This Quote Made Me Smile :)

[katrinak]

Of all the world’s photographers, the lowliest and least honored is the simple householder who desires only to “have a camera around the house” and to “get a picture of Dolores in her graduation gown.” He lugs his primitive equipment with him on vacation trips, picnics, and family outings of all sorts. His knowledge of photography is about that of your average chipmunk. He often has trouble loading his camera, even after owning it for twenty years. Emulsion speeds, f-stops, meter readings, shutter speeds have absolutely no meaning to him, except as a language he hears spoken when, by mistake, he wanders into a real camera store to buy film instead of his usual drugstore. His product is almost always people- or possession-oriented. It rarely occurs to such a photographer to take a picture of something, say a Venetian fountain, without a loved one standing directly in front of it and smiling into the lens. What artistic results he obtains are almost inevitably accidental and totally without self-consciousness. Perhaps because of his very artlessness, and his very numbers, the nameless picture maker may in the end be the truest and most valuable recorder of our times. He never edits; he never editorializes; he just snaps away and sends the film off to be developed, all the while innocently freezing forever the plain people of his time in all their lumpishness, their humanity, and their universality. - Jean Shepherd - Introduction. [Ken Graves & Mitchell Payne “American Snapshots”, The Scrimshaw Press, Oakland 1977]

[earlofoxford]

This gives me chills, Katrina! When you think about it, we really are recording history -- our little bit of history. When I met Myra and Bailey this past week, of course, we talked photography, among other things. Bailey made an excellent observation that our scrapbooking -- and our photography -- will change our children's memories. I hadn't thought about it like that, but it's so true. The photograph will spur the memory or perhaps become the memory.

I know I'm rambling, but one more point. My granddaughter's birthday party yesterday was at a bowling alley. Our 36-year-old son asked my husband if we had taken him and his brother bowling when they were little. My husband said, "Probably." Truthfully, my memory is so bad, I can't remember specifically if we went bowling with them or not, but Katie and Sam won't ever have to ask that question because yesterday is fully documented with about 400 pictures.

Does this make any sense?

[anke]

Makes perfect sense to me! You are absolutely right, they will be able to go back and not only have pictures to look at (which is all I have from way back when) but stories, memories, descriptions and feelings to go with them. I think that is as wonderful as it can get (in my ever so humble opinion)
That quote above is really quite cute!

[fit2walk]

The quote was a nice reminder that not every picture we take, and not every LO we make, has to be a work of art. It's all about memorializing our loved ones and our lives.

[digigrandma]

Thanks for sharing the quote, Katrina. I love it!

Linda and Anke, well said! What a terrific thread.

The quote reminds me of a conversation a few years ago with a friend's husband who is a professional photographer. I was admiring framed photographs in their home of bridges lit up with lights at night and snow covered park benches that were all spectacular and beautiful. I commented that I was so amateurish because I always wanted to have a family member or friend get in the picture. He said he did not want people in his photographs. I remember thinking how different our purposes were in taking photos. I love that the quote validates both of us.....and, I think all of you, who are as skilled as any professional photographer in my estimation, are doing a beautiful job of combining art and family history. You can have both!!!

[shellb]

You are all giving me chills. Such wonderful insights! Thank you for sharing K.

[Starlite9711]

What a neat quote, and oh so true.

And we did have that conversation at our get together, and I often think about the way I am affecting my childrens memories. For example, I, nor my mom remembers my first airplane flight. But my kids will always have a memory (even if just from photos) of their first trip, where we went, who we visited, and where we slept overnight with no luggage in between

[mugsbigsis]

Here, here to Jean Shepherd! That's a wonderful quote, Katrina. :O)

[Aino]

I got the chills. Thanks K.

[hendon]

What a cool quote - and a good reminder to keep snapping away too.!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by digigrandma

He said he did not want people in his photographs. I remember thinking how different our purposes were in taking photos. I love that the quote validates both of us.....and, I think all of you, who are as skilled as any professional photographer in my estimation, are doing a beautiful job of combining art and family history. You can have both!!!

I think what Merrilee said hits the nail on the head. I've been struggling philosophically the past few months with where I want my photography to go. I have a friend who is an amazing amateur photographer. He excels at landscapes and abstract compositions, but has commented in the past that he really doesn't like taking portraits/"people pictures" because they are boring. So he has this great talent, and great equipment, but he passes up all kinds of opportunities to document his family's everyday life.

Professional photographers who are truly awesome can take any subject---landscape, people, animals, macros---and make it something amazing to look at. I am going to strive for better-ness in all my photos, but am not going to disparage myself for focusing on (pardon the pun!) my kids, my home, and my family life. I am the family historian. I can always go and buy a great print of a place I've never been, but I'm the only one here in my life who can take the pictures of my life. I can't buy them from someone else or download them off a website. So it's important that I do this and pursue excellence in what I do, but not fret over where my pictures rate me in terms of a "good" or "great" photographer.

(For those of you who truly are professionals and very good at what you do, please understand where I'm coming from---I recognize and appreciate beauty in photography, it is a great skill requiring mastery I will never have! I'm simply approaching this from the angle of a layman who is taking up an instrument of art and doing with it what she can. You don't have to be able to play Chopin to appreciate Chopin, but someone has to be able to play it for people to enjoy it! )

[deanie]

What a fabulous quote! I have tons of boxes of my own children and events of their lives, I wish I had documented them better. I love that when I am gone the GC and great GC will have a record of simple events that were so meaningful. Do document your homes as well-some one in the future may be researching the history of your house and will love to find photographs that you have taken.

[KarenC]

in my estimation, are doing a beautiful job of combining art and family history. You can have both!!!

This is so, so true. I wasn't very good with baby books, but I did take lots of photos. (I thought it was lots at the time, but not lots compared to what I take now with a digital camera, lol ) I wanted to record our life and family and the joy I felt raising them. My photos were never as good as I hoped for, but are so precious to me now. If we had some kind of terrible disaster that wiped out our belongings, the photos would be what I would morn the loss of most.

I love the quote, Katrina.

[kikimama]

What a great quote! I love the 'plain people in all their lumpishness'.

So true what you've all been saying too, I think the digital camera is the best thing to have come along, I know I wouldn't have taken half as many photos of DD without it. Luckily my sister and I do have a lot of photos from when we were young as my mum and dad are both into photography so always had their trusty Pentax cameras out.

[Carol Elliott]

love that quote! What matters is that you take photos. I love looking at the photos my folks took as my sisters and I were growing up. They are not "perfect", but oh so perfect to me as not only are we in them, but the backgrounds in them bring so many memories to life. When I look at them it helps me to remember not to crop out the suroundings in all my photos as they will be just as important to my family in the future.

[Cindy B]

Made me smile, too! So much food for thought here...