Do you have a favorite photo that brings a smile to your face every time you view it? Share your thoughts or memories in the comments below.
My new favorite commercial features a smartphone with pictures singing to its owner: “Don’t let me go” while the owner’s finger hovers over the delete button. Not only does the owner resist the temptation, but they snap another. Those could easily be my photos singing to me. I have 32,611 images and 3,003 videos on my phone. And I’ll whip it out anywhere to show or send pictures and videos of what happened ten minutes or ten years ago. But that immediacy comes with a trade-off. I miss sitting on the couch with a three-pound photo album across my lap and a stack of six more at my feet with whoever has the pleasure of my storytelling about the ‘good old days.’
Things changed when smartphones came on the scene. Now, I can capture any moment, all the time. But that, too, came with a trade-off. I take more pictures than is possible to print and put into photo albums. Now, my albums are on my phone and social media platforms. But, while I enjoy them when I post them and read the comments, I eventually forget about them.
I’m on a quest to get those photos off my phone and into my life where I can enjoy the milestones, memories, and special moments again and again.
My favorite one is a digital display. When we got home from my son’s wedding in Punta de Mita, we had loads of videos and pictures because everyone shared what they had on their smartphones. I let our Gen X and Gen Y combine my favorites into reels, uploaded them to the cloud, and played them on our refrigerator. The reception dancing made me laugh, the tender moments between the newlyweds made me cry, and the beach scenes had me planning the next family getaway. Our guests love them too at every gathering. Next up, a digital desktop frame and a generational collage that will stream on the family room TV.
I’m not stopping there, though. Here’s my to-do list: