Behind the Scenes

Gift giving has always been my love language—but it hasn't always been easy.

In the past, I gave coworkers custom gifts tied to our films or shows. They were special, but expensive, time-consuming, and not something I could keep up forever. I kept asking myself: what's my thing?

For my 25th birthday, one of my coworkers surprised me by getting the entire team to pitch in and gift me an Instax Mini Evo. It came after a year of me quietly giving gifts to everyone for their birthdays with the little spending money I had while working as a PA. I was raised to give gifts as a way of saying thank you—to show appreciation, care, and recognition for the people who show up in your life.

My boss saw that in me. He also knew I was starting to fall in love with photography, especially images with an older, film-like feel. That camera ended up being the gift I didn't even know I needed.

I started documenting small moments and unforgettable ones alike. It became my thing. What I didn't realize until much later was that I was still searching for a way to give others the same feeling I felt when I received that gift—seen, valued, and deeply appreciated.

When I began printing and framing photos—sometimes ones I had taken, sometimes ones friends shared with me—the response was immediate. Friends started asking for them. Telling me they'd buy one. Wanting to gift them to people they loved.

Developed Memories grew from that place. From something I was already doing out of love—just made sustainable, so I could share it beyond my inner circle.

A way to turn moments into keepsakes, and gifting into something personal again.