Legacy Photos
Ok folks, it's time for some real talk. What is a Legacy Photo you ask? I define a legacy photo as a photo that you or your loved one, will be remembered by. It's a photo that honors that individual and is a final photo for those left behind to remember you or your loved one by.
(NOTE: If you don't want to read my personal story, jump down past the second line to get to the what's included stuff)
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Why Legacy Photos? I have struggled with this one for a while. It is VERY near and dear to my heart and every time I photograph a grandparent or a person who may be sick with cancer, I try my best to make sure I capture that person as well as I possibly can. I always think, "This might be the LAST professional photo they have of themselves"....
Fun thoughts right? I got into photography because I loved creating photos. I didn't think about the lasting importance of the photos when I started though. The reason this is all so personal for me, goes back to June 24, 2008. About 3 weeks prior, my Mom, who was only 51 by the way, told me that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn't panic. I told her, "You're young, you have too much to live for, you're gonna beat this..." 3 weeks later I received a call that she had fallen down. That was on a Sunday. She was scheduled to begin her chemo treatments the following Tuesday. We took her to the hospital and went through the emotional rollercoaster of having multiple doctors tell us different things. One doctor said she was a sick woman and might not survive the night, a different doctor asked her some cognitive questions (which had funny responses), we all laughed and he said, "She's doing ok. She just needs some rest and medication"... Music to my ears. Fast forward a bit and she was now in the ICU. While there, she was having a hard time, but the doctors still had me believing she would be ok with rest and meds. I didn't want to tire her out more than necessary, so I told her I was going to leave so she could get some rest and I would see her in the morning. Her last words to me were, "I love you more than you can imagine."... When I arrived the next morning, she was no longer able to speak. My wife, brother and extended family and I spent the next day and a half by her side waiting until she took her last breath on Tuesday morning. The day she was supposed to start her chemo.
Even though I was a 30 year old married man at that point, I was left with this feeling of being kind of alone on this planet. My Dad is still alive (he's the best), but there was something about losing my Mom that wrecked me. She always had my back and was my biggest cheerleader in life next to my wife. Losing her changed everything in my life. I started evaluating my life and career choices, etc. Because of Mom, I pursued my dream of having my own business and began my photography career. My wife and I now have a beautiful daughter who will be 6 this September. She never got to meet my Mom. That one is hard for me. I wish I had the clarity of mind back then to take way more photos of her and to get video of her talking/telling stories of her life, my childhood, etc. I would have loved to get a message from her to my unborn child. Just something I could share with my daughter to let her know that she was loved and thought of even before she was conceived.
That's enough about me. I only share that so you can see that I understand how hard this is for you and so you can know I will do everything I can to honor the memory of your loved one.
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In my Legacy Photo shoot, I will offer two main things.
1. A mini photo shoot with you or your loved one (as much as they can handle).
2. A short video interview with them to capture them sharing some stories you might want to hear someday.
Cost: Give what you can/donation (I will accept $0, but will also accept a million if that's what you think it's worth)
Any donations below $500 will be be able to download the files digitally from my website.
Donations $500 and up will receive a flash drive that includes the digital files and copyrights.
Donations $1500 - $4999 will receive the flash drive and 10 printed/matted photos. They will be in an 11x14 mat with an 8x10 photo printed inside.
Donations $5000 - $9,999 will receive the flash drive, 10 printed/matted photos and 2 large 24x36 metal prints
Donations $10,000 + will receive all of the above and one of our brand new albums that comes in a box with a video screen built into it. Your loved ones photos will be printed in a beautiful Italian album and stored in a box that has a video screen you can watch their video anytime you want to hear their voice.
I think these photos and videos are priceless and have had a difficult time deciding how or what to charge for them. I think everybody deserves to have a nice photo and video of their loved ones to remember them by and money should not prevent someone from having that option.
Obviously, my time is limited and I still need to pay bills/feed my family. Some people can afford to give more, while others won't be able to afford anything. I understand that and hope I can bless people with this gift and will trust that somehow my family will be provided for as well. If you can afford to give something for this shoot, please give as you see fit. If you can afford more, please give more, if you can not afford to give anything, then please accept this as a gift and pay it forward by doing something kind for someone else in need when you can.
God Bless You. Now go tell your Mom you love her.
My Mom
