Summers Family History Lesson...

I think this is quite a defining moment in my photography career / history - it could be pin pointed back to this date/era or even where the influence came from.

As I said yesterday, I visited my family in Leeds last night as a stop over from the photography course in Lake District, and to save me a 4 hour drive back to Berks.

My Aunt had been clearing out my Grans house - 70 years of family history to sort through when Gran went into nursing home in Sunderland. She recently found this newspaper and I am mesmerized by it.

It talks about my Granddad (from my fathers side of the family) who worked in the Sunderland Echo, taking my father when he was 19 to Scotland for a holiday. My grandfather was originally from Nairn in Scotland and took Dad to visit the area alongside other beauty spots in Scotland - Skye, Loch Ness, Balmoral to name a few.

It makes for fascinating reading and really felt a connection with the piece, even though I wasn't around at that point!

I really feel as if I want to do something with this article - it really is an influence to me as a photographer and my business - I NEED to visit these places and figure out where they went and what they visited. Sadly, my Dad and grandfather aren't here anymore, so feel this is a generation tradition that I need to carry on!

The last sentence - "took away memories with them" has stuck with me since reading it. That is what I want my portrait and wedding clients to do and will use this as a thread for my business too.

Amazing how something can be current and relevant 45 years later.