Aug 20

Aug 20 What Sangita does to help people preserve their special memories

I loved chatting to Sangita, 53, about her very special involvement in her customer’s lives as she worked on some photos I brought into the shop she has run, impressively harmoniously, with her husband for 19 years.

Sangita has run her photographic and framing business with her husband for 19 years

“I only started working once I’d had my children. I got a part-time job and didn’t realise how much I’d love working in a shop - I worked for a big high street electronics retailer - but I absolutely adored it. Especially the interaction with the customers.

When we bought this photographic and film processing and framing business I just knew we’d be able to make a go of it. I’d never dealt with actual photos before, but I had a basic knowledge and I’m a perfectionist. So much has changed during the last 19 years, particularly in terms of technology, but I love that, especially learning and perfecting each new thing.

My biggest joy

For me, the biggest joy of what I do is looking after my customers and dealing with people’s memories. I have really, really lovely customers. I so enjoy seeing what they bring in and their reaction when they see what I produce for them.

The lady just before you came in with a load of photos of her partner and her through the years. I made a book of them for her and when she collected it she explained that he had died at the end of last year and she wanted to have a memory book of him. She was so delighted with what I created and it meant so much to her. It was lovely to see.

A very special commission

About four years ago, a gentleman called saying he had some really precious negatives and needed them scanned. He was really worried because they were so fragile and special and he didn’t want to let them out of his sight for some reason. So I said he could come in and sit with me whilst I scanned them. It turned out they were pictures of the Queen’s coronation and they were going into a book for the Queen’s Jubilee. It was such a thrill to work with them.

Working with my husband

I work with my husband. We both run the business side of the business, and though I’m the one that tends to make most of the decisions, it’s very much a joint venture between us.

He makes all the frames, working mostly at the back of the shop. So we hide him! And I run the front of the shop. Yes there are times when I want to kill him, but it mostly works very well because he knows what he’s good at and I know what I’m good at.

Sangita is in charge of the front of the shop, her husband makes all the frames behind the scenes

Being a part of my customers lives is an enormous privilege. I’ve seen children where I took their first passport photos and now they’re going off to university. “