Photographs & Memories

Memories are triggered by many things; a song, a phrase, a season, a scent and of course a photograph. I have always felt the importance of  photographs to future generations and to help keep the memory of departed family strong within those living. But those photos were always of the family or taken by the family. But I have learned that sometimes the photograph doesn't even need to be one that we have taken, only one that in some way resembles a location or event to which our memory is linked. The truth to this statement was never so evident as it was on Friday.

Friday I decided to create a new Facebook cover for my personal page and wanted a winter scene. While going through stock images looking for a scene that appealed to me I came across this photo. Now maybe it was just the photo and maybe it was the combination of Christmas music, Cinnamon scented pine cones and the photo, but as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one I would use. 

While the photo gives a sense of loneliness, I found it comforting because it immediately reminded me of my husband and how every year at some point during the Autumn he would announce that we had eight weeks till it would snow. An announcement that always tended to drive me crazy as I was never quite ready for the snow to come. Yet,now that memory brings a smile. Odd how something that once drove me crazy is now greatly missed. Even more strange is how one memory can bring about both a sense of loneliness and a feeling of being comforted by a love shared. Thus was born my latest composite art piece 'Love Transcends the Elements'.

I had thought to link the sneak peek at my Victorian photo shoot up with Unknown Mami's Sunday in My City and show off our beautiful mild weather here in Norfolk, but I wanted to share this message with all my blogging friends. No matter how difficult the elements if we build and share love we will never be truly alone.

Now please hop over and share some blogging love at:

Everyday Moments

Our lives are made up of a few major events which generally we preserve through photography. Such as birthdays, graduations and weddings. No one would ever consider not photographing such special occasions. Even in economically tough times such occasions are photographed if not professionally then by a friend or family member. Now I am not saying that these events are not photo worthy. On the contrary I believe it is very important to preserve these joyous occasions with photographs.

Yet it is the everyday moments that keep us going and bring us lasting joy. Those special moments when we wish we could stop time. Those moments when we feel so grateful to be alive sharing our life with those we love. It is these everyday moments that often get left out of our photographic history. The very moments that define who we are and what we love most in life. Such as the moment this couple appears to be experiencing. I doubt they will have a photograph of this beautiful moment. I was lucky to snap this of them while I was taking a nature hike. Had I not been on the other side of the river I would have gotten there address so I could mail them a print.

All to often these important moments get suppressed when times are rough, for there is no visual reminder to snap them back into our memories when we need them most. Yet when we take photos in places that hold special meaning for us even if we don't take a photo of the special moment, that photo can act as the catalyst our minds need to pull that memory back to the present. This photo of my brother and his boys is just such a photo for me. This was taken during one of our many trips to Dark Canyon near Idylwilde, CA. For my husband and I Dark Canyon holds some very magical times. We were just starting our own family and we had many heart to heart talks as we enjoyed the beauty of this special spot.

Back then we took fewer pictures as it could get expensive developing film.  Today it is easier than ever to record such special every day moments. There are digital camera's, cell phones with camera's and even some DS systems have camera's. With so many ways to capture photographs don't let the special every day moments slip away. Sure all the photos may not be the best of quality, but they are probably better quality than those old 110 camera's.

The ease with which we can preserve our memories has increased astronomically but as with most modern day inventions this does not come without it's own set of complications. If you have already embraced the digital photography age I am sure you have already discovered its' main complication. Too many photos!  So many in fact that the special photos get lost in a sea of photographs on your computer. It saddens me to say that I have actually been told this problem is the main reason for a person not using their digital camera except for Big Events. So I thought today I would share how I manage to preserve everyday moments without getting overwhelmed by too many photographs.

These are the steps I use with my personal photographs. The steps for my general photography and professional are very similar to these.

