Why I Started Solace Keeps
Solace Keeps didn't begin as a business.
It began with a photograph.
More than ten years ago, I created a picture for someone who had lost a person they loved. They didn't have a photograph together, and I wanted to give them something that could, even for a moment, make that person feel a little closer.
I'll be the first to admit, looking back now, that first picture wasn't particularly realistic. You could tell it had been edited.
But that didn't matter.
Because of what happened when they saw it.
That photograph opened up a conversation that might never have happened otherwise. We spoke for hours about the person they had lost. About how much they missed them, the memories they had shared, the things they had done together and the kind of person they had been.
There were tears of sadness.
There were tears of happiness.
There was grief, but underneath all of it, there was so much love.
And that was the moment I realised that these photographs could be about so much more than creating an image.
Grief → Love → Connection → Presence
That journey has stayed with me ever since.
More Than Ten Years of Creating
After that first photograph, I wanted to create more.
Over the years, I've spent countless hours learning, practising and refining the way I bring separate photographs together. I wanted to move away from something that looked edited or “stuck together” and towards something that could feel like a genuine moment captured by a camera.
But the technical side has never been the most important part to me.
The person in the photograph is.
I love hearing the stories behind the photographs I'm trusted with.
I hear about mums and dads. Nans and grandads. Brothers and sisters. Partners, children and friends.
I hear about their personalities, the adventures they went on, the things that made people laugh, the moments their families still talk about and just how deeply they are loved.
Every photograph carries a story.
And every person I create one for matters to somebody.
One of my earliest portraits
More than ten years of learning and refining
The technique has changed enormously.
The reason I create them hasn't.
Created With Care, Right Down To The Smallest Detail
For those choosing a Keepsake Portrait, your finished artwork is professionally printed, framed and carefully presented in a Solace Keeps keepsake box, created to be treasured for years to come.
From Your Photographs to Something Special
Share Your Photographs
Send me the photographs you'd love to bring together.
Tell Me What You Imagine
Tell me about the people in your photographs and the portrait you'd love me to create.
I Create Your Portrait
I carefully bring your photographs together, paying attention to the details that help everything feel natural.
We Review It Together
You'll see your portrait and can request changes until it feels right.
Yours to Treasure
Receive your finished portrait digitally or beautifully presented as a Solace Keeps keepsake.
Created With Care, Every Step Of The Way
Creating a portrait like this is deeply personal. That's why every step is designed to feel calm, supportive and centred around you.
Personal
From your first message to your finished portrait, you'll communicate directly with me. Every portrait is personally created by me with the same care I'd want for my own family's memories.
Supportive
You'll receive a preview and can request changes. I'll work with you until you're happy with your finished portrait.
Respectful
Every photograph you share is treated with care and respect. Your photographs and finished portrait are never publicly shared without your permission.
“I'm never just working with a photograph. I'm working with somebody's person.”
And I'll never forget that.
The Words That Mean the Most to Me
Every portrait tells a story. These words come from families who trusted Solace Keeps to create something they never thought they'd have.
