'...light the corners of my mind.
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were'
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were'
A great song from one of my favourite films 'The Way We Were' with Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford (who constantly reminds me of the similarities between Jennifer Aniston and Barbra Streisand and Brad Pitt looking like Robert Redford - or is just me?! ;)) ok, ok I'm going off on a tangent here!
This blog post is all about 'Memories' and I was inspired to write it after last weekend, when on an impromptu visit to my best friend's family home, for a long overdue catch-up to see her parents, (who practically adopted me from the age of 11!) her mother was sorting through a large box of loose photos. We all sat and went through them all, and looked at their wedding album. All the photographs were a treasure trove of great times, bad hairstyles, drunken nights, and great celebrations.
Times forgotten, the parties they hosted over the years, people that are sadly no longer with us, and the myriad of times gone by that were very enjoyable. They were there to reminisce over, to physically hold 'the past' in our hands, and in some ways reflect on how far we'd all come since those days.
There wasn't mobile phones back some 20+ years ago to take photographs with and instantly download to Facebook. We owned film cameras, with rolls of films that we gathered up over time and sent them all off in an envelope and waited on them to come back. There was none of the retaking of numerous photos in order to get the right angles - they were taken as is, bad angles and all, some out of focus and some we wondered how on earth did that get taken, who took it and what we were doing at the time.
Being in a very digital age, everything is uploaded and backed up on our computers, iPads, iPhones and media related sites. Every client wants the digital images, but then are just left on a disc or USB hidden in a drawer somewhere over time. We don't physically hold those memories. They are just on a flat screen at a flick of a button. I'm so encouraging of clients who come to me to own a print, a canvas, something physical to put on display, on a mantelpiece, on a chest drawer, on walls. To look up at from time to time. It's a conversation piece when people come round, it's a reminder of times gone by. Happy, wonderful moments, and some that we reflect on for different reasons.
Very philosophical thoughts, and so it should be. They are our little reminders of 'the way we were' (to quote the Barbra Streisand song). I love that certain aspects of our lives come to the fore every once in a while. Those photos we were looking through the other day was a classic example, and it's a very nostalgic feeling. Wedding albums are another heirloom piece, and one which I will be passing on to my children, and hopefully they will pass on to their future generations. They will get all the photos and the canvasses that we have taken over the years (and maybe they'll just be put away into a corner in their loft space) but over time they'll be reminded to take them down and look through them and remember their precious memories. It is all about making a personal timeline.
Because of this I thought of ways in which to get potential clients to realise that having something physical to hold on to is very important. So, I decided to introduce a hard cover, coffee table, bound book (10x10)* into the Full Newborn Photo Session Package (more details of the package can be found here). This sturdy, and very heavy book will be preserved in it's own box, and it will be a beautiful reminder of your precious baby**. Their very own first personal timeline.
*Other sizes are available at an additional cost, please enquire for more details and pricing.
**This coffee table book can also be purchased separately should you wish, for those of you who have had a newborn photo session with me previously, and/or for your baby, child or family session booked. Please enquire for more details.