1. When uploading photos set the upload to create a new folder using the date for the folder name. If the photos are all of a particular event, such as hiking in palisades, I will put the location after the date in the folder name.
2. Go through the uploaded photographs and delete those that are too blurry, too dark, too light or oops shots of my pant leg. Yes I do get these types of shots, especially when playing with the settings on my new camera. Move general photography photographs to the general photography folder.
3. While going through the photos I will change the file name on any photographs I know I am going to want to print or use in a memory photo. The new file name always includes the number of the month and year followed by the subject name, if there is more than one of the same subject the name is followed by 1, 2, ect.. These photos are then moved or copied to my "To Be Printed" folder.
4. At the end of each year I create a year folder to put all different monthly folders into.
5. Every month I go through one of the folders that is at least six months old to see if any of the photos jog a special memory and if they do I will rename that image file and move it to the To Be Printed folder. I do this because sometimes it is the least expected photograph that jogs your memory of a special everyday moment. 

Please don't forget to back up your digital image files on a regular basis. My previous post Preserving Digital Photo Files has a great deal of information to help you safeguard your precious memories.

So go out, embrace the moment and for goodness sakes as my four year old grandson would say PICTURE IT!

Photographic Messages

There are many ways to tell those you love that you love them. You could take them somewhere special, maybe even send them flowers, or you could spend a lot of money and buy them fancy jewelry or expensive gifts. Yet over time with most of the these the gift and message will become a faint memory. 

Last week while visiting my grandchildren in Virginia, I do believe my seven year old granddaughter came up with the perfect way to say 'I Love You' in a way that will never become a faint memory.  I asked her if she wanted to take some special photos of her for her dad who is in the Navy and deployed at this time. In deciding what type of photos to take she said the one thing she misses most is giving her dad a salute each night before bed.  She asked me to take a picture for him of her giving him a salute. We took a few with her giving the salute and then some general pose shots. I have to admit that the photos of her saluting send a much deeper message than all the rest.

Sunday Best submission

I think my granddaughter has come up with a way to say 'I Love You' that is far better than any other. What do you think?

To share with others in their crowning moments or to share your own check out Melanie's Crowning Moments bog hop.

Little Doll's 1st Birthday

To those that think birthday parties for children under the age of five are a waste of time and energy consider this. The first five years of a child's life are considered the most formative of their childhood. They are learning not only to walk and talk but they are learning about building relationship's and how to get along in society. All of these lesson's are being taught by the people that are active in their lives, not just their parents and siblings but also from close friends of the family. When you have a birthday party for a young child you allow all those involved in these important lesson's to share in the joy of the child's development. It is also another way to document and preserve for the child just how many people cared and shared the early years of their life.

Just last weekend we had the privilege of photographing just such an event. I would like to thank this little doll's parents for letting us help them preserve her first birthday party. Here are just a few of the many precious moments we were able to capture.

We wish this little one and her family many more blessed birthdays.

Furry Family Members

As most pet owners will agree the family pet is more than an animal. They are a true friend, a companion and a loved member of the family. I often think back to the furry family members that brought me joy and love during my childhood and wish there were photos capturing some of those special memories. It is with this in mind that I try to make sure I capture my children and grandchildren interacting with their pets.

 

When our granddaughter Ephy was born Paulie our calico cat was just a kitten. Paulie watched over her as she grew and entered her toddling years. They were fast friends and soon became inseparable. Ephy and her parents moved to another state when she was just two and a few years later they came to visit and she looked for her cat but Paulie had passed away just shortly before their visit. I was glad I had taken a good amount of photos of her and Paulie. I made this memorial of Paulie for Ephy.

Down Town River Walk

This park sits on the edge of the Big Sioux River and down town Sioux Falls. To the west of the park is the business district, to the east the river, and David is right in the middle.

A few pretty flowers along the way

Our final destination, the Falls

This last shot is my favorite shot of the week.

Linking up with three great blog hops, stop on by each and enjoy the fun.

Sunday In My City: Falls Park

I am a West Coast girl transplanted eighteen years ago in the Midwest and although I greatly miss the mountains, ocean and all the beauty that can be found in California, Oregon and Washington I love this city. Sioux Falls has a rich and lengthy historical past much of which is centered around the cascades of the Big Sioux River. These cascades are now referred to as The Falls and are located in a beautiful park just blocks from down town Sioux Falls. The falls provide a natural beauty to our city which is enjoyed by many all year round. Today I would like to share this spot in our city that is for me a favorite.

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

Click here to view the Falls Park live webcam

Linking up with

Happy Virtual Travels!

