The Birth of Your Photo Legacy
In today’s blog post, I delve into the backstory of Your Photo Legacy.
While I can pinpoint the exact instant when it clicked for me, the reality is that it has culminated from over a decade of experience working in the archive sector, ongoing training as well as my practice as an artist which is driven by the concept of the photographic archive.
The back story
I had recently returned to Australia with my husband and our young baby in the height of the pandemic, and we were temporarily residing with my parents in the family home that I grew up in.
It was a special time, filled with precious moments - like my father meeting my son for the first time in 9 months and watching their relationship bloom. However, there was something that increasingly weighed on my mind: My parent’s photographs. More precisely, the daily anxiety and overwhelming burden caused by their extensive photographic collection – something that was supposed to bring them joy!
My mother and father had both inherited boxes upon boxes of photographs, albums, correspondence, and memorabilia from their own parents. On top of that, they had accumulated a lifetime’s worth of their own material, inappropriately stored (in falling-apart cardboard boxes and plastic tubs), scattered around the house, not to mention over two decades worth of digital material.
It wasn’t just the stress of clutter in their home; it was the awareness that there were stories only they alone knew about their parents and the people in the pictures. If they didn’t document these stories and captions, there was a real possibility they would be lost forever. The anxiety of not knowing where to even begin with this daunting process was wearing them down.
At this point, I was still very much in ‘young baby’ mother mode, with sleepless nights and a teething little one, but I was determined to keep my mind engaged over this period.
Late one night, while completing a final assignment for a distance-learning module from the University of Dundee ‘Managing and Preserving Photography, Film and Sound records’, I had somewhat of an epiphany. I was writing a report on the unique preservation challenges of photographic material, when it suddenly dawned on me: it wasn’t just my parents in this predicament! Photo Management is a skill rarely taught or discussed, yet it is crucial for the long-term preservation of our most precious possessions. Sadly, most of us can relate to my parent’s situation.
In that moment, I reflected on the absence of photo management services and education, in relation to the growing number of people who require it. I realised I possess the experience, skill set and passion to help people finally regain control over their most sentimental items. It was in that moment, that Your Photo Legacy was born.
This journey began as a personal mission to alleviate the struggles my own parents faced with their vast photo collection. It has since evolved into a life-long commitment to empower others to do the same.
I would love to help you and your family organise, manage, and preserve your cherished memories and create a family legacy that will stand the test of time.
Come and join me on a complimentary 20-minute consult call and we can explore how you can get started today!
