Hasta La Ideas

My father, a photographer, put a camera in my hands at a very early age. I have taken hundreds, often thousands, of pictures a year for most of my life. And, as a result, I have boxes and boxes of print photographs taking up space in my closet.

One of my goals for 2009 is to have all of my old photographs scanned so that I can have digital copies of these pictures. We’ve talked previously about services that will scan your photographs (in addition to ScanMyPhotos, commenters also recommend ScanCafe and LifePreserver), and having my photos scanned is the first item on my to-do list for this project.

While I’m trying to decide which scanning service to use, I’m also deciding what to do with the photographs once they’re scanned. First up, I’ll be sure to backup the images; I’ll put copies of the digital image DVDs in my safety deposit box at the bank and I’ll upload the image files to my online storage system. I value these images enough to pay to have them scanned, so I should also pay to have them protected from fire and natural disaster.

I will want to organize the digital image files on my computer, but I haven’t yet decided which program to use. I currently use iPhoto, but with a hundred thousand more photographs, it will be overloaded. With the new version coming out in a couple weeks, I’m going to wait to see if it’s more capable and robust. If it won’t meet my needs, I’m considering the iPhoto Library Manager by Fat Cat Software for $20 as one option for improving my current system’s functionality. But, I expect I’m going to spend the $200 to buy Aperture 2 and revel in its powerful system. (If you’re on a PC, I hear that Google’s Picasa continues to be the most convenient photo manager.)

Finally, I plan to use Blurb to create a handful of albums that I want to store on the bookshelf for guests to peruse. I used Blurb in December to create four photo albums and was very impressed with their service. I’ve used the Apple system in the past, but the quality of the Blurb book is leaps and bounds ahead of Apple’s product.

The books I ordered from Blurb were hardcovers with glossy jackets, full color interior, and 100-pound silk-finish paper. With shipping, I paid less than $150 total for the four albums. It may sound like a lot, but their quality appropriately matches the price. Alternatively, if you decided to go with a paperback cover, no book jacket, and non-premium paper would significantly reduce the price per album.

(Off-topic tip: I’ve often thought that digital photo albums would be great for sentimental clutter photographs. Take images of sentimental items, ditch the actual item, and then create a photo album of all your sentimental things. Instead of a basement full of clutter, you can have a single book on your bookshelf taking up just inches of space.)

I will add that I do have one complaint about Blurb and that is if you use their templates you can’t move any elements around on the page or resize any objects. This isn’t an issue just with Blurb, though, a handful of other album printing companies have the same restrictions. You can import full pages from programs like InDesign (Mac and PC), but then you’re not able to use the templates. Inside sources have told me that there are some improvements coming down the pipeline, and I hope altering templates is one of them.

For those of you who have already gone through the process of scanning all of your old photographs, what have you done to manage the files? Please let us know your plan of action in the comments.

Since January is the National Association of Professional Organizer’s Get Organized Month, I’ve asked Geralin Thomas of Metropolitan Organizing in Cary, North Carolina, to share her insights with us on how to hire a professional organizer. For many of us, having someone coach us through the uncluttering process can be very beneficial.

If you decide to hire a professional organizer, start by looking for someone who is diplomatic, empathetic, willing to listen, non-judgmental, creative, patient, and trustworthy. Also, to ensure that the professional organizer follows ethical business practices, check your local Better Business Bureau reports and look for someone who is involved a professional organization like the National Association of Professional Organizers in the US, the Professional Organizers in Canada, or the Australian Association of Professional Organizers in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

It is okay to interview different organizers to get a feel for who matches best with your personality. Below is a menu of questions you might consider asking when hiring an organizer:

1. What are your areas of expertise? (Some possible answers may include: garages, clients with ADHD, time management, wardrobes and closets, financial matters, computer-related challenges, speaking, coaching, writing, estates, downsizing for seniors, home staging, relocation, etc.)
2. Are you certified? Insured? (Certification is optional and not required. NAPO has many well-qualified organizers that are not certified for a variety of reasons.)
3. Do you attend conferences or tele-classes to stay abreast of current organizing trends and techniques?
4. Do you have local references?
5. Do you belong to any professional organizations? (I would not hire a professional organizer who is not involved in some type of professional group or organization. To me, a professional affiliation demonstrates not only a commitment to her field but an additional way to check her/him out among other business-minded individuals.)
6. How long have you been in business? How many clients / hours have you worked?
7. What hours do you work? What days of the week are you available? (Make sure that this person’s availability is a good match for your availability.)
8. Do you bring the necessary supplies, or do I purchase them separately?
9. If you purchase supplies or materials at a discount, do you charge an “up charge” or an hourly shopping fee?
10. Do you make arrangements to take away donations, consignments, and trash? If so, do you charge a fee for this service?
11. Do you work alone or do you have a team of employees or subcontractors, if necessary?
12. Do you have advertising on your car? (Ask this only if you do not want co-workers or neighbors to know you are hiring a professional organizer.)
13. Do you take photographs? Will they be on your website?
14. What is your cancellation policy?
15. How do you charge? Of course, I don’t need to tell you to inquire about fees but there are many options available, including hourly, by the project, or bulk rates. There may be a minimum number of hours required per booking, too, so ask about that.

Remember that professional organizers are not housekeepers, therapists, decorators, or nurses unless they specifically tell you that their credentials include these jobs. According to NAPO, a professional organizer:

… enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. A professional organizer also educates the public on organizing solutions and the resulting benefits. Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their systems for life.

If you have ADHD or any other type of chronic organizing challenge, the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization is the place to find a qualified organizer.

Finally, check out Erin’s article on RealSimple.com “Should You Hire a Professional Organizer?” to learn more about the process.

The website Design Public is hosting an Organization Blog Fest for a week and a little more this January. Each day is a new post with tips, tricks, and advice on how to help you organize your life. So far, the series has been well written, and I recommend you check it out.

Unclutterer was asked to contribute to the advice-wielding group, and my post “Outfitting a Minimalist Kitchen” ran last Thursday. I’m interested in hearing from you what you think about the list of minimalist food preparation utensils. Leave a comment expressing your ideas either here or on Design Public — I’ll be checking both places to see what you think.