Gaylotta has asked that members attending her talk be encouraged to bring a photo they are willing to share a family story about. 

My Memories

My best childhood memory was the summers my brother, and I spent in Hickory, North Carolina, with our maternal grandparents. However, my most significant memory was traveling with our grandfather, the only black photographer in Guildford County, to meet with families for photoshoots. Because it was the south in the 1900’s black people were less likely to seek the services of a white photographer, making my grandfather a sought-after man.

When we returned home from a photo shoot, he would eat dinner then disappear into his darkroom in the back of the house next to the carport. I would sneak in there sometimes to see what he was doing. I quickly learned when I could come in without causing much trouble. It was those moments that were so memorable. I can still conjure up the smell of the chemicals. When I was allowed in the room, he showed how he would take a picture with his camera to tell a story without a word. A good picture is worth a thousand words.

On occasion, my grandfather would give me the back story to a picture that captured my attention. Sometimes a short story and other times an intriguing one, like the picture he took of a woman in a coffin. He explained to me without a long answer that he takes pictures of people that his customers want to remember; dead or alive. He explained that when people are grieving, they need something to hold on to, and sometimes it is the picture of their loved one laying in their final rest.

Your Best Life Media is a legacy of love passed on from my Grandfather. He gave his customers his compassion and respect for their best life moments. Clients of Your Best Life Media receive the same. It is a personal experience where clients entrust YBLM with their cherished memories essential to creating a visual narrative to be shared. It may be for business or personal; either way, it places the client at the heart of the story making them feel an emotional visual experience. In the words of Maya Angelou, “…people will never forget how you made them feel.”