Dear Readers,
Family photos are cherished possessions. It is the one thing people scramble to take with them when fire or flood forces them to suddenly evacuate their homes. The photo album contains a lifetime of remembered events. It chronicles the history of our families.
The filming and storing of these images have changed considerably in recent years. “Old school” family photos consisted of taking snapshots with kodak cameras that had a flash attachment where small round bulbs flashed brightly and burned out immediately. Many pictures had to be re-taken because this bulb was faulty. Before flash bulbs, most shots were taken outside in the sunshine and were developed in black and white only. Prints were stored in elaborate photo albums.
The process of print developing was slow and expensive. Photos were only taken on special occasions and the yearly cycle of images included Christmas, Easter, First Communions, weddings, graduations and vacations. We had to wait a whole week or more before we could pick up the prints from the corner pharmacy and re-live the occasion.
With the advent of modern technology, digital cameras can snap an image and it can be viewed immediately. Any mistakes are corrected instantly to produce the “perfect picture”. Young children are photographed more in their first year than I have for my entire life. Modern computers make it possible to store thousands of images. And if that fire or flood strikes a home, occupants need only grab their computer disks.
“Old School” vs. “High Tech” – which way is best? I’m not really sure. Families have lost the anticipation and excitement of waiting to see vacation prints. But vacation snapshots are now very professional looking. Older pictures were black and white – new ones are in life-like colors. I have to admit it is quite a joy to see just how blue my granddaughters’ eyes are.
I guess I’ll have to learn to embrace the new photo technology but remember the charm of the “old school” technique. On thing I do know – family photos are treasures. And the older the photo, the greater the treasure.
Keep smilin’!