Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Pictures and Cameras


This week I have started a project of scanning  old pictures from albums: the kind of albums with sticky pages and plastic coverings.  Over the years, most of the coverings have come lose and many of the pictures have come unstuck, falling out when the albums are opened.  I had also taken out a lot of the pictures to use when I wrote my book for the grandchildren.  Mama had given me two of her albums and others to my sister.  There are several pictures with no name(s), and while I remember some of them I want to record the ones I do know.

We didn't have a camera when I was little, so there are very few pictures from my early childhood. The pictures I have were mostly made by relatives who had come to visit my grandma, and some by the local photographer whose office was up a long flight of stairs in a building downtown on Main Street. 



Working with these pictures made me think of my passion for cameras in years past.  ( I wrote about the first camera I had in a post for August 17, 2011, The Camera.)   My sister, Wanda, bought a real camera while she was in high school and  my first real camera was given to me when I was in high school.  We only used black and white film; colored pictures were just too expensive for us. 

When the Farmer and I became seriously involved, we each chipped in $15.00 and ordered a 35mm camera from Sears, Roebuck, which was replaced several years later by a better 35mm, and we were able to make colored slides with it.  We took lots and lots of black and white pictures of our little girls too (duplicates show up everywhere!), especially after the Farmer began developing his own film.  He set up a darkroom in the bathroom and when the two oldest girls were teens, photography became a hobby for them.   (My maternal grandfather had his darkroom set up in his cellar in the 20s and the pictures were printed on postcard sized paper.)

How things have changed in just the last few years!  I now have a small digital camera but I can't take very good pictures with it because of hand tremors.  It has advantages over those first cameras though.  With those first black and white pictures, it might take weeks to complete the roll of film, then the roll had to be packaged up and mailed to be developed, and then returned, only to find some of the pictures were no good.  New cameras give one the option to delete anything she doesn't like.

And now there's the cellphone technology: instant viewing and sharing, even videos.  What can possibly be next?

Whew!  This is long!
Charlotte

14 comments:

  1. It is so wonderful that you can scan and save those old pictures. Digital photography has changed the way we look at and keep pictures.

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  2. I had to grin while reading this, it brought back memories. I had one of those instant cameras when I was in high school. They were black and white photos, but it was fun to watch them develop. I don't have that many photos from when I was young, but I do have slides that need to be converted. My dad had a 35mm camera, I don't know why they are all slides, must have been popular at the time. My cabinet has albums that are coming apart and falling out also. I have considered starting a project of scanning all the photos, but it seems so overwhelming. Seems like I have so many photos I took of our children and vacations that need to be culled through to pick the good ones. Hats off to you for getting that done!

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    1. We have tray after tray of slides. Two years ago the Farmer bought a scanner with a tray to hold slides so they can be converted into photos and put into the pictures folder? It does take a lot of time. I used my light box to choose the slides I wanted to convert. Actually, I don't care as much about pictures as most people do. :( I've made envelopes of pictures for all the grandchildren to have once they get "settled" somewhere.

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  3. Talk about a trip down Memory Lane... You were a real cutie! I remember how excited we were when the developed photos came in the mail.

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  4. It's fun looking at old photos. Does anyone have theirs organized? Not me! Maybe some day. I'm like you, I have some photos set aside for my grandchildren. Be sure to show us some more lovely pictures of you and your family.

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  5. I think you have a winter long project. I too scan the old ones and then crop them and save them in folders in My Pictures on my computer. My mother was big into taking color slides, so I few years ago, I sent them all in to a company and had them put on DVD's. They also sent me pictures files so I can access them on my computer. I have a digital camera too and have notice that lately, most of my photos come out blurry--because of the hand tremors.

    The Doc says there's nothing to be done about these tremors. Essential Benign Tremors--not the beginning of Parkinson's--just tremors. I suppose in a few years, we will get the "old lady" shaking of the head? Mine started in my right hand years ago and has now spread to my left hand. Makes it very difficult to eat soup, thread a needle, write, crochet, knit, cross stitch--all those things I like to do. Oh well--onward and upward--ever forward!

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  6. There are times when I do have the shaking of the head, and even all inside. Two of my daughters shake too, and they're only in their 50s; it makes it stressful to eat in public. So far I'm still able to quilt and crochet, but on some days my right hand has to chase down the quilt because the left hand, underneath the quilt, bounces it around. Typing is becoming difficult for me, but ~ as you say, onward and upward! :)

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  7. Wow, so good to be able to scan those. I know what you mean about the albums. I need to be doing the same thing this winter if I was able. I had a black and white camera when i was a teenager that I bought with my own money after I went to work on my first job. I was so proud of that camera and it was the first one our family ever had. Like you, friends and family members took pictures over the years and that's the only older ones we have. I now have a Digital myself but I can't take good pictures either. Things sure have come a long ways.

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  8. I think it is great that you are scanning and preserving your family pictures. How exciting that you use to develop your own film. Time has changed so much over my life time and I can't imagine what it will bring to my grandchildren. Although sometime I think the things they do to make our lives easier...just makes days harder trying to learn new ways.

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  9. I've just found your blog and could sit here all night reading posts. Oh my goodness, things you write about sound so familiar, like the camera. My sister got a camera for Christmas back in the 50's. So, she took pictures. I don't remember mama or daddy ever taking any pictures, or having a camera. My interests are chickens, animals, aprons, and dolls. In fact, I just found a pretty American Girl Doll at Goodwill and I am tickled to death. I brought her home to make clothes for her. So, lil red hen, I'm glad to meet you and want to follow your blog. I will be back to read more.

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    1. Henny Penny, welcome to this humble, simple blog! We surely must have several things in common! I'm thrilled to meet someone with interests the same as mine. Sometimes I feel like a country bumpkin with nothing of interest to write about. I'll find your blog and read your postings.

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  10. Nice memories. My hubby turned my pantry into a dark room. He had a lot of fun and gave us lots of photos. Hugs, LJ

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