Entries tagged as ‘Photos’
In this Monday’s Link Roundup, STORY in Photography is a fascinating look into the challenges of telling a story in a single photograph. And if you’re a nut about fonts, don’t miss Graphic Content | A Fount of Fonts.
- 101 Best Genealogy Websites of 2010. “From state vital records and censuses to historical books and immigration data, this year’s 101 Best Websites list features tools that can bust your brick walls — but not your budget.”
- STORY in Photography. “An understanding of the elements of story and how they can be incorporated into your images will make stronger images…Four aspects of storytelling come to mind as I consider the unique challenges of storytelling within the confines of a single photographic frame; themes that tie the image to our deeper, more universal human experience; conflict; mystery; and the relationships between the characters.”
- Graphic Content | A Fount of Fonts. “Tipoteca Italiana is a private foundation that was founded in 1995 to advance printing knowledge and preserve venerable printing technologies. Its founder, Silvio Antiga, a 65-year-old printer who owns a printing firm in the Veneto region, has collected more than 20 vintage presses and typesetting machines, along with hundreds of wood and metal type “fonts.” The smartly designed, modern museum includes a working print shop, which employs master craftsmen who hand-set type and pull proofs. It is open to the public — more than 8,000 people visit each year — and has become a mecca for designers and students from all over the world.” [Thanks to APH member Marcy Davis for alerting me to this item.]
- U.S. public libraries: We lose them at our peril. “The U.S. is beginning an interesting experiment in democracy: We’re cutting public library funds, shrinking our public and school libraries, and in some places, shutting them altogether…The school libraries and public libraries in which we’ve invested decades and even centuries of resources will disappear unless we fight for them. Those in cities that haven’t preserved their libraries, those less fortunate and baffled by technology, and our children will be the first to suffer. But sooner or later, we’ll all feel the loss as one of the most effective levelers of privilege and avenues of reinvention — one of the great engines of democracy — begins to disappear.” [Thanks to cj madigan of Shoebox Stories for alerting me to this item.]
- Step-by-Step Guide to Oral History. “Your stories and the stories of the people around you are unique, valuable treasures for your family and your community. You and your family members can preserve unwritten family history using oral history techniques…As a door into the world of oral history, these pages give basic suggestions for collecting and preserving the valuable oral treasures around you, to enrich you and future generations.”
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Categories: Monday's Link Roundup
Tagged: best genealogy websites, book publishing, Fonts, genealogy, George Carlin, Graphics, life story, link roundup, oral history guide, Photos, U.S. Public Libraries
I’m constantly on the outlook for innovative ways to record life stories. I recently came across Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows XP. It’s free but you must be running an “activated” version of either: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Media Center Edition, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. You can download Photo Story 3 here.
I think this is a great program for honoring special events such as wedding anniversaries, graduation or retirement. Here’s a brief summary of what it can do:
Create slideshows using your digital photos. With a single click, you can touch-up, crop, or rotate pictures. It’s that easy! Add stunning special effects, soundtracks, and your own voice narration to your photo stories. Then, personalize them with titles and captions. Small file sizes make it easy to send your photo stories in an e-mail. Watch them on your TV, a computer, or a Windows Mobile–based portable device. (source Microsoft)
For a Beginner’s Guide to Photo Story 3 click here.
If you’ve used Microsoft Photo Story 3 for capturing some aspect of a life story, I’d love to hear from you. Tell me how you used it and what you think of the the program.
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Categories: How to · Life stories · Photos · Resources · Tips
Tagged: digital slide shows, How to, life story, Microsoft Photo Story 3, Photos, Resources, Tips
If you want photo tips, DIY photo projects or news on the latest camera gear, go to Photojojo. It’s a great site. One of their ideas, a photo history, is a novel approach for personal historians to consider. For a special anniversary or birthday, a photo history of the year the event occurred would be a wonderful gift.
Start by going to Google Image Search or Flickr and search for images from the year in question. Also look for events that happened in that year. Find out what cars people were driving. Who were the movie stars? What were the newest kitchen appliances? These will give you leads in your search for other photos.
After you have a good selection of pictures, you can organize them in any number of ways such as a Photo Book, Photo Blog, or Photo Collage.
