Make a Book

Why not create a book about your parents' life?  Or the life of someone special.  Technology has changed printing so much that it is possible to create a hard copy book with text and colour photos for little cost.

There are so many organisations now that will do it - and you should be able to purchase a small number at reasonable price.

Have a look at the various online options.  There are many - but I suggest that first of all you create the text you want and choose a range of photos.   I am familiar with Blurb - but confess I have not done one yet.  I actually have one almost ready to print.   Snapfish is another program that you can use.  Have a look and check the costs.

This is an ideal way to create that special book for a anniversary or special event.  
 

You can use text, photos, artwork - whatever you wish. 

 

On the Value of Photographs

Photos can help to tell a story - and are invaluable in writing biographies, or history.  Often it is not just the key subject matter, but the background - the story behind the story.

An interesting article this morning (January 7th, 2014) about a photographer who was taking photos in the cold of a young man trying to get warm on a grate in New York and when the photo was published, the man was recognised as someone missing for several days.


"Martin, the AP photographer, said the episode serves as a reminder to journalists that every person they encounter has a story to tell.

"It's really gratifying to see that a photograph can make a tangible difference in someone's life. That's a really amazing thing to have happened," she said. "I'm happy and touched that the photograph could help reunite this family.""

I noted the words "every person they encounter has a story to tell".


One photo I found in my "archives" recently tells something interesting - the ladies were all trainee nurses with me and the photo was taken at one of the local country Ball's.  It was a feature of our life in the country during the "ball season" - but what does the photo tell us?

The photo was taken around 1965 - and I am still in contact with one of the ladies in the picture.  You can see that we were all dressed formally with long white gloves, drinking tea and earring biscuits at supper no doubt.  Look at the "hair do's", the clothing, the expressions on the face, the simple jewellery (or lack of it).  The photo was in black and white - coloured photos were not the norm!

 

The following photo is around 100 years old - again it is black and white - but what can you learn from this photo?

 

 

 

 

Do you digitise all your photos?  Do you share only online or do you print photos?  Do you have a photo album?

 

 

I have many photos in my computer and on hard drives, but the only ones I sit, persuse and study are the hard copy ones.  To me they are more valuable than the digital ones. 

 

 

When I am old and in a nursing home, the ones in my computer will be lost to me - the hard copy ones I can spend time revisiting old times!!!