In my last post, I discussed the importance of taking candid photos. In this post I delve into the idea of looking back at old photos to jog old memories. 

Who: Me
What: Posing with my toy cars from Cheeburger Cheeburger
Where: My Old Kitchen Floor
When: Circa 2005

The Cars:
When I was younger, my grandparents used to take me to the local Cheeburger Cheeburger whenever they would visit. It became a small tradition that we would share. When I would go, I would get the kid’s meal just so I’d receive a car. I am pretty sure I had collected all of the different types of cars that they had made. Even once I got over the car collection, I would still go with my grandpa frequently, where we would have long conversations and enjoy each other’s company. Unfortunately, my grandpa passed away from cancer in 2018. Seeing this photo helps me remember our tradition and the good memories we would share together. 

The Kitchen Floor:
I never moved houses when I was growing up, so I was able to call one place home. The kitchen in our home has been renovated twice since this photo was taken. I can barely even remember the kitchen since it was most recently renovated, and I only really remember the older kitchen when I see photos. Seeing the floor like this brings back memories from playing around in the kitchen as my mom yells at us and simultaneously cooks dinner. 

Who: My brother and I
What: Holding our Pinewood Derby Cars
Where: At home the night after our competition
When: Circa 2006

The Cars:
Ahh, the Pinewood Derby. A time when young boys have their parents do most of the work to build a car for their child to claim as their own. I forgot that we even made this car together until I looked back at this photo. I remember helping my dad construct this car the night before the actual race. I think I get my procrastination from him, definitely not from my mother. We carved out the bottom, and placed some weights in there. My dad said it would make it faster if it was heavier, so I was pretty happy about it. The funny thing is, my car ended up winning while my brother’s ended up coming close to last. I love to remember the euphoria I felt that night as my brother and I are, and always have been, very competitive.

The Point:
These memories only really come back to me when I gaze at old photos. While this might not happen for everyone, old photos tend to trigger the times most people forget. I hope that you will try to do the same as me: look at childhood photos and try to remember the stories behind the photos.

But don’t just reminisce, take new photos. Take photos of anything you find interesting (or not), and then look back at them. You will be surprised how one photo can jog the memory of an entire adventure.

About the Picture
Who: Me
What: Playing guitar and singing live
When: Summer 2016
Where: Corolla Beer Garden, Corolla, NC

You’re probably thinking: ‘this is just a photo of someone playing guitar and singing at some type of outdoor venue.’ And you would be correct. 

To me, however, this photo is worth a lot more than that. Looking at this photo brings back memories that I completely forgot existed. To me, this photo tells a story.

The hat: 
The fedora I’m wearing in this photo has a story of its own. I had been looking around for a hat like this for a while (I was trying to pull off some Jason Mraz vibes). One day, my uncle and I went to a small mom and pop shop in the middle of nowhere in search of some clothes. Unexpectedly, I found this fedora in the store, and the best part: it was only $5. I wore it a few times that summer but then lost it not too much later. Because I lost it about four years ago, I completely forgot about it and the story behind it. Looking back on this photo helped me remember the hat and the story that goes along with it. 

The weather:
If you look close enough, you will see that the glow on my face is mostly due to a layer of sweat on my face. This sweat, although slightly caused by nerves, was mostly due to the weather the night that I played. It was a hot and humid day. I remember that I actually had to turn the fan in the background on so I could get some sort of breeze. I also remember going through the water bottle sitting on the chair next to me in such a short time that I needed 2 more to get through the show. Once again, without this photo, I honestly would not remember any of the things I am describing right now.

The Story:
I found my dad’s old guitar in a closet at home in the summer of 2015. I didn’t even realize we had a guitar at home, so was happy to find one and have the opportunity to play one. I spent the next few months obsessed with the guitar, teaching myself song after song after song. Then I started teaching myself how to play and sing at the same time. This took some work but I ended up getting it down. By summer 2016, I was pretty comfortable with singing and playing at the same time, so I decided I would give it a shot in front of a bunch of random strangers. I thought it was a good idea at the time and had been encouraged by my family around me. As the day of performing drew closer, I began to realize that I was much more afraid of playing in front of a crowd than I had originally thought.

That Day:
Throughout the day I progressively became more wary of playing and less excited to give it a shot. I had never played in front of more than like 5 people. As I mentioned, it was a hot and humid day, so I was already sweating bullets. The nervousness just helped the sweat come out a little faster. I remember making the purple set book that had all the lyrics to the songs, just in case I forgot some mid-song. I remember setting up all of the equipment with my dad and thinking – “oh crap, I’m really about to do this.” Once I started playing, everything around me seemed to fade away. I stopped being nervous and just enjoyed sitting there singing and strumming away. In another photo from the same night, I can be seen smiling and talking to the crowd in between songs.

My Point:
The point of writing this is to encourage you to do the same. Look back at your old photos; find the stories in the small things that you do not think twice about on a daily basis. I forget about the fedora all the time, but when I see this photo, I can remember the story behind it like it happened yesterday. I can visualize this moment because I am fortunate enough to have this photograph from it.

Don’t just look back at old photos, take new ones. Take photos of anything you find interesting (or not), and then look back at them. You will be surprised how one photo can jog the memory of an entire adventure.

A picture is worth 1000 words. I’ve heard this phrase 1000 times before and I am sure I will hear it 1000 times again. The right picture, in my opinion, is worth much more than this. The right photo doesn’t have to be professionally taken. It doesn’t require an expensive camera. All it takes is a simple photo of something worth remembering. 

Practically everyone walks around with a camera in their pocket these days, so it is now easier than ever. Taking a photo is as quick and easy as pulling your phone out, and pressing only 2 buttons. 

In my opinion, candids are the best photos to take. 20 years ago, hardly anybody was taking candids. With most photographs being taken on film, photos were limited to the amount of film that one had. In this case, people aimed to get the best photos on their camera and refrained from taking candid photos. Now, in the age of digital storage, it is much easier to take more random photos. The other day I took a few photos of snow falling, because ‘why not.’ 

The main reason I vow for candids is simple: it captures life as it is. Sure, posing for photos is nice, but is it real? Are people smiling in the photo because they are happy, or, more likely, because they have been structured to do so in photographs? In a candid photo, this is eliminated. If someone is smiling in a candid, it is safe to assume that they were happy at the time of this photo. 

But now to the point of this post. A picture is worth 1000 memories. I’m sure if you have ever taken a look at old photos, you have had a feeling of nostalgia and have spent time trying to remember certain things about what was happening in that photo. For me, photos bring back memories that I forgot I had. 

I will be using this blog to share some photos I have of myself and other people/things that has brought back memories for me. I hope that this will inspire my readers to look at old photos and continue to take more.