About Us | Marilyn Gillespie

I am the most sentimental person you will ever meet. I lost my mother when I was 6, so my first photobook was about her life before she had us kids. Then I was “elected” unanimously to be our family’s archivist when my dad passed away. I wanted to protect and organize my dad’s ancestry research and photos that he had collected dating back to 1842. And, naturally, I made a photobook to share our family legacy. Then another, and another, until it became clear that this was my new vocation—to be of service to others using the skills I have built over the thirty years I have been in business.

I have been a professional photographer my whole career and am so grateful for the wide variety of experiences I have had shooting weddings, portraits, commercial and fine art photography.

Kevin Bushell is a published poet, college English teacher, blogger, and my soulmate. He is in love with language and writing, which is complimentary to my visual focus. I am so grateful to have an “in house” writer, editor and fellow book lover. Many of Kevin’s poems are historical, so he is used to taking information and shaping it into a narrative. He can take your written memories or transcripts and turn them into powerful stories that will enhance your photobook.

Let’s be honest, it does take time, dedication, and a financial investment to make a custom-designed book like this. But don’t let that scare you; we are here to make it happen.

We love travel and adventure. Travelling by motorcycle is a wonderful way to experience our vast country of Canada. This was taken in British Columbia, July 2021.

Why hire us?

I have been a professional photographer since I graduated from Ryerson University’s Photo Fine Arts Program in Toronto over 30 years ago. I am in love with Adobe InDesign, which I use to create these books, along with Adobe Photoshop.
I will use my decades of experience restoring and retouching images to make your photographs look perfect.
My love of rich, subtle colour with clean design will distinguish these books from scrapbooking. I use a few special touches to elevate the page but not overpower the photographs or crowd out the text. But best of all, I listen to you and design with your preferences in mind.
Kevin and I have both received Canada Council Grants to support our artistic projects in the past. You will notice the difference an artist’s touch makes!
Kevin’s teaching of English at the college level has made him a grammar expert. He will bring that expertise plus his life experiences to the editing of your book.
Our hardcover books are archival, printed on coated paper, and bound to last.

We can work with anyone, anywhere. Meeting online has become so much easier with videoconferencing software like Zoom.

There are many more ways to share and transfer files to choose from.

What People Say

Jenni S.

My Life and Legacy Photobook was the most perfect gift – it had artistic flair and emotional impact. Marilyn helped me piece together photographs and other imagery to tell a story that celebrates my husband’s life. She inspired me to write some prose and gather memories from family members. The project became a centerpiece for discussions for the entire family.

Dina B.

“When my father passed away I was left with crumbling paper albums from the 1950’s. Marilyn disassembled them and scanned each page. She was able to correct faded photos and bring the album back to life. My mother and I really appreciated that she took the time to pick the most precious photo of my parents dancing together and retouched it as a gift for us to display at the memorial service. We reprinted the album as an archival hardcover photobook that I can now pass on to my kids to remember their grandparents by.”

Jenni S.

“My Life and Legacy Photobook was the most perfect gift – it had artistic flair and emotional impact. Marilyn helped me piece together photographs and other imagery to tell a story that celebrates my husband’s life. She inspired me to write some prose and gather memories form family members. The project became a centerpiece for discussions for the entire family.”

Susan S.

“Marilyn has been photographing our son since he was three months old. We had three sessions the first year and one every year since then. The photographs that we have collected over the past eight years are a true family treasure and bind our family story together.”