How Stories Can Save Us: A Journey through Love, Loss and Legacy

Interview with Ana Backhaus by Frank Meo

In this moving conversation, Ana Backhaus reflects on how photography became both a refuge and a form of healing during one of the most profound periods of her life. When the pandemic coincided with her mother’s eight-month battle with cancer, Ana turned to her camera as a means of survival. Through documenting her mother’s bond with her young son, she transformed grief into a visual language of love, memory, and continuity.

Backhaus shares how the process of photographing intimate family moments led her to rediscover the power of vulnerability and storytelling. Her talk invites audiences to see photography not merely as an art form, but as a way to process emotion, find meaning, and preserve the essence of those who shape us. In conversation with Frank Meo, she discusses her exhibition Legacy: The Circle of Love and Life, exploring how visual storytelling can become an act of remembrance, resilience, and connection.

What you will take away:
• An understanding of how photography can aid healing and emotional processing
• Insight into transforming personal grief into universal storytelling
• Inspiration to document family and legacy through authentic, heartfelt imagery

Who this is for:
• Photographers and visual storytellers seeking emotional depth in their work
• Artists exploring memory, loss, and human connection
• Anyone interested in the therapeutic power of storytelling through images