A man contacted me through Yelp a couple months ago.
The first thing he mentioned wasn’t pricing—it was the “photos saved to date” ticker on my website.
He said,
“I have about 9,000 family slides I’d like to digitize and add to that number.”
I was all in.
What This Work Really Feels Like
We set up a time to meet, and I picked up the slides later that week.
For me, a project like this is like watching a movie… without ever reading the summary first.
I don’t know what’s coming.
I laugh.
I pause.
Sometimes I feel the weight of moments I wasn’t there for.
I get to step into someone else’s family story—quietly, like a fly on the wall.
And I don’t take that lightly.
Why This Is Personal for Me
When I was 19, I was in a car accident that affected my memory.
But I’ve learned something over the years—photos bring it back.
When I see images from my own life, I can remember moments I would have otherwise lost.
So when I look through someone else’s photos, it feels like I’m re-living their story too.
Not as family—but as someone close enough to witness it.
And it means more to me than I can fully explain.
Watching a Family Come to Life
This collection spanned two generations—his father and his grandfather.
9,000 slides.
And I see them in layers.
First, just a glimpse—loading them into the scanner.
Then more detail as I clean each one and hold it up to the light.
Then color and shape on the screen.
And finally, full clarity when I bring them into Photoshop.
That’s when the story really comes alive.
I watched two people fall in love.
I watched them get married.
Have their first baby.
Then another.
And another.
Six kids in total.
The man who hired me?
He was number five.
The Moments That Stay With Me
I started noticing patterns.
A Christmas tree—every single year.
Family gatherings.
The same traditions, repeated over time.
It reminded me of my own family.
I take a picture of our Christmas tree every year too.
But I also saw the harder moments.
What looked like the last photos of a grandmother—growing thinner, surrounded by family.
Then… she was gone from the next set of photos.
I saw an 80th birthday in what looked like a hospital bed.
Those were the first—and last—images of him.
I don’t know the full story.
But I feel it.
Why This Matters
This is the part most people don’t think about.
When you hand over your photos, you’re not just handing over a project.
You’re handing over your family history.
And I feel that.
Every time.
What You Should Know About Me
I know it might sound strange, but I feel connected to the stories I’m trusted with.
I understand how much these memories matter.
And I treat them that way—every single step of the process.
Because once they’re gone, they’re gone.
My role might feel small.
But I take it seriously.
You trusted me with your memories—and I make sure they last.
What to Do Next
If you’ve been thinking about preserving your family’s photos or slides, don’t wait.
Take a photo of what you have and send it to me.
I’ll walk you through what’s possible and what it would take.
No pressure. No obligation.
➤ Start here: plcphotos.com/contact