Photographer Lizz Stanley built a niche business that goes beyond traditional landscape and portraiture work. Through her company,
Virtual Image Solutions LLC, she documents peoples' possessions.
The reasons to build a photo record are many, she says.
In event of a fire, those who can produce a detailed photo inventory can collect fully from insurance companies.
"An asset inventory can literally earn you thousands of dollars in legitimate reimbursements," says Stanley.
Photo documentation also provides proof in the event of theft by employees at a company or caregivers in the home or when the owner tracks down stolen items at market.
Back when Stanley owned a horse farm, she says, photo documentation provided her with proof that a ranch hand was stealing.
But despite the financial benefits, few people have troubled to take even a written inventory let alone a photo inventory of their property and possessions, says Stanley.
She first inventoried possessions 32 years when documenting a windfall of wedding gifts.
Before the digital age, people used note cards and snapshots to build a data record. But the advent of computer spreadsheets and digital cameras made the process simpler.
Two years ago, Stanley formed Virtual Image Solutions and now documents about three homes a week.
The service costs $350 for a typical house measuring 1,600 to 2,400 square feet. Stanley spends two to three hours on site. First, she shoots a video of all the visible things. Then opens every closet, drawer and cupboard to photograph contents. Then shoots jewelry and fine art. And collections. Then in more detail: identifying marks on the backsides of china and antiques.
"I've shot everything from classic cars to motor home interiors," she says of the work.
But after the home or business visit, Stanley spends nearly as much time processing the information offsite, for which she bills $97 an hour.
She organizes the information in an Excel spreadsheet, organized by room, content category, make, model, date and value. plus photo.
For those who want to do the job themselves, she wrote a book, "How to
Create a Photo Asset Inventory" available online at photoassetarchival.com
To market the service, Stanley joined networking organizations. She also contacts estate planners, divorce lawyers, and insurance agents to promote her work to their customers.
"I love photography and helping people," says Stanley. "This work
combines both my passions."
