The Real Reason I Started This

Hello there. I'm Martin.

If there's one label I'm comfortable with, it's that I'm a people person. Not in the corporate "I work well with others" sense. I mean I genuinely love people. I always have.

Over the years I've been a partner in an estate agency (nothing teaches you more about people than selling their homes), a professional photographer, a part-qualified counsellor, a Listening Samaritan, someone who trained new Samaritans, and more recently I've worked in bereavement support. I also turned 50 in 2025, which gives you perspective whether you want it or not.

If there's a thread running through all of that, it's simple. People fascinate me.

Their stories. Their quirks. Their humour. Their resilience. The little details you only learn when someone finally relaxes and shows you who they really are.

And somewhere along the way, many of us stop being known as ourselves. We become Dad. Mum. Partner. Manager. Carer. We become roles. The real person - the spark, the personality, the history - slowly fades into the background.

And honestly, I think that's tragic.

The story behind the story

Let me tell you something personal.

My dad, Islwyn Jones, was always "an old man" in my eyes. He was a great dad - loving, steady, present. But did I really know him?

Not even close. I knew he liked watching boxing. That was about it.

Years after he died, I was talking to my Aunty when she mentioned something that stopped me in my tracks. My dad and his brother used to go around fairs and carnivals fighting people for money.

How incredible. How sad. How completely unexpected.

I never knew about his dreams. Or the mistakes that shaped him. Or the best advice he ever received. I didn't know what he was proud of, or what he regretted. I knew the role he played in my life, but not the man.

And I would give anything to have that. To hear his own voice telling those stories. To see his face as he remembered them. To understand the person behind the parent.

That gap - that realisation - is why Before It Fades exists. Because our stories deserve better than fading quietly.

Why stories get lost

We live in a world where everything can be filmed, recorded, snapped, backed up, stitched into a TikTok and shared hundreds of times. And yet authenticity is rare.

We have thousands of photos, but very few stories. We have videos of moments, but almost none of meaning.

People don't need more content. They need connection. They need something real to hold onto.

What a Life Story Session really is

A Life Story Session is not a photoshoot. It isn't staged or polished. It's not about looking perfect.

It's an intimate, unhurried conversation where I guide someone through their story - their memories, lessons, joys, regrets, and the things they want their family to know. As we talk, I photograph them naturally. I record their voice. I capture their humour, their warmth, their presence. Everything that makes them them.

From that, I create a beautifully crafted, physical heirloom book alongside a private digital archive. Something with weight. Something with soul. Something a family can return to long after the moment has passed.

Who this is for

It's for the parent or grandparent whose stories you've always meant to record. It's for the person who has lived, learned, and has wisdom worth passing on. It's for couples marking a milestone. It's for the person who's always behind the camera. It's for anyone who wants their family to know who they really are - not just the role they played.

Why this matters

I want Before It Fades to become the go-to way people preserve their stories. Not because I want to sell a service or a product, but because stories matter.

One day, someone you love will hold a photograph of you and wish they could hear your voice. They'll wish they knew the story behind your smile. They'll wish they had asked more questions.

I don't want people living with those wishes.

I want families to pass something down that feels honest, human, and full of life. Something future generations can hold, hear, and learn from. Something that connects them across time.

This is why I started Before It Fades. Because people deserve to be remembered as themselves. Because families deserve more than photographs. Because our stories are worth telling while we're still here to tell them.

A gentle invitation

If this resonates with you - whether it's your own story you want to hold onto, or someone else's - you're welcome to take the next step.

You can learn more about what a Life Story Session involves or get in touch for a no-pressure conversation.

Let me capture your story, before it fades.