Creating a Visual Family History

By Nita Davis

Importance of Photographs
Thanks to the digital age creating a detailed visual history for future generations is easier than ever. Throughout the years mankind has strove to create a visual connection to their ancestors. First through rock carvings, then paintings and eventually through the invention of photographs. More recently the invention of digital photography has made it even easier. Paintings and photographs provide us with a legacy that not only establishes the physical characteristics shared by our ancestors but gives us a more accurate portrayal of their lives, often recording in detail family traditions and special events. Through modern technology your photographic history if stored properly can become a vivid visual legacy preserved and enjoyed by future generations hundreds of years from now, maybe even a thousand years.

Before we go into the steps of building your visual legacy there are some important guidelines you should be aware of for the printing, handling and storing of photographic prints, that if followed will ensure your photos last as long as possible. Archival quality photo papers and inks are designed to last from 75 to 100 years when properly stored.

Photo Handling and Storage
Photographs like most anything else do deteriorate over time, and there are certain things that can speed up that deterioration. The first very important thing to know is that when I talk about the care and handling of photographs I am talking about those that have been printed at a professional photo lab because photographs printed on an ink-jet printer even if using photo paper fade much faster than those processed at a professional photo lab. Typically ink-jet photographs will begin to fade even if cared for properly within ten years.

The biggest culprits to cause the deterioration of photographs are temperature, humidity and sunlight. This is especially so when photos are stored in an area such as a basement or attic where heat and humidity is followed by cold dry weather in a continuous cycle. These conditions can actually cause your photos not only to fade but to crack and the image to separate from the paper it was printed on. Dirt, dust, oil and chemical fumes can also damage and shorten the lifespan of your photographs. For these reasons it is always important when storing photos to avoid places where they would be exposed to direct sunlight, high humidity or drastic fluctuations in humidity and temperature. It is also important that when handling photos and negatives they be handled along the edges, preferably wearing white cotton gloves, to avoid exposure to the natural oils in your skin. 

If you have an old photo that is stored in an album or has been written on, it is a good idea to photocopy it and make a back up print.  Years ago the ill effects of some common storage methods were unknown. Other methods that have been used in the past and some products that are still being sold commercially to store photos are detrimental to the longevity of your photos, such as the use of glues, rubber cement or tape to mount photos on pages. Storing photos in magnetic photo albums or inexpensive vinyl photo albums while affordable and convenient will eventually damage the photos. It is now known that exposing photographs to materials containing sulfur dioxide, fresh paint fumes, plywood, cardboard and the fumes from cleaning supplies can adversely effect the photographs. Another common cause of damage to photographs is writing on them with a regular pen or marker. Over time the acids in regular inks and papers can eat away at your photo or cause a stain to spread over the image.

You will avoid many deterioration problems if you use only photo approved acid-free pens or markers or a soft lead pencil to write on the back of your photographs. In addition any papers used for storing or displaying photos should be lignin free, acid free un-buffered paper. As for framing photos some experts recommend opting for metal frames and avoiding wood frames as they can give off harmful chemicals that will speed up deterioration. Another thing to keep in mind is that over time a photo that has been framed without the use of a window matt can stick to the glass in the frame thus damaging the photo. Archival approved products such as papers, pens, glues, tapes and plastics can be purchased at your local photo or craft store.  I plan on going into this more in another article that will talk about archiving your valued photographs. Now that we have gone over the importance of photographs and how to avoid deterioration problems it is time to focus on creating our visual family legacy.

Building a Legacy
Building your visual family history can sound daunting but the rewards of creating a visual legacy for your family will make it worth your time. Gathering old photos and the information to go with those photos may take time but each one will add to the richness of your legacy, so don't get discouraged. This will be a work in progress that will take time and continue to grow as long as you continue to gather photos and information. Before you get started you will need to decide just how far back you wish your history to go. Do you want the history to go as far back as you can possibly go, or to start with the current living generations of your family, it is entirely up to you.

