The Most Photographed Generation

Our children are certainly the most photographed generation in history, between print photographs, digital photographs from cameras and phones, Tweets, videos, Instagram posts, Snapchats, and much more. When I talk to people about their pictures, the focus quite often seems to be on making sure their digital images are backed up, followed by having them organized. I completely understand why.

When I was a child, with my first little 110 Instamatic camera, I took pictures in sets of 12. Today with my phone and DSLR I take pictures in the 100’s. It’s so easy to do! The challenge we face is in dealing with the 100’s of pictures, as it can feel quite overwhelming. So we look for simple solutions that will make us feel like we’ve HANDLED it and can move on.

I completely agree that backing up your digital images is extremely important. One computer crash can be horrible if you don’t back your things up. Having organized images and prints is also key, so that you can find things when you look for them. I regularly help my clients with organizing both digital and print images, and can attest to that feeling of satisfaction when everything is in it’s correct place, labeled and ready to be used, found, enjoyed, etc.

Here is my question though. Back when we took pictures in sets of 12, we would print them, choose a really good one to frame and hang up, carry them in our wallets, tuck them into the side of a mirror in our room, give them to friends, make scrapbooks with little stories about the picture, write the date and information about the picture on the back,etc. I don’t think we are doing much of this today. We share our digital images online, and I love the ability to do so easily and quickly! I use Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in touch with friends and family. Every now and then, though, I wonder……

Is there any program or technology that I am using that I believe will still be around in 15 years? 20 years? 25 years? Probably not. So here is my thought for the day. I think that this most photographed generation deserves to have some of their best pictures USED for something. Make something with them. It can be as simple as a mousepad for your desk, or a framed print, or a notecard. Take your pictures out and find your favorite – the first favorite you come across – and enjoy it! Remember when you took the picture and why. Think about the place or people in the picture. Tell the story behind the picture to someone you love. Don’t these amazing images we are all producing deserve that once in a while?

As I sit here at my desk, I realize that I am not immune to leaving the images trapped in my computer or box, but I have used pictures in things that make me smile all the time. I have favorite pictures of my children framed in our family room, and I can remember the day I took them. I have a great picture of my husband and children that I turned into a mouse pad, the coaster on my desk is a picture of my husband’s flower garden last year, and I ‘grabbed’ a bunch of pictures from my daughter’s Instagram account last December to create a calendar for her. There are so many things we can do with our pictures. Let’s just enjoy them!

I am happy to help anyone make something with their pictures, just ask!