Tiffany Brown has always had a passion for photography, a love instilled in her by her father, a devoted firefighter of 30-plus years with the fire department in Jackson, Mississippi. 

Charles “Tony” Davis was the family’s documentarian, always capturing moments—big and small—on film. Looking back, Tiffany says having their picture taken by her dad became a regular part of everyday life for her, her kids, her sisters De’Ana and Jasmine, their mom Vera, and everyone who knew him.

When he gave Tiffany her first camera, he unknowingly set her on a path that would one day lead to the creation of something deeply meaningful: Lens of Luv.

“He was always the one recording and just documenting life with us, so a lot of that insight into photography and the love for it came from him,” Tiffany says with a smile. 

“I remember he even had one of those really huge camcorders that you set up on your shoulder and put a VHS tape into. You knew it was rolling because of the flashing red light,” she says, laughing.  “My dad was a total tech guy. He always got the latest gadgets and my interest in documenting things this way was from him.”

Three years ago, Tiffany’s world changed when her father was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer. By the time she received the news, it had already progressed to stage four. The doctors told the family he only had about six months to live, if that.

After hearing the diagnosis, Tiffany instinctively picked up her camera. The first photo she took was of her parents holding one another, tears streaming down her dad’s face. 

“As a little girl, you grow up seeing your daddy as this strong, unshakable figure, and then suddenly he’s embracing my mom and he’s crying,” Tiffany recalls through tears, unable to continue for a few seconds as she composes herself. “It was raw, it was vulnerable and it was real.”

From then on, Tiffany documented everything—his moments with family, hospital visits, the good days and the bad. Photography became her way of preserving his story. It was a way to feel close to him even after he passed on April 10, 2022, eight days before Tiffany’s 40th birthday.

“I took that first shot and from there is when I started documenting his entire cancer journey. Every time I would go home, every time he was with the kids, and it just became a part of his legacy.” 

One particularly emotional memory stands out. Near the end of Tony’s battle, the hospital wouldn’t allow the grandkids to visit him in his room. Determined to give them one last moment together, Tiffany nonchalantly wheeled him into the hall, down the elevator and outside where his grandkids were waiting to share what would become their final goodbye with their grandpa, or “Gaga” as they call him. These were the moments that mattered, and Tiffany says she’s glad she was able to capture as many of them as possible. 

“My kids love hearing that story of how I broke their Gaga out of his room every time they look at those pictures,” she says, brushing her dad’s face in the album as if he was sitting in front of her. 

In her eyes, two images stand out as the essence of documentary photography. The first is a photo of one of her sisters kneeling at the side of her dad’s hospital bed, holding his hand and crying as she asks for his forgiveness for anything she’d said or done that may have ever hurt him. You can’t see her dad’s face in the photo, just his outstretched hand in hers, but the peace and calmness exuding from her sister’s face, eyes closed, speaks volumes.

The second photo shows one of her sisters in a chair in front of their dad’s bed, just sitting quietly, looking down at her laptop, ready and waiting patiently in case he should need anything. 

“I love having these albums. Some days I can flip through them and be fine, and some days I can’t stop myself from crying, but either way, they mean so much.”

Tiffany’s children Carson and Madison say although looking at Gaga’s albums sometimes make them feel a little sad because of how much they miss him, the photos also bring back good memories. De’Ana, Tiffany’s middle sister, considers the albums priceless. 

“Having photos of my dad means so much to me. They seem simple, but they are more than what meets the eye. Because I have these photos, I get to see him every day,” D’Ana says. “Although he isn’t here physically, seeing his face in the photos gives me comfort in the tough moments and laughter when I remember the memories of him. I look at him in these photos and know that he still lives in me. For that, I am grateful.”

Tiffany’s experience documenting her father’s journey made her reflect on how many families, overwhelmed by the emotional toll of cancer, don’t think to take photos—and later, wish they had.

She soon realized she could do that for others. The images she captured of her dad became a source of comfort, healing and a lasting connection to his legacy. That realization led to the birth of Lens of Luv, a nonprofit organization offering free photography and documentation services to families of first responders battling cancer.

“Some families might just want a happy, beautiful family shoot,” Tiffany explains. “Others might want to document the entire journey—the love, the strength, the ups and downs. It’s completely up to them. This is about honoring their story in the way that feels right to them.”

Lens of Luv is a nonprofit organization operating out of Clermont that provides not just photography sessions, but heirloom-quality albums, printed on thick pages that become cherished keepsakes for such families. 

To make sure as many families as possible receive this gift, Tiffany is seeking donations and volunteer photographers who share her mission—and, perhaps, the experience of losing someone they love to cancer. She believes those who have walked that path bring a unique depth of empathy to the work.

“If you’ve been through it, you just see things differently. You know what moments matter,” Tiffany says, adding that she hopes to spread the word and reach more families in need.

Lens of Luv is built on the belief that love, strength and resilience deserve to be remembered. Tiffany knows firsthand how powerful it is to have images to look back on—to celebrate a life, to mourn, to remember and to heal.

More than just photography, Lens of Luv is a tribute to the unbreakable spirit of first responders and their families. Through her father’s legacy, Tiffany is making sure that others facing similar journeys won’t be left wondering, “What if we had taken more pictures?” Instead, they’ll have a collection of memories—captured with love—that will live on forever.

“We consult with the families, we see what they would like to have done, what best serves the patient’s legacy because these photos are going be a part of it and their children’s too,” she says.

For more information, to donate or volunteer toward Tiffany’s cause, visit lensofluv.org. 

Photos: Nicole Hamel