Monthly Archives: February 2014

Major Takeaways from the 2014 Association of Personal Photo Organizers Conference

Takeaway #1:

There is a monumental need for photo organizing services

The photo organizing industry is a field that is currently in its infancy. The field has emerged as a consequence of the huge volume of photos that people have amassed since the advent of the digital camera, as well as the ever-changing sea of technology that has significantly impacted the way in which we capture our memories. People are often too busy and/or too overwhelmed to regularly manage and safeguard their photo collections on their own.

The need for help is significant.

Takeaway #2:

Our photos are sacred to us

It’s certainly not an earth-shattering revelation to say that our photos are very important to us. During the conference though, I came away with an enhanced appreciation for just how important a role photos play in our lives. This message really hit home as I listened to several presenters discuss their amazing stories of various photo rescue efforts following natural disasters that have occurred across the U.S. and Canada.

Because photos are so sacred, it is vital that we all take the necessary steps to ensure that our precious memories are safe in the event of an unthinkable disaster.

Takeaway #3:

Our photos are everywhere…and that’s a problem

One of the consistent themes throughout the conference was the need to address the universal challenge of having our digital photos scattered across many different devices. The typical person has segments of their photo collection stored on their phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, and memory cards/flash drives.

The first step for putting a photo management system in place is to establish a digital “hub”–that is, a centralized place where all images will ultimately be stored, once collected from the original image source.

This image created by my APPO colleagues at PSG Photo Solutions provides a useful illustration of the digital hub concept.

Takeaway #4:

Our photos are not properly backed up…and that’s a problem

Another key component of a good photo management system is setting up an appropriate back up system for your photos. Several conference presenters shared alarming statistics regarding the percentage of people who don’t back up their photos on a regular basis, or have NO back up system in place whatsoever.

In addition, many people back up their photos to CD/DVD and are under the impression that their photos are safe for the long-term, when in fact, the average shelf life of the typical CD/DVD is 2-5 years.

Takeaway #5:

The way that we share our photos has changed over time

We print less photos, but share more than we used to.

While rates of photo printing have decreased, the variety of ways in which people “interact” with their photos has increased. People are choosing to be more creative with their photos, using photo books and photo products for displaying and sharing.

Of course, the advent of the smart phone, tablet, and picture sharing sites have also contributed to the demise of the print photo.

Takeaway #6:

We take a lot of bad photos…but that can be easily remedied

During the conference, I had the opportunity to hear well-known photographer Nick Kelsh discuss the need for ruthless purging of bad photos (and according to him, bad photos are an epidemic). So many of us tend to keep every single shot we’ve ever taken. Don’t be afraid to throw away the blurry ones…and the photos of your foot that you took accidentally.

Nick also offered these simple, yet powerful tips to reduce the number of bad photos you will eventually need to cull from your collection:

Beyond the Gallery Wall: Creative Photo Display Ideas

1. Mixed Photos and Accessories Wall

This eye-catching wall display includes photos interspersed with art and wall accessories. You don’t have to be a photo purist…mixing things up creates serious visual interest. Just be sure to include some sort of unifying element that ties the entire collection together, such as a consistent color, texture or shape.

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2. Wire and Clips Display

For the high school or college student searching for a cool way to display their volume of Instagram photos (for those students who actually print their photos), this method offers the perfect blend of functionality and kitsch. Simply string a piece of wire, twine, or thin rope across the expanse of your wall and use clips to secure the photos to the wire. You can purchase ready-made kits designed specifically for this purpose. This method of display enables easy change-out of photos; it works great for more casual rooms in the home, such as playrooms, craft rooms, or even some family rooms.

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3. Plank-Mounted Frames

Talk about a statement-maker! This set of gorgeous handmade photo frames mounted on pretty painted planks is available at the Project Cottage Etsy store. I envision these being displayed prominently on a fireplace mantle. Can you see it?

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4. Photo Collage Wallpaper

Have you heard of We Montage yet? It’s a company whose motto is to “live beyond the frame.” You can upload your digital images to their website to create large-scale photo collages in the form of a removable “wallpaper” that easily adhere to your wall. This method of photo display is a useful option for spaces in which hanging photo frames is not practical.

