My object is a professional family picture of my mom and her parents when she was around six months old around 1975. This picture was given to my mom by her father  as a remembrance of her mother. Professional pictures for families were often taken at Olan Mills Photography. Their goal was to offer professional quality photographs at an affordable price. The Mills believed that making people feel comfortable was the key to great pictures. The Mills faced many challenges though. Later on they retired, passing the business down to their two sons to co-run. Sadly later in life due to a shift in the market demands, the business started to go downhill. With no third generation ready or able they were forced to sell to Lifetouch. To my family this is more than a simple picture. It holds a deeper meaning than what meets the eye. It helps put a face to a name I'm supposed to have a connection to.  This is the only picture we have of my grandma Sandra. She hated pictures, so a good picture of her holds a lot of importance. This picture holds so much more than a reminder of a loved one. Most of all, this picture reminds me of what my grandpa always tells me, “You can’t win them all, but you will always be loved.” To me that's exactly what I see in this picture: a family that no matter what its been through we have always had each other. 

– Emersyn Blanek

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