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Photo Journaling
for putting pictures and stories together
Summarizing the idea: Gather together some of your
favorite photos, or even those odd photos that bring to mind
some funny memories, and write down the stories that these photographs
tell. The memories don't even have to be specifically about
the picture itself; any stories that the photos bring to mind
will be just as loved.
While
you may not be able to get a thousand words out of all of your
pictures, your photographs definitely tell a story. Or even
many stories. Looking through photographs stimulate our memories
in a way that few other things can. We often remember not only
what was happening at the time the photograph was taken, but
we may remember little things that have nothing to do with the
photographs. All of these memories are valuable as we recall
the stories of our relationships with those now gone.
Putting
together an album of pictures and memories of our loved one
will help others remember and get to know her better. This kind
of album would be perfect, for example, for a widower who was
left with young children who were never able to get to know
their mother very well. Separate albums with copies of the photos
and stories could be made for each of the children and would
allow them to come to know their mother as an individual, and
not just a mother. Here are some ideas:
- Go through your photographs and pick out ones that make
you smile or remind you of things you did with your loved
one. Don't worry if you look through the photos and feel you
don't remember a whole lot. Chose ones that evoke feelings
or even small "snapshots" of memories; as you recall
the small things you do remember, more details will come to
your mind. This can be done with friends and family as well
- someone else's memories may trigger your own.
- Make notes about the stories you remember as you are selecting
the photographs. You may not remember later why you picked
a certain one out.
- Tangents - memories that are only remotely related to the
photo you're looking at - aren't annoying at all, as they sometimes are in real life. In fact, they add
a great deal to the stories behind the photos, rounding out
some of the memories that may not be as complete.
- Finally, collect and present your memories in a way that
you and others will be able to look through them whenever
you wish. Using photo albums and scrapbooks are usually the
easiest ways to showcase your memories (see Gathering
and Organizing the Stories). Also determine if
you want to share copies of the album with others:
- If you will be giving copies to other adults, you could
use larger full page albums. Mount the photo on a piece
of paper and write your stories and memories alongside
it.
- If, on the other hand, you'll want to share albums with
young children, you might want to use smaller albums so
that they can hold the books and look through them with
their little hands. The small albums that take 4"x6"
photographs could be used - insert a photograph in one
slot, then write the story on a 4"x6" card (or
cards) and insert it into the next picture slot.
- In either case, write on just one side of the paper
so that you don't have to remove the papers to read any
writing on the back.
Here
are a couple articles that give ideas on how to write about
your photographs. Even though they are about helping you write
your own memories, and you are writing your memories about another
person, both will give you good ideas on how to get started:
If you have any other tips in how photo journaling can help
preserve your memories, please e-mail
me and I'd be happy to include them on the site.
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Remembering a Loved One
Collecting Stories from Others
Preserving Your Own Memories
Gathering Memorabilia and Treasures
Creating an Online Memorial
Paying Tribute during Special Occasions
Books about Remembering
Preservation/Care
Things to Keep in Mind
record the memories of a
male friend or relative
"Photographs are precious memories
. . . the visual evidence of place and time and relationships
. . . ritual talismans for the treasure chest of the heart."
~ Robert Fulghum, in From Beginning to
End
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