Caring for Your Family Photos

Photographs are special because you can tell an entire story with them without using a single word, it can convey emotions, and feelings. Photographs make connections, photographs can show challenges in our world along with celebrating the greatness in the world.

“How was/is the photograph used in the battle between two legacies [within the African American community]—self affirmation, and negation?” What does the director mean when he states that there is a “war of images in the American family album”? Through the Lens Darkly: In the historical documentary, “Through the Lens Darkly”, Thomas Allen Harris examines the impact of photography within the African American community. For Harris and many other African American photographers, photography was a tool of empowerment, enabling them to take photographs that accurately reflected themselves. Photographs, since their creation have always been caught between a battle of realities, propagating both positive and negative reflections of ourselves. While cameras are weapons of empowerment, they also are weapons of falsehood, no more seen than in the negative portrayal of African Americans throughout history.

In “Ways of Seeing”, John Berger, an English art critic, argues that images are important for the present-day by saying, “No other kind of relic or text from the past can offer such direct testimony about the world which surrounded other people at other times. In this respect images are more precise and richer literature” (10). John Berger allowed others to see the true meaning behind certain art pieces in “Ways of Seeing”. Images and art show what people experienced in the past allowing others to see for themselves rather than be told how an event occurred. There are two images that represent the above claim, Arnold Eagle and David Robbins’ photo of a little boy in New York City, and Dorothea Lange’s image of a migratory family from Texas; both were taken during the Great Depression.

Photography gives you a small sample of reality, but these realities have been changed to what the photographer wants to present. However as Sontag stated, “Of course, photographs fill in the blanks in our mental pictures of the present and the past.” Pictures show proof that all of the history that we learn is true, but although it confirms that, pictures does not show us the entire picture of how people felt about the situation. For example, one might have a picture from WWII and show us the setting, but does that picture really show the feeling of the people? That is why we say that photography only goes as far as to how the photographer wants to show the

Not the meaningless type of pictures (food, random quotes, etc) but actual photos with positive memories behind them. There are even photographs of Father who has left a mark on the family due to his disappearance. The author states “every Tet at the zoo, Father in his youth, Mother in her youth, baby pictures”. During difficult times, we have memories that we can look back on to remember the good old days. Pictures are said to be worth a 1,000 words.

In today’s society, we try to remember every little thing that happens, from the first day of school to the graduation of college. One of the ways we try to remember things is through photos. However, photos and just natural memory are not enough. In our lives extraordinary events are done by extraordinary people, and tragedies strike our nation. Those people and events deserve to get recognized by more than a simple photo or a hazy memory.

Photos can be an illustrative material object to shape a story. But photos just reflect upon our memories and try to relate to the overall useless piece of paper. Photos may have value but they are essentially paper and just that. Photos are meaningless because each person just brings his own mental state of mind to the picture.

I glance amusedly at the photo placed before me. The bright and smiling faces of my family stare back me, their expressions depicting complete happiness. My mind drifted back to the events of the day that the photo was taken. It was Memorial Day and so, in the spirit of tradition my large extended family had gathered at the grave of my great grandparents. The day was hot and I had begged my mother to let me join my friends at the pool. However, my mother had refused. Inconsolable, I spent most of the day moping about sulkily. The time came for a group picture and so my grandmother arranged us all just so and then turned to me saying, "You'd better smile Emma or you'll look back at this and never forgive yourself." Eager to please and

The contemporary and original photograph should be showed equally because if we minimize the original picture, we’ll just be sugarcoating the past about our bitter history. If we do the same to the contemporary one, we won't focus on the future and

My family has gone on many vacations, but the vacation to Cancun over Thanksgiving is the one I will always remember. My grandma took our whole family on a vacation to Cancun. There were many interesting events that took place on this trip that I will always remember. Every morning waking up to the amazing view of the ocean with the waves roaring to shore. We would spend our days hanging out by the pool and riding the massive waves at the beach. Playing basketball in the pool with the family is a circus trying to score.

The couple may discover creative ways to have unique photographs, whether they are walking on the beach, running through the mud, or having a paint balloon fight. The photo session gives the bride an opportunity to let go of all of her wedding anxiety and just have fun with her new, long-time love. Photographs of a couple having fun together unquestionably makes a great wedding photo album.

The photos you see depict my family perfectly. I am in the top row on the left, top center is a photo of my grandfather, top right is a photo of my dad. Next, in the center row on the left is a photo of my grandmother

I’m amazed at how many Americans don’t know their own family heritage any further back than their grandparents. For many years, I was one of them. I would casually tell people, “My family never really talked much about our family tree, because we were afraid we’d find horse thieves hanging from the branches.” But, bad or good, I always wondered about my roots.

Abstract: This essay reflects on the relationship of photographs, history, and memory based on a found and mutilated photo album. Photographs provide opportunities for disrupting and restructuring history with their attraction to memory; they privilege the subjective, creative power of the personal explanation and provide an emotional and even ideological grounding for memory. Photographs as manifestations of memory assist in the process of understanding the present.

One reason the camera was the greatest invention was because it helps people keep a hold and learn from the past. When people take photos, they can retain them from generation to generation making sure the memories