From life's greatest milestones to the smaller moments of joy and everything in-between ...
They say a photo is worth a thousand words, each with a story to tell. However, what happens when the memory attached to the image begins to fade? Is a part of the photo's significance lost ... A few hundred words deleted?
From personal experience, I would have to say yes. Countless times I have looked at an old family photo and wonder what story was unfolding before the people in the portrait. What were they trying to tell me? For the most part, I could guess. Smiling aunt hovering over candles on a cake, with it dated April 10th, 1982? Easy, her 16th birthday. Grandfather crouched close to the floor with his arms extended? Possibly, waiting for a grandchild to run in for a hug. But then there are photos a little harder to read. A photograph of a place you can't recall and faces you don't recognize, and a moment for which you know nothing. It's those images that sadden me. Who didn't get to share their story? What was forgotten?
When I was five and Sara was just born, I would use my parents' polaroid to take photos of family members. When I look at those photos, I remember the fondness of seeing the image manifest before my eyes, collecting them all in an old shoebox. Later, when I was in middle school, my mother had presented me with my first digital camera. It took three AA batteries and would die after thirty clicks of the button; nevertheless, I cherished the gift. Finally, when I entered high school, I purchased Nikon's D 3100 and really got into photography, taking several multi-media courses.
It was during my senior year of secondary school, I was able to exercise my hobby on a class trip to Europe. Touring historical sites in Spain and France, with my camera in hand, I was able to capture lovely memories. When I got home from the two-week adventure, I put together a scrapbook cataloging those moments to treasure forever. With pages dedicated to the many eye-opening experiences that one has while travelling through Europe, I told my story through the images so that I will never forget - stories like floating under the twinkling lights of the Effiel Tower on a riverboat tour of La Seine, or drinking a frothy horchata outside the City of Arts and Sciences museum in Valencia.
It wasn't until the summer of 2017 that I heard about Project Life as Sara gifted me with a card set and photo album for my 22nd birthday. Created by Becky Higgins, Project Life heightens the purposes of a traditional photo album as it blends photos and their stories together using storytelling prompts on journal cards. With the materials I was given, I was able to document the entire summer and have since designed five additional volumes.
This week on S+C's YouTube channel, I gave a walkthrough of the latest addition to my Project Life albums! Watch the video here, and comment below if you would like to see the other albums I have created! I think it would be an entertaining way for you all to learn more about Sara and myself.
"A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away." ― E. Welty
As Welty's words express, a photo keeps a moment from slipping through time, but documenting it will keep it alive. Overall, I am glad to have found a hobby such as Project Life. I can showcase the photos I have taken in a way that their stories will never be forgotten, providing me with some reassurance to the questions I posed at the beginning of this article.
Warm Regards,
Carmelina
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