Memories in Black and White

(4 generations-my great-grandmother,grandmother,mom,and me)

This summer my cousin showed me some pictures of my mother that I had never seen before. My mother was born in 1920 and she was just a baby in some and a very little girl in others. Yet it was still possible to easily distinguish each one of the four sisters in these old photos even as mere babes. (There were 4 girls and 4 boys.)
How well I remember my grandmother with her box camera taking pictures. Unusual it was because you had to hold it at your waist, look straight down into it, and if I remember correctly, your subject was upside down. I think it was pretty remarkable the way she took all those pictures considering times were hard. Still she photographed and kept scrapbooks, gluing in cards, announcements, and newspaper articles. All this long before it was the crafty thing to do.
Now you could probably take your digital camera and process your pictures as black and white but somehow I don't think it's the same. So since many of you I'm sure have abandoned your 35mm cameras for the digital age, pick it back up, put some black and white film in it and photograph without color, the ones you love. I think you'll be amazed.

Copyright © 2005 Deborah Sharp Loeb