Today we can have 100 pictures
taken of ourselves in a single weekend. We take pictures of sunsets,
animals, and food. Because photos have become so
commonplace, it can be easy to forget how important they really are.
Unfortunately, digital photography has led to {photo overwhelm}, and most often people take pictures
but don’t really know what to do with them.
Why
Taking Photos is So Important
Life
is full of a lot of regular old events, but there are always special ones
scattered in. We go to weddings, take special vacations, make new
friends. There are always things we want to remember.
Right
now, I have a friend who is moving to an older house down the street because
it’s on some land. The
new house will be wonderful in time, but for now leaving the house they’ve
called home for ten years tugs at their heart strings a little. They made
so many memories there, brought 4 babies home from the hospital there.
My
friend’s mother-in-law asked her recently, “Aren’t you sad to be leaving all
the memories of this house behind?” She said yes, she was, but that she
had photos of all their good times with their written memories {preserved in a book} that they can pull out and
enjoy and remember any time they want.
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I
read a beautiful article recently by Laura Mazza called {“Why Taking Photos Will Mean So Much More To Your Family Than You
Realize.”} Mazza talked about a friend whose father had passed
away. She told Mazza that when she misses her dad, she pulls out his
picture–a picture of him before cancer, a picture of him the way she remembers
him. This is exactly why {photos are so powerful}. They bring back moments
in time that are otherwise gone.
In
fact, pictures have been shown to increase happiness! Gretchen Reuben’s {“Happiness Project”} found that viewing photos help us
remember happy times. This makes us
happier in the present! In addition, a picture can “bring back” people, places,
and things we love.
Looking
at pictures has been found to both lift mood and increase relaxation. {Dr. Peter Naish’s} study compared the result of
looking at photos to the result of common things we use to try to increase our
happiness such as eating and drinking. His study showed that those things
actually only increase mood by 1%. After
looking at photos, people reported an 11% increase in happiness! (By the way, his study also found
a 22% increase in relaxation after looking at pictures!
Pictures even beat out chocolate for relaxation, which only came in at
8%.)
Take
the photos! Ask a stranger to take a photo of your family on an adventure
day. Capture little playful moments at home. Moms, get in the photos.
No excuses. These are the times you’ll want to remember later. Your
family will want them, too.
Just don’t forget–you can’t stop there.
Next,
Do Something With Your Photos
Once
you’ve decided to take the photos, capture the moments, and be in the photos,
there’s another important thing that MUST be done!
Remember
the classic “This is your brain on drugs” television spot from the
80s/90s? I wrote a blog post once based on it called {“These are your photos on a flash drive. Any questions?”}
And it’s an important thing to remember. Photos in digital form aren’t
actually photos–they’re just files.
In fact, photos left in digital form are like they were never taken.
Think about that. They’re rarely seen, and when they are seen there
aren’t any details or memories recorded with them. I’ve heard of siblings
looking at old unmarked photos, unable to tell if that baby is themselves or
their sibling. Sometimes moms can’t even remember!
Photos must be published or
printed in order to be seen and interacted with and loved. Those photos
must be accompanied by recorded memories and details. Otherwise, you have
nothing.
Aside
from the fact that {digital storage can be pretty fickle}, you don’t really
want to just STORE your photos. You want to SEE them. That’s why
you take them.
What
to Do With Your Photos
There
are so many great things you can do with your photos! There are options
that don’t take a lot of time, options that don’t take a lot of money, and
options that will fit your needs and style.
If you don’t really know what
to do with your photos, peruse these ideas and see which sound the best to
you. Click the links for more in-depth descriptions and photos:
- Create just two pages per month in this {digital family yearbook}. Publish at the end of the year. (I LOVE this option!)
- Save some time by creating {digital scrap pages}. (This is what I personally do since I like loose-leaf pages. It's such a huge time-saver!)
- Get a partner who will make your goal reality with {Digital Scrapbooking For Hire}.
- Try one of these {Four Creative Ways to Share Family Stories}.
Click here for some photo organization helps if you need them.
If time is the main thing keeping
you from doing something with your photos, you can find {lots of ideas for making time} here!
Taking
and preserving photos is an important way to remember, and a precious way to
strengthen your family. As I always say,
#dontletyourbabiesgrowuptobejpegs
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This
post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on April 27, 2018, by
Jennifer Wise. You'll find more #familyhistoryfriday posts by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.
