When viewed by different eyes, the importance of various aspects of the same photo elicit different reactions in the viewers. This is brought out in a book called “Reading Photographs.” by Jonathan Bayer. If there are multiple people in a photo, the relationships between the subjects can sometimes be inferred from positions, facial expressions, or postures. Sometimes very little can be surmised, but the importance of a single subject may be evident.
I have always like objects such as fountain pens, cameras, and mechanical watches. In an antique mall or flea market many years ago, an old pocket watch attracted my attention because of its beautiful gold case. I examined the watch and by winding and shaking it I got it to run for a short time. It was cheap so I bought it and put it a box of other collectibles of passing interest. Years later, I came across the watch and started dabbling with it, but it would run for only a very short time.
It occurred to me that perhaps if I took off the back I might see what retarded the movement of a part. When the back was removed, a great surprise was in store. There tucked inside the back of the case was a photo of a young woman! She was dressed in what appeared to be a style popular in the 1920s or 1930s. The photo was permanently attached to the back of the watch and there were no identifying marking. Obviously she was so important to someone who always wanted to have her image near. Although nothing is known about the young woman in the photo, to me the important aspect of having the photo inside the watch was that it signified a very important relationship to the owner of the watch
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I have nothing against digital photography and use it a lot. But if photos are confined to cell phones or camera memory cards they may never be converted to solid, permanent form. It is convenient to share digital images, but the percentage of them that are retained, stored, and revisited is likely quite low. Film photography is in some ways archaic, but do not underestimate its value. Negatives can be scanned and converted to digital format so film photography represents the best of both world.
Photos record history. They illustrate relationships. They are important. I am sure that somewhere there is someone who would appreciate the photo that I have of an ancestor. Take photos and share them. Any pen can express ideas on paper and any camera can produce fascinating photos.
Written by guest author James House
