Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Pictures That Tell a Story


Last night I was watching the Nate Berkus Show and there was a photographer (Me Ra Koh) with her book titled Your Baby in Pictures. She mentioned that we now take lots of digital pictures and they sit on our computers never seeing the light of day.

I'm kind of guilty in that I take lots of pics on my digital camera but don't print them out much. I do make digital scrapbooks of big trips and print out some of the photos on my printer to display on my bookshelf, but haven't done that for a long time. Sure there is Facebook and of course we post on on Blogs sometimes.

My point is that the lady mentioned how we should try to take pictures that tell a story. Her book gives a "recipe" for capturing the various stages of a babies life but can be extrapolated to all other ages. She showed a photo of her 6 yr old son reading under a blanket tent set up in the living room. That way he would remember how he used to build tents. Another was a picture of her daughter on the first day of school. She was sitting on the front porch tying her runners because the little girl thought she couldn't get into kindergarten if she didn't know how to tie her shoes. That picture will always tell that story as she goes through life. She mentioned how we display the grad photos and portraits as a point in time but that is all there is.

I started to think of some of my photos and a few do tell a story. A wedding photo I have shows me with a big smile but what I remember is that I had just tripped over a big rock on the way into the reception and DH had caught my arm. The photographer snapped at that exact moment. It looks like a happy couple, but I remember tripping.
I also remember a photo my aunt had of my 10 year old cousin taken on "Picture Day" at school. This was before digital. When the photos arrived there was a fly, smack dab on his nose. It was funny. And a photo I remember. He died a month ago but I always remember that fly sitting on his nose. I have cute pictures of my kids and memories of the day come flooding back. Those are the ones that hold a special place in my heart.

Photos remind us of places where we have been, people we know and a feeling comes flooding back. I am going to try to take more story photos. I hope you too can find those photos that hold a special place in your heart. A photo that will live forever and one that the family will talk about over and over again.

This photo was taken in Dunedin, New Zealand. We walked from our hotel down a big hill to a brewery in the rain. When we couldn't get a tour we entered the attached pub and I ordered the Ploughman's lunch and this is what I got. This was pre-band and is now just a memory. No way could I ever eat that much anymore. Although the beer would probably go down.
I think I might get the book. I might not have babies of my own anymore, but I think it will be helpful to try to capture something more than a simple picture. I'll be looking for the story when I snap away. May all your pictures tell a story.

15 comments:

Marie said...

What a great post! I love taking pictures but I am guilty about leaving them on the computer too!!

Wow that lunch looks good! I do miss eating sometimes!

Beth Ann said...

Great post and great pictures! That wedding photo is priceless. :)

Barbara said...

You know sweetie I love looking at the photo's .. I cling to photos, because thats all I have now.. so bravo for this post to make us all aware that photos tell a story that we should all cherish.. hugs

Anonymous said...

Love your post and pictures. Our wedding picture shows us laughing.....because my DH passed gas!

Stephanie M. said...

What a beautiful post. I love this!

Sam said...

I thinkk this type of photography is something we should all try to aim for. Means so much more than thestandard ones we tend to take :o)

tagyourit said...

I love this post! I too enjoy the memories that come back when I look at pictures. Thanks for posting this.

Lonicera said...

That wedding picture enlarges beautifully - your expressions show a recent source of amusement, and the autumnal colours are stunning. And such a lovely dress...
You've only got to look at Facebook to see how people flood it with snaps - but not photographs. People looking young and drunk, children doing something cute... but they include all the duds - so you tend to get tired of looking after a bit. I like what Me Ra Koh was trying to say - don't just TAKE them, assemble them to make a story, put thought into it. And I would add: do it for posterity, with the intention of passing it down - whether electronically or in hard copy - to your descendants who will always thank you for it.
Other than my niece and her son, I have no descendants - my "descendant" is my blog.
Caroline

Amy W. said...

I love that wedding picture...and you looked beautiful then as you do now. I also love taking pictures. I too am guilty of not printing them off, but sometimes even back in the day when we did print them off, then they just set in a photo book ya know?

Jess said...

This post kind of choked me up a little bit. I have a great love of pictures and what they mean and the power they hold inside of them.

What a wonderful picture memory of your wedding day.

Ok...I'm done...I am gonna start bawling!

Thanks for sharing.

♥ Drazil ♥ said...

You're just so amazing and I hang on your every word. And I'm not sure I can ever thank you enough for your email and the thought and care behind it. I took you with me to my meeting this week. I take you with me everywhere. I love you.

Read said...

I love this post!!! And I totally feel inspired to look for the story to document!!

What a radiant bride you were!!

~Lisa~ said...

Such beautiful photos! Thank you so much for sharing!!

I love this post!!

Mo said...

I love photo's, and yeah they deinfately mean more when there is a story. I really want to redo some of the photo's on our wall and add a story to the bottom, so even when others see the photo's they know why I chose it to be on the wall, other than them being nice!

And looking at that last photo I am still amazed how I lived in Dunedin for two years and didnt gain more than a few kilo's weight...I think it was during my exercise freak period.

Debi said...

I loved this post Sandy!! And you looked beautiful in your Wedding Dress. Isn't it great when we can look at old photos and remember something special from that day?

I too am guilty of just taking the photos, and not printing them out. Even in the past when I did, they just sit in an album, never being viewed.

And we have so many others that are still sitting in their envelopes, waiting to be placed in photo albums!! This is something that I can do in the future for sure!

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