We hear it all the time:
‘We’ve got incredible stories… but hardly any photos.’
‘No one has been in charge of collecting memories.’
‘We’d love to celebrate our anniversary, but we’re worried we don’t have enough to show.’

After twenty years of listening to these concerns, we can confidently say this: We’ve never had a project where we couldn’t find (or create) the visuals needed to bring a good story to life.

In fact, the bigger the challenge, the better the creative outcome. When there’s a problem to solve, our team gets to digging, researching and designing thoughtful ways to turn fragments into a fully realised book or film. This often results in stronger visuals and a more engaging narrative than anyone expected.

Myth-busting: what you actually need

Let’s start with a few misconceptions:

Myth: You need hundreds of photos.
Myth: Everything must be high-resolution.
Myth: If something wasn’t documented, it can’t be shown.

What matters most isn’t the size of your archive – it’s the strength of your story. So before you worry about what’s missing, focus on what you do have. Where is the gold in your history?

The real raw material: stories, people, insights

Often, the best content comes from:

  • employee memories;
  • founders’ reflections;
  • client stories;
  • artefacts and other objects like uniforms, tools and product samples;
  • places like storefronts, offices, landscapes, old sites; and
  • documents tucked away in drawers (letters, brochures, awards).

 

We’ve worked on many projects where staff or family members suddenly remembered items hidden in cupboards. Our clients have found photos, letters, scrapbooks, even old equipment throughout the process of writing their stories. These pieces often become the emotional heart of the book.

But even if nothing exists internally, you’re not stuck. Public libraries, historical societies, archives and newspaper collections are full of imagery related to your industry, region, market and the eras you operated in.

Our team knows how to find, request and license these materials. We’ve dug through many public collections over the years to unearth treasures.

Creative visual strategies (Hyphen’s sweet spot)

Here’s what we can do when the visual cupboard feels bare:

Use what exists, even if it’s imperfect

We can enhance, restore, re-scan, crop creatively, or turn a single photo into a hero moment. Sometimes we even create new illustrations inspired by old images.

Photograph meaningful artefacts

Old uniforms, tools, machinery, certificates and products often make beautiful full-page moments.

Commission new photography

Portraits, landscapes, workspaces and behind-the-scenes processes are great for filling gaps.

Commission illustrations

Custom illustrations are perfect for machinery, timelines, portraits or moments that were never photographed.

There is always a way to show your story.

Case studies

Our portfolio is full of projects that began with the same concern: ‘We don’t have much to work with.’ And yet, the final results are polished, rich and visually engaging.

Johnsons book and film

We produced the film first, which gave us a wealth of B-roll footage to use throughout the book design.

Hannaford book

We illustrated historic machinery to create visuals that didn’t exist in photographic form.

Arden Anglican School book

When portrait images weren’t available, we commissioned an illustrator to create beautiful profile artwork.

Akubra book and installation

Akubra had great internal material, but not much imagery to show the broader Australian story. Our team sourced historical visuals from public libraries and archives to enrich the narrative.

HSK Ward book

This project includes a chapter inspired entirely by a collection of old letters discovered during research. These were scanned and thoughtfully integrated into the design.

Start your story anyway

Whatever resources you have – or don’t have – you can still tell your story. We regularly work with tiny collections, scattered archives, mixed-quality assets, previously published material, and sometimes literally nothing at all. No matter where you’re starting, we’ll help you bring your story to life in a way that feels honest, beautiful and proudly yours.

– Rairu Rebolledo, Designer