Having a Generational Legacy is, in my mind, of the utmost importance. Life is beyond short. It is filled with plenty of up and down moments, much like a roller coaster, speeding through the years slowly building up to the highs and crashing down to the lows. As we travel on our own adventures we will meet new people, intertwining our lives together in friendship and love. Inevitably, we will also sometimes lose those closest to us. As we continue along on our journeys through this digital age of life, people are disconnecting more than ever before. . . even in the face of all the newer technology around us that attempts to connect us in ways never dreamed of before.
One of the things that Jeff and myself truly believe in, is the power of printed photographs. You will find this theme written all over our website, in our photography collections, and even in our own home. We believe in printed works of art that depict you and your closest loved ones, truly connecting you and those around you in ways that “flash in the pan” technology can’t even come close to doing.
Prints, are a timeless tangible, physical representation of moments otherwise gone. If you’ve lost someone close to you, and you see a printed picture of that person, I’m sure you have done as I have. . . Reaching out, and caressing the photograph. You are holding a physical representation of one who is no longer able to be touched. You are brought back to the countless memories you have of this person, and feel the real comfort in touching that visual manifestation. A manifestation of a very real moment in time of the life of your loved one.
Not many are lucky enough to know when their time on Earth will be finished, and those who do always live life like every day is their last. My grandmother did this. In late 2011 she was diagnosed with Throat Cancer for the second time in her life. This was after being 20+ years in remission from her first battle with this devastating disease. This time however, she had decided that she would forego the chemotherapy, and simply live the rest of her life to the fullest, until it was time for her to go.
This decision not only impacted her life, but the lives of those around her. It greatly impacted my life. I spent as much time as I possibly could with her. I talked to her more, told her my feelings about her. I shared with her my hopes and dreams. I cried with her. I married Jeff in a matter of 4 months after hearing the news of her cancer diagnosis, so she could truly enjoy our love for each-other and be truly included in our celebration. We put everything aside and rushed to get married so she could do with us, what she loved to do the most: dance!
My grandmother finally succumbed to her second bout of cancer a week after she turned 65; a year after I married Jeff, in 2013. This was a little over a year after she had received the diagnosis. As I look at photographs of my grandmother now, I truly wish I had taken even more photographs of her. I wish she had more taken of her when she was younger, back when I wasn’t even thinking about becoming a photographer myself. Now, when I see a portrait of her, I remember everything I loved about her, and it brings back floods of memories that I will always cherish. I can touch the printed photographs of her, and I feel closer to her, even though she is no longer here.
My grandmother left a generational legacy for her children and grandchildren. We can pass those photographs along to our children, and the stories of how amazing and strong she was. How she loved to dance, and always had a smile on her face. This is one of the most important reasons for printing the photographs of your family, as they are today. So that everyone will always remember that memory. . . That specific moment in time.
Don’t simply let your photographs rot away on a USB Flash Drive, or a CD, or some other form of digital storage device. Print those photos. Connect with the people in those photographs, whether they are still here or not. Place them in an album so you can flip through countless memories, at any time! Proudly display your portraits on the walls of your home, and share memories with your children as they grow. I implore you to start creating your own Generational Legacy, one photograph at a time, one print at a time.
If you would like help starting your own Generational Legacy, let me know! I am a photographer after all, and because this touches me so deeply, I would truly love to assist you in creating your own Generational Legacy. Whether that be in the form of wall art portraits, or with beautiful handcrafted heirloom albums, you will be sure to leave a legacy that is guaranteed to last through the ages.
