To think every picture really does tell a story ?

[Jumell]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently after looking back over some old childhood photos.

I hated school - the only thing I liked about my childhood was comics and TV. I can see why - because in some the photos of childhood picnics etc /sports day - other parents were there - smiling indulgently and looking on - my parents OTOH - are no where to be seen.

Also I’ve just looked online at a family Xmas photo. The person who is awkward socially and is marginalised is relegated to the back of the photo and is putting on this zany fake smile as if she’s massively overcompensating and the more confident /dominant ones are looking more relaxed and in the front. The person is one of my old school friends and sadly had this role at school and in our younger days as well.

Not necessarily ( but I do see your point ) my dad was never in any family or friends photos especially I'm my early years , as I got old he is in a few but looks very pensive..
That's because he always took the photos as he was a very keen photographer .
As I got older he allowed me to handle his very expensive camera hence him looking pensive.

He had a lot of trust in you ❤️

He did indeed , the camera was a cannon , he saved up for months and months for it , 8t cost him nearly a months wages in about 1978/9.
I still have it but unfortunately the lens is past its best

I’ve got some cameras I think one might be a Cannon

Thing is no one really does ‘cameras’ - even digital ones as such any more do they ?!

I'm rarely in my kids' pictures because I was the one taking them, I'm also highly un-photogenic!

I have a couple , I think one is Nikon and pratica ( sp ?) But the cannon is my favourite it's a weighty thing but with practice it's easy to use .
Your right tho people rely on their phones now which is fine but people don't print them so they get deleted and forgotten.
I remember the excitement of dropping the film off at boots and waiting a week to pick them up to reveal the pictures.
One day in the not to distant future i think they ----> 📷 Will be forgotten.

I'm not particularly bad looking in real life but in photos, oh my god! I look really weird. You know how Liz Truss pulled strange faces and seemingly did her best to look odd? Well that's me in photos. The upshot is I try to avoid them as much as possible even though I'm really sociable and outgoing.

@Jumell , I am sorry I realise I have derailed your thread , it was not my intention.
I hope the photos you have will become a treasured memory in time.
In the meanwhile, take some yourself, personally I don't like taking ones of people, ( mostly because people hate been photographed) . I like taking ones where I know there will be a change. That can be in a set place in a park / garden where you know different plants and sunlight will change the shot a lot over the year. ( 1 photo a month during the winter , 2 or 3 a month in the spring and summer)
Or where you know there is going to be a demolished or / and a new building put up .
It's amazing how quickly we all forget what pub/ shop / office/ housing estate was there once its gone .
I like to keep a record of them ..

I hope you find joy in photos in the future.

Thank you they’re definitely a treasured memory

the only thing I liked about my childhood was comics and TV. I can see why - because in some the photos of childhood picnics etc /sports day - other parents were there - smiling indulgently and looking on - my parents OTOH - are no where to be seen

If they're your family photos then your parents must have been there to take them, and that's why they aren't in them - because they were taking them.

If my dc look at any of the photos at sports' day/picnics etc that we have, I'd never be in any of them because I'm behind the camera. Doesn't mean I wasn't proudly watching at the time.

Also I’ve just looked online at a family Xmas photo. The person who is awkward socially and is marginalised is relegated to the back of the photo and is putting on this zany fake smile as if she’s massively overcompensating and the more confident /dominant ones are looking more relaxed and in the front.

Again why assume that she's been relegated to the back. Maybe if she's less confident then she chose to go to the back. Or maybe that was just how it happened. I prefer to be at the back generally for photos, and don't see it as being relegated.

It sounds like you're reading things into photos that aren't necessarily there.

No sorry if I didn’t clarify - my parents weren’t there and the ones I’m thinking about weren’t family ones just ones my old school mates posted on Facebook- sonn no parents didn’t take them