Value of photography.......

[MJ224]

I have just returned from the funeral of a friend's wife. She died of cancer, aged low 60's.

I had never met her, but several of us friends went to support the widower.

At the service, there was a TV, showing the photos of the lady's life, from a babe to a very recent photo.

These photos of someone's life are very important, and I felt that I knew her by the end of the service.

We all know the value of these family photos, I am just blurting out my feelings...

Thanks for reading...

[Bikie John]

Indeed. I often feel that those photos of friends and family are the most important. It doesn't matter that they are out of focus, somebody blinked or there is a lamp post growing out of someone's head, they are the ones that will contain and provoke the memories. I sometimes wonder if we are wasting our time trying to catch the perfect landscape / sporting move / animal / stranger in the street - that stuff may be impressive at the time, but without the personal connection its long-term value is pretty limited.

John

[R99C99]

My kids are still kids (ish) and even reviewing the progression of them growing up over the last decade brings joy right now. Documenting a person's life even informally through the years is the most valuable thing coming from my photography.

[tmp]

good point.
i have two smalls and a teen. i often wonder if i should leave the camera at home more times than i do when we go out to do 'family' things. i doubt the kids appreciate "now" the photographs being captured as much as they (hopefully) may later in life.

[pdk42]

I agree Mark. Photos are a great way of preserving the past and marking the important events in our lives. For my son's 21st birthday last year, I put together a little album of 21 photos, just postcard size, showing him in each of those 21 years. Of all the things he got for his birthday, it was this little album that touched him the most.

[Phill D]

That's a brilliant idea Paul, nice one.

[TravelingChick]

What a lovely gift. He will treasure it.

[Mark2112]

Thanks for your profound thought Mark.

[Scottwin]

I wholeheartedly agree Mark. I had similar thoughts last year at the funeral of a much respected and valued colleague in his early forties. The slideshow of photos of his early life through his teenage years, his work, to him with his young family was poignant and heart-warming in equal measure and was a lovely memorial.

[TravelingChick]

At my father's funeral several years ago, the photo table was the gathering point. So many people stopped to share a memory or ask about a particular moment. Those 'snaps' were where the memories were.

[MK1]

It's definitely true. As being the major photographer to my family so many precious images have been made and when people pass away they are invaluable

[MK1]

This photo is very poignant to us it's my father in law in his last week of life and behind him is is wedding photo he hadnjust said to me "I have had a good life "
Taken on a Ricoh GRiii ( must get another one)

[Dave in Wales]

That is true if the photographs are still available, gone are the days of the 'biscuit tin' with all the 'snaps' from over the years.

Although we still have one it's not been added to due to digital photography.

Digital is transient, will my kids be bothered to search SD cards......I don't think so.

[moggi1964]

That's why I think it is important to print photo's, Dave. It'll only be a handful of all the digital shots I have taken but I feel like it goes some way to ensuring some survive.

[MJ224]

Well, I have a daughter who is coming up to half a century, I am scouring both photo albums, and my old hard drives for photos... whether they will do the same I don't know........

[wornish]

Couldn't agree more with your OP Mark.

Been there and still look back at the photos of my wife. They were happy days and are captured in photos.

[Wookie]

they did that at my aunts funeral, such an amazing, beautiful woman/mother /wife/aunt etc and the photos highlighted everything. Loads of tears but also laughter, the later was intended and what she wanted.