One Picture. One Hug. Everything Changed

Key Takeaways

  • The photo that inspired ScanMyPhotos is a cherished memory of the author’s father, emphasizing the emotional power of photographs.
  • Since 1990, ScanMyPhotos has helped families preserve and share their memories by transforming old prints into digital stories.
  • Today, sharing memories online is essential, as social media serves as a new photo album for families.
  • Digitizing old family photos preserves them from damage and makes sharing easy, ensuring they live on for future generations.
  • Every photograph holds the potential to evoke powerful emotions and connections; thus, digitizing old family photos is crucial.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

A personal story about the photo that started ScanMyPhotos

The Photo That Started It All

Hi, I’m Mitch — Co-founder of ScanMyPhotos. I want to share the moment that changed everything for me.

Before we started ScanMyPhotos in 1990, we owned retail photo labs in Orange County, California. A single photograph changed my life and inspired me to pursue a career in the photo imaging industry. It was a picture of me at six years old, with my dad hugging me from behind. This turned out to be the last photo ever taken of us together, as he passed away soon after that day. That one photograph reminded me of the power a single image can hold—it embodies emotion, memory, and connection, capturing what words often cannot. I know you have photos like that too—those that instantly transport you back and remind you of who and what matters most.

The last picture with my dad.

That picture inspired everything we do at ScanMyPhotos. For 35 years, our mission has been to help families rescue their memories. We started by developing and printing analog photographs. Eventually, we evolved into a digital service that transforms boxes of old prints into digital stories that can be shared, preserved, and passed down.

Today, photography is not just about keeping memories; it’s about sharing them. Social media has become the new photo album. By digitizing your old pictures, you give them a second life online, where stories spread, conversations begin, and family history is brought to life once again. Every scan can spark a connection. A forgotten birthday photo can turn into a viral memory thread. A wedding picture from 1972 might bring a comment from a grandchild seeing it for the first time. That’s why photo scanning isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. It keeps stories moving forward instead of locked away in boxes.

Photography has undergone significant changes since those days. Film gave way to digital, and now sharing those memories has become the heartbeat of how we connect. When you digitize your photos, you don’t just save them — you bring them back into your life. You reconnect with people who remember, and you keep those moments alive. That’s why I still believe every picture matters.

If you have a photo that means everything to you, don’t wait. Rescue it, share it, and keep the story going.

Since 1990, I’ve been part of the tech world’s biggest stage. This year, I was honored to serve as a judge for the CES Innovation Awards, recognizing groundbreaking technologies from the world’s top innovators in Las Vegas.
Since 1990, I’ve been part of the tech world’s biggest stage. This year, I was honored to serve as a judge for the CES Innovation Awards, recognizing groundbreaking technologies from the world’s top innovators in Las Vegas.

Photo Scanning FAQs

1. Why should I digitize my old family photos? Digitizing your old photos keeps them safe from fading, damage, and loss. It also makes it easy to share your family memories online, reconnect with loved ones, and preserve your story for future generations.

2. What’s the best way to scan printed photos? The safest, fastest way is to use a professional service like ScanMyPhotos.com, where each print is handled with care, scanned at high resolution, and instantly uploaded for you to download or share with your family.

3. Can one photo really change your life? Absolutely. One photo can hold your most powerful memories — a smile, a hug, a moment that reminds you what matters most. That’s why every photo deserves to be saved, shared, and seen again.


Your old photos are disappearing — colors fading, stories slipping away. Bring them back to life at ScanMyPhotos.com, where memories get rescued, not forgotten.