At Windsor Auctions, we like to promote other businesses that we believe can provide value to our clients.

As such, we’re excited to introduce Claire Hughes, the founder of Living Images, a unique business dedicated to preserving family memories in beautiful, bespoke photo albums.

Claire offers a personal service, perfect for families wanting to preserve treasured memories uncovered during house clearances.

But, don’t take our word for it, as for this blog, we have decided to give the floor to Claire to tell you about her business:

 

Meet Claire Hughes and Living Images

 

I’m Claire Hughes, and I’m the founder of Living Images. Living Images started from a genuine desire to help people preserve their stories.

Years ago, I was working as an interior photographer, capturing the charm of a lovely old family home. The couple who lived there were about to downsize after spending over 40 years in the house.

As I walked around, I noticed how much life had been lived within that home, from grandchildren’s height marks on the wall to the family dog by the fireplace. The home was special to them, and they wanted to preserve it.

So, I offered to photograph their home and put it in a memory book for them to take with them. This first project sparked the idea for Living Images: creating high-quality, beautifully bound memory books that do more than hold pictures; they capture a lifetime of memories in a way that is timeless, tangible, and truly personal.

 

A Unique Approach to Memory Preservation

My work is all about crafting bespoke photo albums and memory books with a visual narrative tailored specifically to each family’s story.

I offer a range of services, from consolidating multiple photo albums into one carefully curated book to creating condolence books filled with photographs, letters, and mementos that commemorate a loved one’s life.

When families find themselves with stacks of photo albums or boxes of loose photographs, I help them condense and organise it all into something manageable, beautiful, and meaningful.

For instance, I’ve worked with clients who have decades’ worth of old, bulky leather photo albums. We go through the albums together, selecting the best photos, and then I condense these down into elegant albums that can be shared with family members.

One particularly meaningful service I provide is creating condolence books. When someone passes away, I help families collect photographs, condolence letters, and treasured mementos, all scanned into one beautiful book. This book becomes a keepsake for the family, and I can create copies for different members of the family if they wish.

 

The Living Images Process

 

The process begins with a consultation, where I get a feel for the scope of the project and the client’s vision.

Each project is unique. For example, if someone contacts me after a house clearance with Windsor Auctions, I’ll meet with them to go through the albums or loose photos they’ve found. We discuss what they hope to create, whether it’s a single condensed album or a series of books for different family members.

Once we decide on the direction, I take the photos and other mementos to my studio to scan, edit, and enhance as needed.

I design the layout of the album and create a digital proof, which I send to the client. This is an important part of the process. The proof allows clients to make changes, remove or add photos, and adjust the order of images so the album feels just right.

With some clients, especially those from the older generation, I go through this step together with them in person, making sure everything is just as they’d like it.

Once the layout is approved, the book goes to print. My albums are hand-bound in the UK, using high-quality art paper and archival ink that won’t fade over time.

It’s a slower process, but it’s worth the wait. The result is a beautifully bound, one-of-a-kind album that becomes an heirloom for the family, without the hassle of having to do it yourself.

 

Why Living Images and Windsor Auctions are a Perfect Fit

 

Partnering with Windsor Auctions makes perfect sense. Often, during a house clearance, families uncover boxes of photos or find stacks of old albums they don’t know what to do with. That’s where I come in – to help transform these findings into something special, something families can treasure.

I love the idea that during a house clearance, Windsor Auctions clients might come across a box of forgotten photos or an old album hidden away in a drawer. Instead of leaving those memories boxed up, I can work with them to create an album that not only captures those images but tells a story.

In fact, I encourage clients to think about including elements that might capture the essence of a family home they’re parting with, like photos of a favourite tree in the garden or the well-loved corner of a room where everyone gathered.

 

The Personal Touch That Sets Living Images Apart

 

For me, it’s not just about preserving photos; it’s about telling a family’s story in a way that reflects who they are.

I often work collaboratively with clients, especially when we’re dealing with older photos. Organising a lifetime of memories can be overwhelming, so I help families select the most meaningful images, arranging them thoughtfully to capture the essence of their loved ones.

It’s incredibly rewarding to see clients’ reactions when they receive their finished albums. The emotions often come out, as they’re holding something that connects them to their past, but in a beautiful, accessible form they can share with future generations. It’s a very personal process, and I love being a part of it.

 

How to Get Started with Living Images

 

If you’re working with Windsor Auctions for a house clearance and come across photos, letters, or memorabilia you’d like to preserve, I’d be delighted to help.

You can reach out to me for an initial consultation, and we’ll discuss how to best preserve those memories in a way that feels right for you.

For each project, I tailor my approach to meet the client’s specific needs, offering as much or as little guidance as needed. My goal is to create a final product that feels like a true reflection of your family’s story.

For more details about my work or to see examples of some recent projects, you can visit my website Living Images and you can contact me at hello@livingimagesdesign.com.

Whether you’re consolidating decades of family photos or preserving memories from a home you’re saying goodbye to, I look forward to helping you create something truly special.