Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't find the answer to something you are wondering about, please contact us!
Don't live in the Inland Northwest? No problem!
Evergreen Photo Solutions (EPS) would love to work with you regardless of where you live. If the solutions and services seem like a good fit for you, we will discuss best practices for mailing items to the EPS office in Spokane Valley.
What are your fees?
Since each project can be so unique in terms of scope of work, fees can vary depending on the work being done, taking time, effort, supply requirements into account. Fees & estimates will always be discussed prior to work being started so that there are no surprises. Industry wide - fees range from a per hour charge of $60-$150 (some less, some more) and sometimes work is charged an add-on per item charges depending on the work being done. Before we can know what the charge could be, the project scope really needs to be understood.
Who hires a Photo Manager?
This is a great question and the answer is very long, but the gist of it is that most clients are individuals, families or organizations that are overwhelmed with the task of making sense of their photos; people that need to be able to find their photos for a specific purpose; people that want to finally see all the photos that have been boxed up for years so they can share & enjoy, and those thinking to the future that don't want to leave the mess of photos to their family and instead want to ensure that their visual legacy is passed along to future generations. Here are some 'groups' of people (many are overlapping): - The family historian or memory keeper - Those that are moving and downsizing - Those that are fed up with not being able to find their photos spread throughout all of their devices & services - People that want their hard copy items scanned in and organized - Organizations, Non Profit Organizations, Cities and County offices, Local Historical Societies that have a large unorganized photo repository - Photographers - People that need photo books or slide shows or presentations created for an upcoming event (weddings, celebrations of life, anniversaries, birthdays) - Busy people that just don't have the time or capacity to do this task - People securing their visual digital legacy
When I hire a Photo Manager to scan / digitize my items where do I look to find them all?
This list not exhaustive, yet is longer than you might think! - Cell phones (current and old ones that you still have) - Cloud services such as: Google Photos & Google Drive, iCloud, Amazon Photos, OneDrive, etc. - Computers: Laptops, Desktops, Tablets, etc. - Photo memory sticks & Flash Drives - External Hard Drives - Floppy disks (yes, people have digital images on floppies!) - CD's & DVD's - Digital picture frames - Flash drives - Email attachments - Photo printing websites (Wallgreens, Snapfish, etc.) - And likely other places!
What items do you scan / digitize?
The following items can be digitized by Evergreen Photo Solutions: - Photographs (ones that are currently in bins, bags, boxes - and don't forget framed ones!) - Developed Film / Negatives - Developed Slides - Any other type of two dimensional items, such as: -- cards -- letters -- recipe cards -- documents (including official documents with proof of ownership) -- kids artwork -- and more! IF we should receive a memory that we can’t digitize in-house, we will use a trusted partner.
What kinds of things can a Photo Manager do?
Photo Managers can do many things when it comes to photos and other visual memories. Different Photo Managers might specialize in various aspects, but for the most part they will be able to help with the following: - Sort & organize physical photos in a meaningful way. - Store them in an archival quality way; boxes, albums. - Remove them from deteriorating albums (in most cases anyway). - Find & remove duplicates of digitized photos. - Scan / digitize: -- photos -- negatives -- slides -- other 2d memorabilia such as: --- family recipe cards --- cards, post cards, letters (grandma and grandpa's love letters!) --- kids artwork --- documents - Put digitized images onto: -- Digital Picture Frames -- Website(s) -- External Hard Drives -- Flash drives - Create photo memory books - Create photo presentations for special occasions - Some Photo Managers are able to transfer & digitize VHS and other media. *At this time Evergreen Photo Solutions is not able to, however I partner with a another local Photo Manager that does. - And More!
Can you teach me how to organize my photos myself?
Yes! Evergreen Photo Solutions will happily educate you on various best practices for organzing and maintaining your digital legacy. Just ask, if we don't know the answer, we'll find out for you!
Do you have any photo organizing tips?
Of course! One of the best ways to organize your photos is the ABCs method. When you are sorting your photos, you can put them into four different piles. Album - These are the best of the best; they are album-worthy. These are the photos you want to digitize, save, and share. You might also want to put them online to share with family and friends Box – These are the photos that are the extras that support your best photos. You aren’t ready to part with them. These photos will be archived for safekeeping but will not be digitized. Can – These are the doubles and duds or ones that don’t fit into the other two categories. Be strong...these photos will go in the trash can. If that is too much for you, they can go into a box labeled with the date it is sealed. If you don’t open the box within a year, you know you don’t need them and can throw the box away. Story – These are the special photos that tell a story that is important to remember. They might not be the most perfect photo, but it’s the only one that shows your daughter getting on the school bus for the first time. Using the proven ABCs method of organizing will make the arduous task of sorting your photo much easier.
How does Evergreen Photo Solutions keep my pictures safe?
Your most precious memories deserve the utmost care, and Evergreen Photo Solutions (EPS) takes that responsibility seriously. In a safe and secured environment, your photos will be meticulously protected & organized in individualized bins/stations in a room with a door that closes. EPS follows industry best practices, from handling physical photos with inspection gloves to daily backups of digital files. Rest assured that your memories are treated with the highest regard—as if they were our own.
“If you don’t think photos are important, wait until they’re all you have left.” – Missy Mwac