When I was a child, I looked forward to holidays the most when my parents took us on picnics, because then we could wear the sister outfits that my mother specially sewed for my sister and me, and my father would also take pictures for us as souvenirs. Over the years, my mother would print out the photos that she took particularly well and make a collection of them so that she could look back at them at any time.
Unfortunately, after so many years, the photos have either turned yellow and faded or lost their luster. They have gradually been gathered at the bottom of a drawer and are only taken out when I occasionally think of them and reminisce about them!
And my life, as time goes by, moves forward silently...
At the age of 39, I left my office career after more than 10 years of work and returned to school to study photography. I was also fortunate to serve as a resident artist and work with a group of young and talented partners. After I turned 40, I kept trying new fields. Although I am always the "most experienced newcomer", I enjoy it because I know that I am moving towards my interests and goals step by step!
In 2018, by chance, a new technology and medium, metal aluminum plate photos, was introduced. Metal aluminum plate photos are suitable for long-term preservation in Taiwan, and everyone no longer has to worry about the fading and deterioration of traditional photos. I was finally able to use what I learned from photography to put into practice the unfinished project in my heart, which is the "Old Photo Reproduction" project.
Through this project, old photos with a sense of the times can finally be given a new look and restored to their former glory. Appreciating these precious memories that are as bright as new again, I will unconsciously take a time train back to the happy times of childhood, precious family trips, invincible years of youth, and those smiles and good old times that I most want to keep.
I remember one time, we personally delivered the completed metal photos to the elders who placed the orders. They were two family photos taken at a photo studio many years ago, around 1978 and 1988. When they opened the packaging, the whole family was so happy to see the old photos with a gorgeous transformation. My aunt kept saying, "Look how handsome you were when you were young. I was so beautiful then..." My eldest sister also recalled, "When I was a child, everyone said I looked like my mother!" That moment, that happy atmosphere, made us deeply feel that what we handed over were not two metal photos, but a happy, warm and beautiful memory that will never fade!
We often say, "Turning shining good times into real touches", which is not just a slogan, but our original intention when we started to restore old photos.
We are honored to meet you all through this opportunity. Thank you!
