Photographer Unknown (see shadow} This is a snapshot of my father and stepmother that I found one day while going through the many objects that overfill the physical spaces of my life. Unfortunately everywhere I look there is usually clutter. Among the more meaningful items I save and encounter are photographs and snapshots. Wikipedia refers to a snapshot as "an amateur photograph taken without preparation." I'm not certain about the accuracy of that definition, as one can develop a philosophical discussion around it. Another concept I found is "an informal photograph, usually made with a small hand-held camera." As indicated on the back of the photo {see image above} it was taken in 1954. My guess is that it was taken with a Kodak Brownie.
My biological parents were divorced when I was very young (around the age of three). For many years I had no contact with my father who apparently made numerous attempts to re-establish communication and dialogue. My father, George, was born in Greece on an island called Chios not far from Turkey. My stepmother, Paonne was French and spoke several languages fluently including French, English, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. I always enjoyed looking at photographs and snapshots and have this concern/idea that in the not so distant future many of the images we create on an ongoing basis will be lost. Obviously millions of photos are created on a daily basis and are stored in memory cards, on computers, online, in "clouds," portable hard drives, and flash drives. I suppose one day while clearing away clutter one might encounter an old flash drive or memory card but the days of finding old snapshots in files and old suitcases will one day be gone.
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AuthorMy first cameras were an 8mm Keystone and a great big box containing a tiny Kodak Brownie "Holiday Flash" and all the equipment necessary for lighting and film development. I recall jumping for joy when I viewed my first self-processed image including fingerprints, dust marks, and faded grey edges! The joy of my chemical darkroom work had begun! Archives
October 2020
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