Here’s a small sample of Flickr photos from 1939, the year my parents were married:
Phoenix car dealer, 1939
Gone With The Wind, 1939 - Clark Gable & Vivien Leigh
1939 Kodak Brownie
Collage photo by Cactus
Gone With The Wind Flickr photo Michael Heilemann
Kodak Brownie photo by Zoë
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Categories: How to · Life stories · Personal historian · Photos · Resources · Tips
Tagged: How to, life story, photo book, photo collage, photo history, Photojojo, Photos
Dawn - Then and Now (not from The Oxford Project)
Thanks to my colleague Larry Lehmer at Passing It On for alerting me to this wonderful story. In 1984 Peter Feldstein put up a handmade sign saying he wanted to photograph everyone in the town of Oxford, Iowa (pop. 673). He converted an abandoned storefront on Main Street into a makeshift studio.The project was a success. He capture 670 of the townsfolk. Twenty-one years later he returned to re-photograph the same people. Some had died and some had moved away but many were still living in Oxford. This time he brought a writer who told the participants they could talk about anything in their lives so long as they told “the truth”. The result is a poignant and spellbinding book, The Oxford Project, which the Philadelphia Inquirer described as: ... a still-life documentary, a narrative about change. This huge, handsome book, with its gatefold photographs, its maps and memories, offers a fascinating piece of contemporary history, a treasure of social and cultural commentary. You can read more about the Project by clicking here.
The Oxford Project made me think how we can be far more creative with the way in which we use family photos in our life story endeavors. Like The Oxford Project, you could try to find two photos of the same family member taken in the same location but separated by a significant span of time. You could then arrange these photos side by side to show the passage of years. Or you might create a photo block made up of all the photos of a family member arranged from the earliest baby pictures through to their adult years.
You could also show the changes in your community by finding an early archival photo of a particular location and then taking a picture of the same view today. Putting the photos side by side will provide a dramatic visual telling of the changes that have come about. You can find some wonderful examples here from the Then and Now group on Flickr.
Let me know what creative photo techniques you’ve used in telling your family story. Leave a comment below and share your ideas with others.
Photo by Michael Summers
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Categories: How to · Life stories · Photos · Tips
Tagged: life story, personal history, Photos, The Oxford Project
My great uncle George's daughters, Fan & Kit
My mom is ninety. Her mind is clear but she has congestive heart failure and we both know that her time is limited. With her death goes the knowledgeable custodian of several boxes of old sepia colored photographs of relatives long passed. With a sense of urgency we’ve embarked on a methodical recording and preserving of these photos. If you’re in a similar situation you might find what we’re doing of some value.
- Step one: Mom takes a pencil (not a pen) and on the back of each photo she lightly writes index numbers starting with 001, the first photo. In a notebook she writes down the number. Beside it, as best she can recall, she indicates: (a) the names of the people in the photo and their family connection, (b) where the photo was taken, (c) the occasion (i.e., birthday, wedding, picnic, travels etc.) and (d) the date. On the next photo she writes 002 and proceeds to write down the details as she did for the first photo. At this point we’re not worrying about sorting the photos thematically – that can come later.
- Step two: As Mom completes a set of photos I take them and scan them into my computer and carefully include the index number and description. We are now about half way through her collection. After I’ve scanned the photos I place them in an archival, acid free box. You can obtain these through such companies as Archival Methods, Carr McLean or The Container Store.
- Step three: We haven’t got to this stage yet. But once I’ve made a digital copy of each photo there are a number of presentation options available – one that I’m considering is a Photo Book. I’ll most likely group the photos thematically and include the description that my mom’s written for each photo. There are a number of web based publishers like Blurb that specialize in Photo Books.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get those old family photos out of storage and begin the work of archiving them. Let me know what you’re doing to preserve your family photos. Love to hear from you!
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Categories: Ancestors · How to · Photos · Preservation · Tips
Tagged: archival, How to, Photos, Preservation, Tips
The following poem, whose author is unknown, speaks to the fate of all of us if we don’t take the time to tell the stories behind our photographs.
Strangers In A Box
Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I’ve often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, and serene.
I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories,
Are lost among my socks.
I wonder what their lives were like,
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I’ll never know their ways.
If only someone had taken time,
To tell, who, what, where, and when,
These faces of my heritage,
Would come to life again.
Could this become the fate,
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories,
Someday to be passed away?
Take time to save your stories,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours,
Could be strangers in the box.
Categories: Ancestors · Life stories · Photos
Tagged: Life stories, Photos, poem, strangers
When I find an outstanding blog or article I like to share my discovery.
I was impressed by a guest post I found today and wanted to share it with you. It’s called Storytelling With Photos written by Kim O’Neill Screen. She has her own site called Good Stock which offers high quality printing and binding services.
Kim describes several creative ways that photos can be used to enhance your family story. Whether you’re new to doing a personal history or an old hand, I think you’ll find Kim’s article worth reading.
from Storytelling With Photos
Categories: How to · Life stories · Photos
Tagged: creativity, How to, personal history, Photos, storytelling
