Do you remember when we took rolls of film in to be developed? That seems like a lifetime ago! Now, our phones are an extension of our arms, ready to take photos on a whim. Unfortunately, these photos are often forgotten and are forever stored in our phone photo library.
I take so many photos, which is probably why my phone operates at half-speed. What I like is that all the images are date-stamped. Since I’m delinquent at keeping up my gardening journal, I rely on these photos as reference points. Just yesterday, I was scrolling back to see when I took the burlap off my boxwood hedges last year…April 12. (Weather permitting, I will be doing the same next week.)
When I travel with my daughter, I often gift her a handwritten journal of our daily escapades, and she gives me a fabulous photo book capturing the special moments of our trips. I treasure these books and have them close at hand to view whenever. These memories are priceless…
Over the winter, with my daughter’s constant prodding, I started working on laying out photo books using my photographs. I’ve decided to do a book for each season in the garden…a rather ambitious project! Soon, I realized there were gaps in the seasonal timelines; therefore, I have not been able to complete them…yet. Now that I know what material I’m missing, I’ll ensure I have the photos I need to complete each season.
To get an idea of what one of my books would look like, I decided to do one on the two years I operated the C C on Whyte “pop-up” in the Greenhouse during the pandemic. Because I won’t have the opportunity to take more photos (I’m no longer doing the pop-up), I had limited images and subject matter to work with. Nevertheless, this book will refresh my memory of one of the few good things that happened during that difficult time.
This is one of the first photos (a hellebore, taken May 1, 2021) for my “Spring” photo book. In future, I will be more aware of what photos I’m taking and how they will look in these books. It was a rewarding project during the dormant garden season, although challenging at times (only because of my limited tech skills).
If your photo library is extensive, I encourage you to play amateur photographer. It’s a creative and gratifying process!
xox Judy❤️
Yet again, I believe we can read each other’s minds. Within the last month, I have had over 700 photographs developed from my laptop and cell phone. They sit upon my dining table – waiting. Two sets from two previous Paris trips!!! I was just not happy looking at those small photos on my phone or computer, and was starting to lose precious moments when a phone or laptop when to their graveyard. Just like reading, I need to have a book in my hands, with photographs, I need to hold them in my hand as well, and organized in a book. So now, I have another huge project to get them all into albums. I am considering having “book” made, but have no idea how to organize and put captions. Plus I like to add plane, train, museum tickets, and bits of ephemera from my trips in with the photos. So I think I will look for some beautiful white or black photo albums that I can customize myself. Right now I am doing a huge purge in my house, which is now in a total up-roar, Selling lots on Marketplace, and donating tons as well. It is starting to feel good to purge such an accumulation. Next – I look forward to the albums project. I hope I have time before planting season!!!!
Hi Karen, now that sounds like an ambitious project! You are very organized even though you may not think so, but to keep track of travel documents and tickets to museums etc. is quite a feat! When I travel, I take an envelope for everyday that I’m gone. At the end of each day, I put all receipts or bits of interest in the corresponding envelope. It refreshes my memory when I do my travel journals. This is a wonderful trip down memory lane for you…enjoy the process. xox Judy❤️
Great idea to keep an envelope for each day. I usually just scribble the days events at the end of each day, and then re-write in a nice diary when I get home. But gathering pamphlets, tickets and bits in an “envelope” a day is a great way to stay organized. Thank you for that tip Judy. Do you have your Paris trips published in book format, or do you use photo albums?
Hi Karen, the stack of books in the top photo in this post are photo books my daughter has done for me. I have 3 Paris books, numerous La Jolla books of Christmas family trips and one on London. It was her way of saying, “Thank You” but for me they are priceless. xox Judy❤️