From restoring old faded photographs to creating unique photo albums, Dianne Glenn, the owner of The Memory Tree in Cy-Fair, specializes in preserving memories.
After retiring, Glenn said she decided to turn a hobby into a source of supplemental income three years ago.
In addition to photo restoration and photo book compilations, she can transfer VHS and 8mm film to digital formats, put together slideshows for memorial services, print large projects and have customers’ photos printed onto hats, bags and T-shirts.
She is already booking clients for the Christmas season, which she said is a popular time for gifts.
Projects can range from $10-$4,000, and Glenn said there is no project too small or too big.
“At this point, the sky is the limit as to what we will tackle,” she said.
Originally from Ohio, Glenn said she served in the military before pursuing a career in photography. She has owned studios in Texas and in Florida, trained photographers for companies such as Lifetouch and JCPenney, and served as a guest lecturer at Texas Tech University.
Today, she said she continues her education through online and self-taught classes using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Lightroom.
By working from her home, Glenn said she is able to keep prices affordable. By this summer, she had already doubled her workload from 2018, and she said she hopes to continue increasing her workload and eventually hire additional staff.
Glenn said she sees between three and five clients on a weekly basis. Photo projects typically start with a consultation to discuss their budgets and goals.
Because she deals with such meaningful and sentimental items, Glenn said she often feels close to her clients after completing their projects.
“You become part of their family,” she said.
Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, she said she and her husband housed out-of-town contractors who would bring in damaged photographs for Glenn to restore.
“Instead of me being able to go out with them to work on homes, they would bring me back pictures, and I’d restore them,” she said. “We did it pretty much for the cost of paper and the ink. We did not charge for the hours.”
832-220-8034
www.photomemorytree.com
Hours: By appointment only
