Estimating Photo Organizing Projects

Learn to estimate large projects of physical memories with speed and accuracy

The hardest part of organizing family photos is understanding the scope of the project. What formats do you have? How many photos and home movies are there? How do you estimate the cost of a project?

Through the volume and scope of our client projects, I've developed a remarkable ability for estimating large photo collection quickly and accurately. In this course I'm sharing my expert estimating tips and the process we use every day. If you're ready to tackle big projects with confidence and ensure you're making money instead of losing your shirt, then this course is for you!

You’ll learn how to:

  • estimate dozens of formats including prints, slides, negatives, albums, scrapbooks, film reels, video tapes, DVDs, and more
  • identify and estimate rare formats such as Stereo Realist slides, glass plate negatives, and Technicolor Magi-Cartridges
  • develop pricing estimates quick and accurately
  • overcome price objections with professionalism
  • deliver projects that are fair for your client and profitable for you

Whether you're dealing with boxes of prints, stacks of albums, or bins of home movies, I'm going to teach you the process we use at Chaos to Memories to estimate large projects of physical memories, set clear expectations with your clients, and ensure profitability for your business.

Who's this course for?

  • Professional Photo Organizers who are serving clients, providing estimates, and invoicing projects of physical photos and home movies
  • Archivists who are assessing collections, securing funding, and managing budgets
  • Family members who want to get a grasp on their physical photo collection and decide if they tackle their project themselves or hire a professional to scan, preserve, and organize their photos.

Course Includes

  • Almost two hours (1:53) of self-paced video training in 41 lessons
  • Project Estimate Worksheet that combines our estimating strategies with your pricing to automatically develop fast and accurate project estimates (spreadsheet can be used with Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, and Google Sheets)
  • Resource Guide full of estimating guides and useful links (PDF)
  • Downloadable transcripts for every lesson to use as reference notes (PDF)
  • Access on computer, tablet, or smart phone
  • Immediate access to all lessons with no expiration

Enjoy the the first three lessons for free and check out the course curriculum below.


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“This course greatly simplifies the difficult process of estimating digitizing jobs and allows you to provide you and your client with a quick and accurate estimate. Adam also includes a plug and play spreadsheet that will force you to really think about your pricing structure and save you loads of time. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out, this course will make your digitizing life easier.”

- Allison Freedman, Owner of Arrange Wander Focus

"Adam’s courses are always thorough and full of actionable advice. The Estimating Photo Organizing Projects course is no exception. Whether you are a seasoned organizer looking to streamline your workflow or a newer organizer who wants to better understand the estimating process, this course will be invaluable. The estimating worksheet is useful for print projects from the small to the large and extremely complex and the resource guide will be referred to often. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to run an efficient and profitable photo organizing business."

- Andi Willis, Owner of Good Life Photo Solutions

Your Instructor


Adam Pratt
Adam Pratt

Adam Pratt loves people, photography, and a good story! He’s spent the last 30 years at the intersection of creativity and technology, including 20+ years at Adobe where he worked on the Creative Cloud team. He has experience as a photographer, book author, software trainer, and photo organizer. He’s also the founder of Chaos to Memories where he helps people enjoy their photos again by turning their photo chaos into precious memories they can enjoy and share.


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Course Curriculum


  Module 1: Introduction
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  Module 2: Photo Prints
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  Module 3: Slides
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  Module 4: Negatives
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  Module 5: Home Movies
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  Module 6: Pricing
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  Module 7: Deliver a Project Estimate
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  Resources
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Frequently Asked Questions


Will you tell me what I should charge my clients?
Some of you want me to tell you what to charge or what we charge, but this course is about estimating projects, not setting prices. You and I might deliver different quality, have different costs, and work in different markets, so I can't tell you want to charge.
What formats are covered?
If you review the course outline above you'll see many formats including prints, albums, scrapbooks, slides, negatives, film reels, video tapes, and DVDs. You'll learn my expert estimating techniques for dozens of common and unusual formats.
What if I don't offer all these services?
Whether you handle all these formats yourself or outsource some of these items, you still need a comprehensive plan for estimating large client projects.
What currencies are supported in the Project Estimate Worksheet?
The calculator that's bundled with this course was built for dollars, but the calculations are flexible so you can use any currency you want.
What do I need to take advantage of this course?
You'll need a sample project to practice the estimating skills. This can be from a client or your personal photos. You'll also need a ruler and a spreadsheet app such as Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, or Google Sheets.

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