Photographs and Memories

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving, what you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things long after you have forgotten everything. - Aaron Siskind 

Photographs and Memories

If your house was on fire, and you could only save one thing (not counting living beings), what would it be?

Chances are you said “photographs” or some variant of the like.

Some families tend to treasure the single moments captured on film more than others.  Those families with shelves upon shelves of albums and picture frames.  Shoeboxes and hard drives stuffed to the brim.  But given that question, even the individual with the paltry wedding album and school portraits will still answer that question the same way.

Why?  What is it about photographs that tug on our heartstrings so fiercely.  Is it the fear of forgetting?   Often you may have thought, do I truly remember that thing happening?, or do I remember a photo taken of that thing happening? 

These days, we are photographing or videoing everything.  Are we more afraid that we will forget even the simple things?  Are we afraid that we will miss something and hope that the camera will catch what our eyes fo not see?  Are  we relying of photographs to keep or memories, rather than focusing on the moment to remember it ourselves?  Try this article:Psychology Today: Photographs & Memories

"Fundamentally, memory represents a change in who we are.  Our habits, our ideologies, our hopes and fears are all influenced by what we remember of our past." source: Brain Connection, How we remember

Truth – I barely remember any of my wedding.  And there are all sorts of photographs to remind me.  I do however, remember living it.  It is not as though my memory is wiped of that entire day.  I remember living it in every detail, and I remember my emotions being high and extreme.  I believe that I was so enmeshed in the moment, in the day, that I did not stop to take mental pictures to remember later.  I just merely lived it.  Alas, I do not mean “merely” lived it.  I lived it to the fullest extent.  I let others take those pictures for me, so I can look back and remember.  But those aren’t in truth, my memories.  They are theirs.  Shared with me, and now, ours. 

and these shared memories continue to change who I am, and will be.