Photos

After my recent post about games my friend Belinda and I had a discussion about how lucky I am to have so many childhood photos, like the one of David playing marbles. I guess that is true. Our family was very poor and very transient, so it is remarkable that my parents had a camera and that they used it! I do recall that Dad worked for a hotel when I was a small child (small enough to wet my pants while visiting his office!). He took a lot of photos for them and I remember the first time he showed me a “negative”. I thought it was fascinating.

And it is because of negatives that I have so many photos. Most of the photos of my childhood were lost over time, but Dad saved the negatives. I have a scanner now that scans them and I can make new photos. Perhaps he knew that technology would someday come along to make this process easy!

My grandfather had a “spy camera”. It was a tiny little thing and I’m not sure what kind of photos it took. He loved to show it to us and talk about all the things he could secretly photograph. I shudder to think what he would do with the new phones! LOL

I remember using a box camera when I was a young girl. I think Gran bought it for me. It had a viewer in the top. I felt like a real journalist with that thing hanging on my neck!  I loved to take photos of my brothers. I took the one of David playing marbles and I have many others.

Gary’s family also took a lot of photos. We have lots of his baby and childhood photos, thanks to his grandmother. She saved everything!! And Gary became fascinated by cameras at an early age. He has a huge collection of photos.

Until Belinda mentioned it I hadn’t thought about the fact that other people might not have photos of their childhood. How sad. What I love in many of mine is the “background”! The sight of a house or piece of furniture or car or toy in the background often brings memories rushing back. Or the way someone is dressed makes me recall things about their personality that I had forgotten. Look at the old mower behind James and Dan. Or look at the farm equipment behind the boys in the other photo. And notice that Mom is wearing white shoes! She lived on a farm and she had two kids and another on the way, but she looks like a fashion model.

If your camera is sitting on a shelf or stuck in a drawer, get it out today and take some pictures of your family, your house, or your community that your great-grandchildren will enjoy. Even pet photos will be treasured someday by someone. Go forth and record the present for someone in your future!

 

Comments

[Megan]

Now I don't feel so bad about taking so many pictures of my family. I was beginning to think I was crossing the line of taste, but I know I love looking at pictures of the kids when they were even younger--and so do they!