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5. Wrap-Around-The Corner Photo Display

If your goal is to introduce “The Unexpected” into a room, this product is sure to please. This picture frame is designed to wrap around 90-degree corners. What a truly innovative way to display those photos, don’t you think?

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6. Heart-Shaped Collage

Since Valentine’s Day falls at the end of this week, I couldn’t resist wrapping up with this simple, yet design-savvy display option – affixing a collage of photos to the wall in the shape of a heart. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to accomplish this with ease.

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Displaying cherished photos is a powerful way to make your house feel like home. I hope that you come away from this post inspired to embark on your own unique photo display project. If you do, please return to the blog and tell me about it…and include a photo of your completed project!

For more creative ideas for displaying photos in your home, take a look at the Refined Rooms Phabulous Photo Display Board on Pinterest.

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher and Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com

Organizing the Organizer’s Home: Closet Makeover Reveal

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Ever heard the saying about the cobbler’s children who have no shoes? Sometimes this adage holds true for professional organizers as well!

I have a confession to make…there are areas in my own home that are in desperate need of an organizing makeover (audible gasp).

One of my resolutions for 2014 is to set aside time in my schedule to revamp these spaces. As I alluded to in my last blog post, I took advantage of the Container Store’s annual Elfa shelving sale in January and completed the first project – the guest room closet makeover.

This closet serves as a storage area for gift wrapping supplies, photos, scrapbooks, fabric, sewing machine/supplies, and empty shopping bags. These items are seldom accessed, but when I do need to retrieve something, I usually end up uttering a few choice curse words as I sift through the closet contents. This is particularly true when it comes time to retrieve a gift bag:

During the “makeover” process, I followed the same steps that I do with every client I work with, beginning with assessing the space. As you can see in the top photo, it’s quite clear that storing items on the floor is not working. My new storage system needed to take full advantage of the vertical space in the closet. I determined that the best solution for my specific storage needs is a set of freestanding deep drawers for each side of the closet. In addition, I decided to change out the stationary shelving and replace it with a track shelving system. In addition to giving me the benefit of adjustable shelf height, the track system allowed for the addition of a third shelf to be installed at the top of the closet to store smaller, lighter items.

A quick aside…I must rave about the Container Store’s customer service! I called the store to place the order for my closet system the day before my road trip to the Columbus store. When I arrived, they had all the components of my system wrapped up and ready to load in my car. I also love the cute bags that they use to store the small components and hardware:

Once I returned from the store, the transformation began. After removing everything from the closet, the next step in the process was to sort items into categories and purge unwanted items. It was then time to remove the existing shelving system (no small feat), patch the holes, paint, and begin to install the track system:

Do you see that horizontal piece at the top of the closet? It’s called the top track, and one of the awesome features of the Elfa easy hang system is that this is the only piece that attaches to your wall. Fewer holes in your wall is always a good thing.

Ready for the reveal?

What was once my least favorite closet is currently my most favorite. I go in there several times a day and open the drawers to admire the perfectly organized contents!

It would have been ideal to remove the closet doors for the photo shoot, but Dear Hubby said it would be too much effort. I’ve done my best to capture the changes in the photos below:

Here’s a close-up of the amazing drawer system. Elfa drawers can either be attached to the track or set up as part of a freestanding system. I chose the freestanding systems, since they allowed for the wider and deeper drawer size that my project required. Let’s take a look inside those drawers, shall we?

This is one of the two shallow top drawers, which contain small gift bags, wrapping supplies and tissue paper.

Now the gift bags are easily retrievable. I even have separate drawers for everyday gift bags and holiday-themed gift bags! I seem to have a gift bag and gift wrap fetish. So I’ve implemented one of the rules that I teach my clients when it comes to controlling clutter…let the container set the limit for how much you can keep. I can only keep as many gift bags as this drawer can accommodate:

Of course, the last step in organizing the drawers was to label each one so that everyone else is clear on what items live in each drawer:

Let’s shift our attention to the closet shelves. Empty boxes for gifts and the seldom-used sewing kit are the perfect items to be stored up high:

The lower shelves are used to store my scrapbooks, photos, and unfinished projects. I love the addition of the storage baskets for corralling those scrapbooks!

More basket eye-candy…

The left side houses my print photo collection (notice the archival quality storage boxes). There’s another basket that contains gift wrapping ribbon.