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February 2023
Mine is the largest privately owned collection of historical negatives in the PNW and it's my business and I bought the assets of other photography businesses in order to continue to do what i love - making art and making a living in the arts.
Although I've happily accepted donations, most of what I have purchased as a single working mom in love with my region, its history, and photographs of same. And, as much as I love to show/share photographs from my collection and have donated a LOT from my collection to those involved in doing local history projects~ Unfortunately, the photos I spend so much of my resources on are so often 'taken' and used without respect for the artists/photographers without whose hard work and talent we wouldn't know what our past looked like! So, I've had to watermark them for online viewing. My work is only funded by sales and licensing images only - whereas other collections receive public funding and have paid staff to help. Thanks for respecting our Artists of the Past and you're understanding that I deserve to make a living doing what I love and that benefits our communities. Enjoy browsing and learning history here! Thanks for your visit and I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.
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2021 - 01/10
I've had a website for Shadow Catchers since 2000 and started digitally scanning negatives just prior to that. And I've scanned thousands of negatives but with CD's DVD's and failed external hard drives. They are backed up here, there, and everywhere. And I'm uploading them as quickly as I can - for Catalog purposes. When I had a Gallery, Frame shop and Darkroom downtown Olympia, Washington there were 3-ring binders of photos that people could browse through to order prints and learn local history. Now it's online.
Unfortunately, I must place logos on images because people who either don't understand the damage they do - use the photos to accompany their own writing or research credit to anyone but themselves and some even plagiarize my original research and writing while stating they 'support' history, the arts, and artists. HAH. The photographers are artists, and they deserve to be honored for creating the image.
I am not publicly funded so sales and licensing of photographs is what keeps this collection protected for future generations.
I hope you enjoy viewing these 'windows in time' as much as I have enjoyed 40+ years of collecting and supporting the photographers of my region.
S. Parish