All my photos from... hmm, roughly 2004 up to this year... are gone. Erased. Wiped out. Exist no more.
There were client photos as well as memories backed up on my external hard drive. Most client photos are backed up on CD/DVD. I'm not too worried about those. What makes me want to cry myself a backyard pond are the silly and sentimental moments that were captured within those years that are now GONE. In case you haven't figured it out, my hard drive is dead. DEAD. No longer spinning, all data gone. *sniffle, tear, wahhh*
I do have some printed out photos which seem to help in holding back the tears but for the most part, nearly all memories have vanished. I suppose I could try to come up with an idea to make some extra money to try to get it restored, but I've decided to handle this event as a lesson I should learn.
Now that I've grieved, I'm trying to look for any possible positive outcomes.
Here's one: a fresh start. A fresh start to memories, time and environment, and a fresh start to a photographic eye.
I've grown quite a damn bit in the past few years, especially with all the rollercoaster of events that I've been thrown into in my life. Family changes, new lifestyles, ex boyfriends and friends you disconnect with, new people to connect with and the floaters you reconnect with. A different perception of life, especially behind the lens. New artistic influences as well as new places I want to travel. Here's my chance to capture a new life. I'm extremely obsessed with documentation and preservation. I might be seen as a person who is stuck in the past but really, I just like to reflect and appreciate a life well lived.
So to all the memories lost in that stupid broken external hard drive: Fare thee fucking well.
I'll start anew and this time, fully appreciate all memories captured, whether silly strange stupid or beautiful. I've always had the bad habit of taking tons of photos and then letting them sit on little bits of megabytes, completely ignored and unaccounted for. I will be better about that. I will take the time to process and upload, print, share, etc etc. Time for new photo projects, aim for a photo show and up to date website... and time to use my fully paid-for Flickr account, damn it.
