The author traces the life experiences of her father Xiao Liao and mother A-Mei, who
supported the family developing color photos—“a lifelong occupation that coincides
with the history of the photo processing industry.” She also reaches back to explore
the career of her granduncle Li Mingdiao, one of Taiwan’s “Three Musketeers of
Photography”, alongside Deng Nan-guang and Chang Tsai.
Whereas discussions of photography traditionally center on renowned photographers
and their iconic works, this book follows a narrative thread anchored in the lives of
Xiao Liao and A-Mei. Thus, the narrative focus shifts onto the evolution of the photo
processing industry and the often-overlooked working-class figures at every step in
the production chain who sustained it.
Through interviews, field research, and historical materials, this book sketches a riseand-
fall chronicle of Taiwan’s photo developing industry, rich in collective memories
rarely examined in depth. It reflects a distinctive path of family storytelling that
facilitates the exploration of personal identity.