Taking Photos
A couple of times a year, Mrs P asks me to copy onto her laptop, all the pictures that I’ve taken over recent months, as well as those that have been shared with us via WhatsApp. She then diligently whittles them down into a manageable amount which we then print off and put in our photo album. Yes we’re of the generation that still likes to print off hard copies of photos and from time to time look at them nostalgically. We have several albums with photographs in chronological order and numerous frames placed around the house, filled with pictures of family. The bulk of the photos are 4x6 inches (10x15 cm). We use an online photo printing service for the majority of our pictures and visit a local store with a self-service photographic department to print off specific pictures for bespoke frames. The original photos, now neatly organised, are backed up and archived.
A couple of times a year, Mrs P asks me to copy onto her laptop, all the pictures that I’ve taken over recent months, as well as those that have been shared with us via WhatsApp. She then diligently whittles them down into a manageable amount which we then print off and put in our photo album. Yes we’re of the generation that still likes to print off hard copies of photos and from time to time look at them nostalgically. We have several albums with photographs in chronological order and numerous frames placed around the house, filled with pictures of family. The bulk of the photos are 4x6 inches (10x15 cm). We use an online photo printing service for the majority of our pictures and visit a local store with a self-service photographic department to print off specific pictures for bespoke frames. The original photos, now neatly organised, are backed up and archived.
I find the entire culture around “taking photos” fascinating. My father was a keen amateur photographer in the fifties, during his bachelor years. As well as recording his social activities, he also took photos for a practical reason. He was a mechanical engineer and would photograph his design plans as well as his finished work as part of his portfolio. Once married, he copiously photographed family life. In later life he diligently scanned all these pictures to preserve them. I similarly took up photography as a child, although due to changes in technology, I didn’t have to learn the technical side of things. Instead I benefitted from the convenience of the Kodak Pocket Instamatic camera and having your photographs developed at the local supermarket or pharmacy.
Over the years I have catalogued family life and our son growing up via photos. Then at some point I just stop taking such photos. I suppose it stems from children becoming teenagers and no longer wanting to be in family pictures. Curiously, the only photos that I take these days are my and Mrs P’s various travels and holidays. We seldom feature in any of these and it has become a standing joke in our family that if Mrs P appears in any photo, she is always walking out of frame, back toward the camera. Furthermore, due to the fact that it is usually me taking all the photos, I am also conspicuously absent from most “holiday snaps”. As for the pictures of the various places that we’ve visited, these mainly end up in the blog posts I write about them or on social media. In fact the more I think of it, that’s where the bulk of them go these days.
Considering that the camera that I take for granted on my phone is a singularly sophisticated piece of technology, its primary purpose on a day-to-day basis is taking pictures that aid me in various tasks. I had some technical issues with my wireless printer the other day, so I quickly took a picture of the default admin password that was on the back, along with the model and serial number. The phone is connected to my PC, so the pictures are accessible immediately on my monitors. I was then able to resolve the issue with the minimum of hassle. I often use the camera on my phone for chores like this. I’ll take a quick photo of train timetables or booking details. When out shopping, if I see a product that interests me, I’ll take a quick picture and research it later. Photographing packaging is also a great way of ensuring that you buy more of the same.
Photography remains a skill that some people still take the time to learn. By mastering the principles that underpin it, a good photographer will be able to create interesting compositions. Modern technology allows the less gifted to stand on the shoulders of such giants and take acceptable photos with the camera doing most of the heavy lifting. The ability to take multiple photographs quickly and easily also helps, due to the law of averages. Hence I have thousands of digital pictures of my life over the years, with me oddly absent from most. They are precious to me but irrelevant to pretty much everyone else. I wonder what will happen to them once I’m gone? Removed from their context they become random and inconsequential. As you can see, photographs still seem to provoke philosophical musing. Perhaps that’s why as a culture we still take pictures and document our lives. It brings a degree of validation and comfort.
