How the Emerging Profession of Photo Organizing is Reconnecting People with their Photos

Abstract

A new grassroots industry called personal photo organizing has been growing to meet the needs of consumers who are overwhelmed with their lifetime of photos. We live in an increasing, complex technical world, yet, as human beings, we have not changed in our need to tell a story. It is through stories that we connect and one of the ways we tell our stories is through our photos. With the introduction of digital cameras and mobile phones, people are now taking photos at a record pace and sharing them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other photo sharing sites. Yet, people are also finding they don't have time to sort through and organize the thousands upon thousands of photos they are accumulating, let alone print them. The result is a consumer who is overwhelmed and paralyzed. In addition to digital photos, hundreds of thousands of printed photos languish in shoeboxes and bins. Thus, the need for a solution has emerged and the photo organizers are stepping in to fill that need. There are now hundreds of small independent business owners offering their services in 48 states and six countries. By providing personal one-on-one assistance, the photo organizers are helping consumers reconnect with their photos and videos again. At the conclusion of this presentation, the attendee will have learned why there is a need for photo organizers, who the target market is for photo organizers, how a photo organizer charges for their time, the five most common services a photo organizer provides, and how the Association of Personal Photo Organizers supports this growing industry.