We are so excited to share with you today: Narrative Photo Organizing. Trish pours her heart and expertise into helping folks preserve and enjoy a lifetime of memories.
The unique service Trish offers is a perfect compliment to the services we offer folks. Almost every client we meet has multiple bins or boxes of loose printed photos and a full digital library of photos and videos as well. Where to start?
To answer that question, we did a little Q+A session with Trish. Enjoy!
Q. What inspired you to start photo-organizing business?
A. There’s something magical about holding an old photo in your hands — the faded colors, the handwritten notes on the back, the memories it sparks. For me, that magic turned into my passion. It all started in my parents’ basement. During a visit home, I was helping my Mom and Dad clean and organize when I stumbled upon three cardboard boxes on the bottom shelf in the farthest corner of the basement. (Worst place ever to store your photos, by the way.) In the boxes, I found a treasure trove — photos dating back to the late 1800s, handwritten notes in vintage albums, and original family documents.
When I asked my dad about them, he explained that his grandfather had passed them down to his father, and then to him — with the hope that “something” would eventually be done to preserve them. Like many families, the photographs ended up tucked away, simply because no one knew where to begin.
I realized how easily these stories could be lost if nothing was done. I had two more years with Dad at that point, and time I now cherish, in which we went through all the photographs and I learned even more about my family.
My basement discovery lead me to The Photo Managers, in which I became a Certified Photo Manager, and launched Narrative Photo Organizing in 2022. Now I get to help other families uncover their own hidden treasures and share their stories with future generations.
Q. How long does a typical client project take from start to finish?
A. Every project is a little different — and that’s one of the things I love most about what I do. One of my largest projects to date involved 28 tubs of photos, albums, and frames. I organized everything, removed duplicates, scanned, added keywords, and delivered the digital family archive on a private family website and the printed photos in beautiful archival boxes. That took about six months, but seeing the finished archive was so rewarding for the family.
Smaller projects are much quicker — a few albums can be scanned in about a week, and many digital organizing projects often wrap up in four to six weeks. I always tell clients there’s no “one size fits all” because every family’s story (and every photo collection!) is completely unique.
Q. What surprises clients most about the process?
A. Almost everyone comes to me worried that their collection is the biggest mess I’ll ever see — and I always assure them, it’s not! For digital collections, the average amount of duplications is about 30%.The biggest surprise for clients is often how much smaller a print collection becomes once photos are out of bulky albums, organized and curated. Seeing everything safely preserved in archival boxes, people are amazed at how small a footprint they actually take up.
Q. How do you guide clients who feel overwhelmed or too sentimental to let go of certain pictures?
A. Like home organizing, it often helps to have a fresh set of eyes on a project, a person who isn’t as emotionally involved, to help organize and cull image collections. I always start by learning my client’s goals and priorities. Then I guide them through using a “two-second rule” — look at a photo, make a quick keep/toss decision, and save reminiscing for later. Clients often call me in when their project feels too big or too emotional and keeps getting postponed. Having an objective partner helps them move forward with confidence.
Q. How has working with clients’ memories changed the way you save your own photos?
A. Rather than bringing joy like they should, a closet full of unorganized photos, or digital photos scattered everywhere, can be overwhelming, even with my own photos. I try to keep my long-term goal in mind which is to preserve memories special to me as well as well as ones I want to pass on to my children.
It’s made me much more intentional in choosing to take and keep my current photos as well. I try to capture moments that tell the story of my life, not just the “perfect” ones. One of my favorite photos is just a pile of shoes by the front door — because it reminds me of the days when all the neighborhood kids were running into and out of my house to play- I can almost hear the laughter and noise. A photo of my kitchen mid-Thanksgiving prep, messy counters and all, means more to me than a picture of the perfect table setting.
And I’ve learned to step in front of the camera more often. So often the memory keeper stays behind the lens, but I want my kids to see me in the family story too.
Q. What’s one simple habit families can start today to keep photos organized?
A. My first tip above all, even before things are organized, is to make sure all of your digital images are backup in in at least two different places- keep one backup local and unconnected and one copy offsite.
Then, start small and stay consistent. My favorite tip for digital photos: each day, search your phone for today’s date (i.e. September 18 -with no year). You’ll see every photo you’ve ever taken on that date- put a heart on the favorite ones, and delete the images that are not meaningful anymore. Time does give you a better perspective, so this is easier to do for later years.
If you do this daily, you can work through decades of photos in about 365 days — without feeling so overwhelmed. For most people 2004 was about the time digital photos really came into play, so we are all dealing with over 20 years of digital photos. Alternatively, you can pick one day a month to tidy up the previous month’s photos.
Photos are more than just pictures — they’re your family’s story.
Whether they’re sitting in boxes in the basement or scattered across phones and computers, those memories deserve to be preserved and shared. The photos may start out as a little overwhelming — but once they’re sorted and preserved, they become a gift for the whole family. My hope is that everyone feels empowered to uncover and care for their memories, whether they do it on their own or with a little help. These photographs are the stories that connect us.
Thank you Trish, for sharing your story & the heart behind your business. We LOVE the work you are doing!
Connect with Trish
email- trish@narrativephoto.com
web- narrativephoto.com
