The story behind the name…

rel·ic [re’lik] n.
something kept as a remembrance or treasured for its past associations; keepsake

I’m not gonna lie. I’ve never been very sentimental. I blame my sorority house rules that required us to pack up our belongings and move rooms every semester. Supposedly it was for “relationship building,” but I think it was really just an excuse to get us to clear out all our junk so the place stayed clean and fresh and frilly and didn’t start smelling like a dingy old frat house. I drove a little red Jeep Wrangler back then (…loved that car…) so everything I owned had to fit in the tiny back seat and non-existent trunk. There was no room for sentiment, so all non-essentials were pitched.

I went for a job interview once where they asked me to bring a “brag book” of all my awards and recognitions and I almost laughed out loud at the request because who really keeps that crap? I’m glad I didn’t because when I arrived there was a room full of applicants clutching bonded leather albums with their life accomplishments proudly glued to the pages inside.
I brought pictures.
Fifteen snapshots of my life that each told a part of my story: who I was, what I loved, things I’d done and places I’d been.
I didn’t get the job.
But the interviewer lady loved my pictures and my stories (and I think she secretly liked the fact that I had pitched my “scholar athlete” and “golden key honor society” and “who’s who” certifictes years ago).

Though I have not a sentimental bone in my body to speak of, those pictures (…and hundreds of others…) are the things I treasure. They are my Relics. They tell the story of my life…and of the people I love…and the things I’m passionate about…and the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that pass all too quickly.

I want you to have Relics too. Tiny toes. Baby curls. First smiles. Crazy hair. Belly laughs. Toothless grins. Growing families.Young love. Wedding vows. Real life. Genuine emotion. These are the things I capture, the reason I love photography, and the keepsakes that I hope will make up the brag book of your life. Out of this passion, Relic Photography was born.