Photography

Old Family Photo: Before and After

It's probably obvious, but I love old family photos and feel passionately that they should be preserved for future generations. For that reason, I decided to offer preservation as a Gerald & Joan service line in September 2013. In addition to creating photo books, I also scan and edit photographs and film slides. My scanner isn't the fanciest machine on the planet, but it does a great job when coupled with Adobe Photoshop and an observant eye. It can be painstaking work, but it's fun and rewarding. Once these images become digital files, they can be shared with family and friends to ensure family stories live on forever. I love keeping those stories alive.

Here's a great example of the sort of work I can do.

My mother-in-law has very few photos of her father Clovis Geno, and I'm pretty sure this is the only one she has of him as a boy. The photo is in decent shape when you consider it is almost 100 years old (Clovis would have been 100 on October 3, 2014), but it had a couple of bend marks that I knew I could remove. 

Clovis Yates (before preservation services)

Clovis Yates (before preservation services)

Clovis Yates (after preservation services)

Clovis Yates (after preservation services)

I love digitizing these old photos, and when I can help restore a photo to its former glory, it totally makes my day! Learn more about preservation services by contacting me here.

High School Memories

Ah, high school. Not all of us had the perfect high school experience, but we can all imagine what that would look like thanks to the movies. 

My mother-in-law Denise was the quintessential high school girl in the 1970s. When I look at these photos, I can practically hear awesome classic rock and roll playing in the background. I love how carefree and happy she looks in the top photo. Of course, that might have something to do with her driver...

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Baby Boy

Yesterday marked four months until our due date. Baby boy is kicking hard enough that his daddy can feel him, and we're talking more and more about what life as three (plus two fur babies) will look like. I know one thing -- this little guy is already very much his father's son. In addition to some stubborn tendencies, he seems to love music, and he's very active in the mornings. I suspect he's going to look quite a bit like him as well. Wasn't Jonathan the cutest little boy?  

Jonathan's second birthday. 

Jonathan's second birthday. 

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That sweet face really hasn't changed, and he still looks dashing in a suit and tie. 

That sweet face really hasn't changed, and he still looks dashing in a suit and tie. 

Christmas 1984.

Christmas 1984.

Opening presents with his mom and grandmother. 

Opening presents with his mom and grandmother. 

Easter Traditions

In England, we had a multiple week break around Easter. Many of those Easter holidays were spent in California where we created traditions that will continue with this next generation -- Easter clothes, See's Candies and colored eggs!

We received a box of See's goodies from my mom this year, so Baby H. has already tasted its first See's chocolates, jellybeans and lollypops. As you can see from the photo below, See's chocolate bunnies haven't changed much since 1988...

Easter morning at Grandma's with our See's chocolate bunnies.

Easter morning at Grandma's with our See's chocolate bunnies.

My goofy facial expressions haven't changed either...

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Easter dresses from the neighborhood kids shop. I loved those horrible white shoes because they didn't have straps. That bunny has already made itself at home in our baby's nursery.

Easter dresses from the neighborhood kids shop. I loved those horrible white shoes because they didn't have straps. That bunny has already made itself at home in our baby's nursery.

Jonathan and I don't dye eggs very often, but we are excited about doing this with Baby H. in a few years. My favorites were (and still are) the sparkly eggs.

Coloring Easter eggs. 

Coloring Easter eggs. 

Messy but so much fun.

Messy but so much fun.

Our handiwork. Check out mom's LA Gear hightop sneakers with purple laces!

Our handiwork. Check out mom's LA Gear hightop sneakers with purple laces!

Another Easter tradition was an indoor chocolate egg hunt. We continued this tradition after we moved to Mississippi. I remember finding random chocolate eggs for the rest of the year because my mom hid them so well.

I can't wait to continue these fun memories with Baby H!