In March 2022 I attended the conference of The Photo Managers in Denver, USA. Having attended this conference virtually in 2020 en 2021 virtually, I was finally there ‘in-person’. What a great conference! Through meetings with colleagues, exchanges of experiences, and acquisition of new insights and techniques, I have been able to step up the level of my work as photo organizer. There was a special camaraderie through the shared love love for the profession, whether you came from Brazil, USA, UK, Canada or Netherlands. Photo Managers United! In my tips on this website and on my Facebookpage (@vaneenandereorde) I regularly write something about The Photo Managers and about photo organizing. If you think that sounds interesting – follow me 🙂

I have recently been busy with photos, and I am now a certified Photo Organizer with the American association, The Photo Managers! Immediately following the last online conference I started with the certification process for professional organization of both analogue and digital photos. What do you need in terms of knowledge and materials, what do you do well and what not?  There are many similarities with ‘ordinary’ organization, but the organization of photos nevertheless requires a certain level of ‘technical’ knowledge. I have already been able to pass on results and experience with clients.

The Photo Managers (TPM) is a large and rewarding community with an active membership. It enables me to keep up to date professionally by means of a lively Facebook group, webinars and courses. All my colleagues in ‘Foto Organizers Nederland’ (FON) are also members of TPM. This is a good basis on which to put photo organization on the map in the Netherlands. In any case, clients know where to find me.

Guiding and advising my clients online or by telephone has proved to be a good option in recent times. And I am going to do this more often in the future, as I lose less travelling time, and it is an effective way to refine some material. However, from this week onwards I am going to visit clients or they are going to come to the studio. That is fine for both parties, as this way works the best. Both parties will follow a protocol in addition to the normal account that we take of each other. My professional association NBPO has written a clear protocol which I have sent to my clients. I make one appointment per day. It may sometimes be difficult to maintain the 1.5 m social distance. Especially if we need to look together at a computer screen, or in a box of photos, or in a filing cabinet. But there is plenty of creativity at the time of a crisis. Sharing screens with my own laptop enables me to look together with a client. And I also have Covid-19 masks with me. And if we are looking for something together, a gripper or tongs can be useful to pick an item up or to point something out. I am going for it, and I will see how it feels to work in practice (even though it is at a distance).

21 March 2020.  A bizarre time. I am making COVID-19 masks. There are still shortages in the care sector, and I think that it is a good idea that we all wear masks ourselves to prevent the spread of the virus.

I found a handy pattern with explanation in a video clip from Mr Kwong from Hong Kong. It is important to note that these masks do not comply with the FFP1 or FFP2 specifications. Nevertheless, perhaps in an emergency situation they can be used in the care sector. I make the masks from various scraps of cotton that I happen to have in the house. The beauty of this design is that it fits well and has two layers. It uses a layer of tissue or kitchen roll between the two cotton layers as an extra filter. An extra ribbon or elastic can help to seal the mask more effectively.

 

It is important to have more than one mask so that you can refresh the mask after 2-3 hours and wash the used mask. Naturally I am attracted by the sustainability of these masks.
I gladly share with you the pattern and instructions for the different sizes, together with an instruction video.

Pattern size medium

Pattern size large

If you have any questions or comments, send me an e-mail.

And if you want to read more about this: this is an interesting article about the virus and masks:

Due to the Corona virus, everything is suddenly different. It is good to note that there are already many turnings of the tide, reflections and initiatives to counter discouragement. It is time for invention and creativity. Time to stand back from your work, now that you perhaps spend more time at home. And to start (with the children) organizing the home. Or looking through photos together.

As many meetings, appointments and my APPO congress in America have been cancelled, I have suddenly got lots of spare time. Time to kick off an idea, or to minimalize an old paper archive. My work is usually one on one, and that is difficult to achieve now. Maybe I can guide some clients at a distance (digitally). And that could become a new service.

I am temporarily suspending my workshops ‘Do something with your photos’ until everything is calmer and safer. As soon as I have some new dates, I will announce these under the menu Photos/workshop and on Facebook. Read my tips if you want to get going on your own. And if you can read Dutch you can read more on the web site of Foto Organizers Nederland.

Let’s ensure that we all come out this crisis well. And turn the negative things into something good. A crisis offers opportunities too.

As a professional organizer, I abide by the professional code of the NBPO. I take great care with the data of people with whom I have contact and who are clients (or will be clients).

As of 25 May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 came into force in all EU countries (in the Netherlands, this is enacted in the Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG)). For entrepreneurs such as me, there is an obligation to let everybody that uses my website or my services know what information about them that I collect, and what I do with it. I do not have the right to process the data; because under the EU data protection law (and the AVG), there must be a lawful basis for all processing of personal data.

This lawful basis is given in my Privacy Statement. I describe there the data that I collect, and why and how long I store them.

As you are visiting my website, and/or are registered for my newsletter, I ask you to read my Privacy Statement. If you have any questions, please contact me.

I proudly present FON, Foto Organizers Nederland. Six experienced professional organizers, members of NBPO (Nederlandse Beroepsvereniging van Professional Organizers – Dutch Professional Association of Professional Organizers) and the American Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO). It started in London during the 2017 APPO conference. Cathi Nelson, President of the APPO, gave such an enthusiastic and convincing presentation that we knew that we were also photo organizers! In the following year, all six of us became members of the APPO. Lees verder “The Foto Organizers Nederland” →