware. The investment in resources and training to do photo projects efficiently and responsibly is a key reason to work with a professional.
Finesse - A good photo manager understands the importance of photos and that we’re handling memories, not just files. Shaping a collection that fits family values and honors the essence of their journey is a key goal. To do that, PM’s plan a project with an eye to how the collection lives within a family. Who is the family “librarian” and how do they work with it? How many people are involved.? What technology to the use? Success is in the details.
Insight - Among photo managers the saying goes “if you’ve seen one project, you’ve seen ONE project.” Every photo collection is different in terms of client priorities and expectations, not to mention the media itself. But being able to draw on the experience of doing many projects helps to guide the process . A photo collection is a living document that inevitably grows and evolves over time. Not only do you want to straighten out what’s in front of you, you want to set up the collection so it can be easily maintained and appreciated for, perhaps, generations. Also, storage media, file types, the way we view and the way we share our photos is an ever changing landscape, with no end in sight. A photo manager will be able to guide you through all that.
If you are one of the “overwhelmed” or simply want to get a handle on your photo collection, create a project like a photo book, or build some skills to take advantage of all the new tools at your fingertips, take the time now to find a professional for a consult. Most photo managers offer local and remote management and organizing services so you have a broad selection of resources to draw on. You can even search online for The Photo Managers and find a world directory of trained photo managers who have passed a certification process.
And here’s the thing.
If you are like me, you are regularly faced with the need to collect and share your images. Whether it’s a graduation, a milestone birthday or anniversary, or just a random project for someone. Could be collaborating on a group trip for a commemorative book. Or maybe you’ve been wanting to finally create a wedding album that never got made.
Now is the time to start the process and get your photos in shape.
With a little help.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, HERE ARE TWO WAYS I CAN HELP YOU.
Coaching & Consulting • Get expert, patient help to bash the overwhelm and build excitement using your photos. Become comfortable taking, organizing, and sharing your pictures with family and friends. Create a photo collection that captures your life and provides enjoyment every time you view it.
Photo Management • If you need a photo book, video/montage, or other project done for you, I can help. Overwhelmed by an out of control photo collection that you can’t face? I’m your guy. You’ll get decades of experience as a photographer and graphic artist, with over 12 years as an Apple Photos expert and certified photo manager. Let’s talk.