Preserving and awakening memories in photography by Philip Richter

'Mist at Box Hill' - Copyright 2020 - Philip Richter. All Rights Reserved.

Photos have a unique ability to freeze a moment of time. Once the shutter button is pressed, that moment is preserved for posterity, if you choose to keep the image. When first invented, Oliver Wendell Holmes called photography ‘the mirror with a memory’. Back in the day, we recorded the past in diaries and autobiographies, now it’s more likely to be in the images in your photos or social media account.

  

Photos can trigger our memories, like certain smells or tastes. Recently, like you I guess, I’ve been sorting through boxes of old photos and slides, passed down from my late parents. It’s a bewildering task as I don’t recognise everyone in the photos and few are captioned. Which to keep and which to discard? One image that stopped me in my tracks was a small monochrome photo of our front room, empty of people, evidently taken in my early childhood. It immediately unlocked many happy memories of that room, that for nearly sixty years had lain forgotten. Another arresting image was a colour slide of people chatting outside the Methodist Church we attended in West London, taken after a morning service in probably the mid-1960s. It was fascinating to be reminded of these people and also to notice our ethnic diversity and the fact that almost all the women wore hats to church!

Discovering those two photos, it struck me that perhaps we don’t take enough photos of ordinary everyday scenes, items and activities. We often restrict our photography to commemorating family occasions or documenting our holidays. If you have a smartphone you always have a camera with you, so why not take more photos of how things are during this very unexpected period in our history – especially of instances of kindness and hope? Such images could be invaluable to historians in the future and could awaken memories for those who by then will have become the older generation.

It struck me, too, that we owe it to children and grandchildren to caption our photos, by writing on the back or tagging them if they’re digital. Otherwise, how will they know why and when we took the image and who features in the picture? There is, incidentally, something potentially very evocative about writing on a photo. It lends your voice, as it were, to the photo and links the photo intimately to you – to your unique handwriting. Now, while we’re necessarily spending more time than usual at home, could be a great opportunity to write some of those captions. Naturally, it’s worth regularly printing some of your photos, individually or as a photobook, otherwise your memories are too reliant on digital media, which can fail or become obsolescent.

Photography can be a great way of maintaining your wellbeing, at any age. It can get you out of the house and boost your creativity, independence, and mobility. Photographers sometimes talk about their camera ‘taking them for a walk’. It’s a good excuse to get out and about and you don’t have to go far: you can start in your own back garden - now that spring is here there will be a variety of colours and shapes for the camera. Try focussing on small details as well as the general picture. It might also be a chance to make more abstract images. It’s also worth deliberately doing your photography at different times of day, to experiment with the effects of changing light. Hopefully, photography will help you preserve some good memories and experiences during these very challenging times.  

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Each day, we will post a short article by one of Darton, Longman and Todd’s amazing authors, offering a personal reflection on our current situation in life. Sometimes this will be written with reference to one of their books, and sometimes about how they are living in response to the coronavirus and our current world situation. We hope it will give you a taste of the depth and diversity of DLT’s list – books for heart, mind and soul that aim to meet the needs and interests of all.

Today’s post is by Philip Richter, author of Spirituality in Photography: Taking pictures with deeper vision. You can buy a copy here.

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SPIRITUALITY  IN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD 2020

This week we are excited to announce the return of the Spirituality in Photography Award for 2020. Entry is now open to all comers. Guidelines on how to enter can be found at www.spiritualityinphotography.com . The eventual winner will be chosen by our judging panel in September and will be given £50 to spend on books about spirituality.

2020 will be the fourth consecutive year that the award has taken place. The winning photos from previous years are featured below.

As the extent of the Covid-19 epidemic becomes clear we thought it might be a good time to encourage people to get creative. Entries to the 2020 competition with the theme of hope are encouraged but, ultimately, all photos reflecting the uncertainty of the present time or the spiritual moods of any other are very welcome and will be judged on equal merit.

All entries will be publicised on social media and published on the competition website. Happy snapping!

  "Crossing Place: In life’s journey we cross many thresholds. Where will the path lead afterwards? ". Copyright 2017 - Jonathan Tallon. All Rights Reserved.

“Great things are done when men and mountains meet". Copyright 2018 - Kristy Langdale. All Rights Reserved.

"Reaching for the light". Copyright 2019 - Jonathan Tallon. All Rights Reserved.