Family Photos to Cherish

Today is the anniversary of the passing of my Grandfather, Ken Roach. He was a man with a loud laugh, the deepest “radio” voice you’ve ever heard, a booming singing voice, and a story for every occasion. I have so many fond memories of him and my Grandma pulling up in front of our house on their motorcycle and taking us for rides around the neighbourhood, to the envy of all my childhood friends. We were the kids with the cool Grandparents.

One of the first things I did when I heard he had passed was go through these photographs I took on a fishing trip we were on a couple of years before he passed. It was probably one of the last times he was in good health. As I looked through these photos they brought me such comfort because I could hear his laugh again and remember better times.

As a photographer there are so many times I’ve seen my photos posted on Facebook or Instagram when someone’s dear father, mother, or grandparent passes away. There’s no greater privilege that I have than to preserve memories of loved ones that can be a comfort in a time of grief. In fact, some past sessions I’ve done have been focused on honouring grandparents and preserving those memories.

When I went on this fishing trip, I brought my camera even though my family are not really “camera” people. I was inspired to tell the story of the trip, but it turned into something bigger. These images now tell the story of my Grandpa and the next two generations.

My favourite photos are the first one of my Grandpa and the last one of my Grandma, because they capture them as they were/are.

The next time your family are together, get out your camera and push aside any shyness. Someday you’ll be glad you did.