Et cetera : The Open Book

Oh, Snap!

Photography is on my mind this week for a few reasons, but mainly because my daughter just had her Senior Pictures taken. An emotional milestone to say the least! Photographs are so intwined with my most cherished memories, I often find myself wondering if I remember an event, or if I just remember that I have a photo of the event. Either way, the photo allows me to go back to the moments and relive the joy.

I'm currently reading "Still Pictures: On Photography and Memory" by Janet Malcom. The back cover reads "There is a box in my apartment labeled "Old Not Good Photos." This is an understatement. Most of the photos are two-and-a-half-inch squares, showing little blurred black-and-white images, taken from too far away, of people whose features you can barely make out, standing or sitting alone or in groups, against backgrounds of gray uninterestingness. They are like the barely flickering dreams that dissipate as we awaken, rather than the self-important ones that follow us into the day and seem to be crying out for interpretation. However, as psychoanalysis has taught us, it is the least prepossessing dreams, disguised as such to put us off the scent, that sometimes bear the most important messages from inner life. So, too, some of the drab little photographs, if stared at long enough, begin to speak to us." It currently has a 3.97/5 rating on Goodreads out of 72 reviews. I haven't gotten far, but it fits in well with my photography state of mind. Consider checking it our for your next nonfiction read!

We're celebrating National Photography Day by having a Photography Contest here at the library! We're looking for your favorite Summer Vacation Photos. That could be from a trip you took, from your own backyard, or anywhere in between. Judging will be held on Saturday, August 19th with prizes given to the Top Adult and Top Child entry. This event will be fun for the whole family and is open to all patrons ages 5 and up. Stop into the library for complete rules and registration information.

Of all of the changes in technology I have experienced in my lifetime, the changes in photography and videography are among the most dramatic. We had a Polaroid camera, and later a camera that printed the month and date in the lower corner of the square photograph. My best friend had a camcorder that let us record directly onto a VHS tape, and we were among the first to get disposable cameras. I remember having an underwater digital camera as well; we'd turn the entire camera in at the photo store and stop back in a week to check out the pictures we took! My husband and I had a video camera that recorded onto a small disk, we had a digital camera that used an SD card, and now with phones we no longer use anything else! If you're like me, going back through the various phones and cameras in order to find the photos I'm looking for can be a challenge; that's why the book 'Declutter Your Photo Life' by Adam Pratt is so appealing to me. According to his bio, he 'helps people enjoy their photos again by turning their photo chaos into precious memories they can enjoy and share' (p.iii). Check it out if you're interested in getting your photos more organized!