Photos! The importance of archiving them

Published: Jan 24th 2026

Photos have always been one of the closest things that take me back in time. I've been fascinated by the idea of time travel for as long as I can remember. Since that doesn't exist yet, photos and videos are the next closest thing.

Growing up, I was always the designated family photographer. We had our first film camera when I was eight, and during vacations I ended up clicking most of the photos on a roll. Over time, we moved to digital and in 2008, my uncle brought back a video camera, and I captured moments that we still cherish as a family.

Over the years, my interests shifted. I moved away from people-centric photography and gravitated more towards landscapes, astro, sea-scapes, while photographing my pet remained a constant presence. Years later, meeting my now wife slowly brought me back to portraits.

During the holidays last year, I went back and looked through all these photos. Almost instantly, I was transported to those moments when we all were care-free, having fun and not thinking much about the future

That is when it struck me. These photos and videos are the only copies. The only way I can revisit those moments. And the only way future generations might ever see them.

This is where I want to take this next. Over the next few posts, I'll be writing about my process on how I'm going through years of photos and videos, fixing and cleaning them up, deciding what stays, and figuring out how to archive them better. It also gives me a chance to revisit these moments properly, and force myself to reflect on and talk about the experiences that came with them.