In October of 2018, our barn burned down. At 2am I woke up to screaming and banging on our doors and windows…terrified that somebody was breaking in, I started to wake my husband, just so confused by the yelling and the lawn being lit like it was daytime. It was a firefighter, trying to get us out of the house while they put out the barn, shop, and chicken coop right across the driveway from us.
We were heartbroken to have lost all but one of our chickens. Everything in storage was gone and most of my husbands tools burned. But we were alive and so so grateful that the firefighters happened to see the blaze from across town, and put it out before it got to our home.
The rebuilding process started about 2 months later, in the coldest part of the year. As the walls and roof slowly built back up, my husband’s passion for woodworking built with it. It started with little projects, long before the bare walls were insulated and before a heater kept out the bitter cold. He would spend hours in the shop, taking time to cultivate projects within that little place that had burned down just months before. That is how these photo holders came to be.
Creating these photo sleds, and being part of the process from beginning to final product was a perfect way to work together on something meaningful, that we both believed in, and that could bring joy to people. And as a photographer, I am constantly talking about the importance of printing your photos in this too-digital age. Having something tangible to look at, hold, and share adds so much depth to the photo itself. Our hope is that these handcrafted pieces add life to your home and display photographs that show the power of your love for each other, as family’s, couples, and friends.