Earlier Ancestors
To build a foundation of earlier ancestors for your legacy you may need to ask family members to allow you to scan old photos or give you copies of photos they may have of different family members or special family events. Be sure when you scan the photos to scan them on a photo scanner at a minimum of 300 dpi. Remember to ask your family members about the photos and get any stories they may have concerning the photographs. If you have chosen to go back as far as possible one source for old photos and news clippings is to check with your local Genealogy Society, they may have some that would enrich your own records. When gathering photos try to find some of the family homes, vacation spots, schools, maybe even places they worked. These can all add to the visual history as well as be wonderful sources to jog the memories of family members to enable you to gather stories about places and events that were important to earlier generations. For many reasons there may not be a lot of photos to establish your families early history but don't be dismayed. Between those you are able to collect and oral histories you will most likely be able to build a relatively detailed early history of your family. In next Friday's article "Finding Family Histories the Fun Way" we will discuss how to collect oral histories which when combined with your Visual History create a detailed history for future generations.

Current Generations
While you are collecting past history keep in mind that current events need to be recorded for future generations. Try not to limit this to just special events. Sure you want photos of those special family occasions but your life is more than just a few days of the year. Photograph everyday activities that your family enjoys. For example if your family likes to watch Monday night football, get some pictures of doing just that. Try to capture emotions and unique facial expressions in your photographs. When my youngest daughter became a teenager, I was totally amazed that many of her facial expressions were just like my husbands late sister whom our daughter had never met. I wish now that my mother-in-law had captured some of those expressions in photographs so we could have a visual comparison to show the similarities. Try to get candid shots were the subject doesn't 'POSE' for the photograph. Often when they do pose for a photo to be taken they assume a fake smile or stiff stance and that is not what you want your history to show.

While you are taking pictures also take some of your home inside and out. This will be important especially if you decorate for holidays you will want to show future generations where you lived and what your traditions were. Get pictures of your kids in front of their schools, getting on or off the school bus if they ride one. Pictures of them with their favorite teacher can also be a nice added detail. Don't limit your photos to people only, remember pets and treasured items can also play a big part of showing who and what we are. For example that blue ribbon your son won in the first grade spelling bee or maybe it is your daughters first pair of dance shoes, whatever it may be photograph it. Many times these items and special times that were so important to a family member are forgotten about as time goes by and bit by bit details of our lives fade to just a few special occasions.

You are probably thinking right now that to do as I suggest you will have to have your camera on you 24/7 and will go broke processing and printing film. While I do admit that if you are using a film camera my suggestions would become rather expensive and require you to have your camera at the ready at all times. For this reason I recommend two things; 1. invest in a digital camera. It doesn't have to be fancy with all the bells and whistles just something you can take decent photos with, preferable 3.5 or more mega pixels. 2. If you have or are able get a cell phone with a camera you can use it to catch moments in the spur of the moment when your regular camera may not be handy. Most of the cameras on newer cell phones actually can capture rather good photos.

In addition to the photos you take try to keep a written record for the photos. If you print all the photos this is easily done by writing all the information on the back of the photograph. Remember use only an acid-free pen or marker made for writing on photos or if you do not have one use a soft lead pencil to gently record the information on the back of the photo.  Record not just the names of people but also the dates, times and locations. With digital photos this information can either be added to the file properties or saved in a text file with the image file number to reference the photo. We will cover these more in our upcoming article on digital photo storage and organization.

You may also want to have an additional written record in which you record times and dates of special life events and achievements, and keep track of the family's medical history. This can be done in a notebook or as a document on your computer, or if you prefer you can buy a special book that is designed just for this purpose. We will cover this more in upcoming articles on History Journals and Legacy Albums.

By creating a Visual Legacy to pass on to future generations your great grand-children's knowledge of you will not be limited to name, location and date of birth and death, no they will be able to see those little characteristics that make you different from everyone else. Fun times and special memories will be easily brought to mind, not lost and forgotten with the passing of time. Through the photos and stories you so lovingly gathered future generations of your family will develop a stronger appreciation of and connection to their ancestors. Your printed Visual Legacy can be preserved for up to 100 years when you use archival safe photo products, and thanks to technology creating a digital version can keep your legacy alive for many more. 

Sources:
http://photoheritage.net/preserving.php#0.1_7
http://www.photographymuseum.com/archival.html
http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa121000b.htm