Photo Management is not yet a well-known industry - but it should be, because based on the reaction from anyone who asks what I do, everyone needs one! I am currently co-leader ot The Photo Managers - Canada and our goal is to really raise the profile of our industry so that in 20 years everyone is swapping the names of their favourite Photo Managers, in the same way they would recommend a home organizer or design consultant.
The fact that you (probably) haven't organized your own photos isn't because you're lazy or a procrastinator. Setting aside emotions for a minute, organizing, culling and removing the duplicates from thousands of prints and digital files is a complex and technically challenging affair. Layered on top of this, the difficulty of deciding which photos to delete or throw out, and the temptation to find a permanent parking spot on memory lane - and the job just becomes too daunting.
This is where the photo manager comes in, as we in the industry have developed methods to either help you complete the task or complete it for you.
In this series I'm going to highlight some of the skills and knowledge required to complete a print and/or digital project.
#1: Software skillsHere's a visual of just some of the different software programs I use to complete projects. Even I am surprised at how many there are! Heaviest use is Lightroom Classic and Apple Photos but to be honest I use most of the others on at least a weekly basis. The fact that it takes all these programs to get your photos organized shows you exactly why you should not feel bad that you have not been able to conquer the mountain on your own :)
