Okay, I’ll admit it…I am the kind of person who does a quick tidy up before I take a photo. Not always, but most of the time. Especially if it is one of the kids doing a new trick or no that I know I am going to be blogging later! Is this weird? I hope there are other photo taking bloggers out there who do the same thing! I am known to see the kids doing something new and make a dive for the camera while quickly scurrying around and pushing the piles of toys away from them so that it looks somewhat clean for the photo! Better for blogging and memories, I think to myself…
Why am I telling you this? Well, last week I was scanning and emailing old family photos to Filipa for the special birthday book she put together for Dad and found myself taking a trip down memory lane, observing little details in photographs that I’m sure the person taking the photo didn’t intend to be focused on, but that mean so much to me now. (You know the old saying, a picture tells 1000 words…)
Take this photo for example:
Carli, Filipa and I on Filipa’s birthday. I had totally forgotten about that cool wooden highchair. I wonder where it is now? I would like it for my kids. Remember those old party hats, we thought they were so special saved for birthdays. And the good old fairy bread triangles, an essential party food (on white bread with butter!). The dresser behind Carli sat in our kitchen in our house in Weegena forever. The perfect place to display birthday and christmas cards. I remember rummaging through the little drawers finding so many hidden treasures. I think the dresser, drawers and cupboards were one of those handy places in the house that you could turn to for a quick clean up…shoving bits and pieces out of view when needed! Mum had little ornaments on the shelves of the dresser too…some delicate white doves, perhaps made from china and a little girl and boy leaning over kissing one another. They lasted until we became old enough to reach them and then became doves missing wings and chipped little girl and boys. See the globe sitting at the back of the photo on top of the TV? I have memories of playing games with that, something about spinning it really fast and stopping it with your finger and then telling the place you had landed, there was more to it, Carli might remember! Do you like the matching jumpers Carli and I were wearing? I wonder if I will put my children in matching outfits? The old antique lounges in the loungeroom behind us, I sat on those from the day I was born until I turned 18 and they were given away.
Ah…so many memories. I would probably have not remembered unless I had that photo to remind me.
And a “modern day” example. To me, this photo is messy…because it is MY mess! I would be tempted to crop it and feel a little more at ease with the new, cleaner image focusing only on Lil.
BUT…
In 20 years time, don’t you think my children are going to look at the real photos and play remember when…all the little bits and pieces in the photo will remind them of lots of special memories.
So, if you’re still reading along after all that rambling…I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I need to take more photos for the sake of everyday memories and not get so caught up in trying to make things look so clean and tidy and professional – you know what I mean?
