A free-verse poem about vintage photographs versus today's digital images.
I’m old, born in 1944.
I’ve seen vintage photographs
that were taken of me and my family
throughout my entire childhood.
Many were displayed lovingly
in photograph albums with notes
handwritten by my mother.
These photographs were made with
the latest Kodak camera of that time.
It required first loading the roll of film manually,
taking an exposure with everyone staying very still,
manually advancing the film to the next frame,
using a new flashbulb for each indoor exposure,
then, after all the pictures on the role were exposed
(sometimes involving several occasions over months),
unloading the metal container housing the roll of film,
taking the roll to the local photo shop for developing,
returning a few days later for both the negatives
and the printed pictures themselves for first viewing.
Because of the trouble involved and the expense,
taking photographs was reserved for special occasions –
birthdays, Christmas, Easter’s new clothes and the loot
left by the Easter Bunny, school plays, graduations,
family gatherings for any special event from weddings,
to funerals to Thanksgiving Day feasting, and vacations.
Hence, these photographs marked important days
of one’s life growing up. They were special.
These photographs became family treasures.
Nowadays people take dozens and dozens
of pictures with their cellular telephones.
Selfies abound. Everyday events seem
to require documentation with copious pictures
shared on social media and in e-mails.
Oh, look. See what my lunch meal looks like.
Picture taking has lost its significance,
has become trivial in our modern culture.
Rarely does the digital image get printed
into an actual paper photograph.
Instead it becomes just another image lost
among hundreds stored on yet another disc
or it gets deleted as unworthy to keep.
As with most things that become abundant,
too commonplace, and easily accomplished,
taking photographs today has been devalued
and holds no special place in people’s hearts.
I’m not certain this is a good thing.
I see nothing wrong with modern digital photography. Yes, photography used to be a more skilled profession for those willing to work with toxic chemicals (a real pollution hazard) and, because of the cost and trouble, used only on special occasions.
But, I have seen nothing but improvement in photography and amateurs catching photographs that before only professional photographers were able to get. And, professional photographers today are benefiting from digital cameras and digital editing making their photography even more spectacular than it has ever been.
I recently scanned an entire album of my grandmother's with old pictures dating from 1900 to 1950 placed lovingly on black construction paper with little corner holders and white ink annotations marking the people and the occasion by my mother (she denies remembering doing it?) I scanned in high resolution so that the photos are even more easy to view and sent them out to all of my grandmother's descendents. Many did not know these pictures existed.
Perhaps "..Quiet Storm" will help rekindle old flames buried and long forgotten or express the love so deeply locked inside of your soul longing to be released.
Regardless of where you may be found in love this beautiful masterpiece can be
This book represents a thirty-day period of my poetry journal. Each poem addresses
the dominant thoughts occupying my mind during the early morning hours of a given
day.
WHISPERS OF THE HEART is artist and author J. Allen Wilson's second book of poetry.It can be autographed and shipped within 48 hours of order. NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
Share
Print
Save
Follow
I see nothing wrong with modern digital photography. Yes, photography used to be a more skilled profession for those willing to work with toxic chemicals (a real pollution hazard) and, because of the cost and trouble, used only on special occasions.
But, I have seen nothing but improvement in photography and amateurs catching photographs that before only professional photographers were able to get. And, professional photographers today are benefiting from digital cameras and digital editing making their photography even more spectacular than it has ever been.
I recently scanned an entire album of my grandmother's with old pictures dating from 1900 to 1950 placed lovingly on black construction paper with little corner holders and white ink annotations marking the people and the occasion by my mother (she denies remembering doing it?) I scanned in high resolution so that the photos are even more easy to view and sent them out to all of my grandmother's descendents. Many did not know these pictures existed.
Ron