Sunday, January 05, 2014

The Forgotten Years


Someone asked me over Christmas if there had ever been a time in my life when I had not viewed the world through a camera lens - the poor devil had just been given a calendar featuring some of my pictures from the 1960s - and I had to admit that I have always felt happier when insulated from reality by a decent optical lens. But there is a period in my life where I don't seem to have many images in my collection, and it is that period between the end of black and white and the start of digital photography. For me, they are the forgotten years, so one of my New Year Resolutions is to revisit some of these old colour negatives and convert them into a digital format.

My photo today is easy to date, Alexander is still a babe in arms so it must be 1990. We were on holiday in Somerset, in a farm house overlooking Lake Chew. Compared with some of the old black and white photos, it doesn't look all that long ago. But time races on : that smiling little lad is now working and gets married later this year.

11 comments:

  1. Such a happy looking photograph. Alexander looks like he was a good and easy baby.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good heavens. How time rushes by. 1990 seems mere minutes ago!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wonder if you see another marvel in this picture. Alexander's little suit is hand smocked gingham, a fussy and fiddly embroidery technique that had to be done to the fabric before it was cut into the little romper. Rather like darkroom work. Everything done to a picture is one more opportunity to ruin it.
    Did his mama make the little suit, or a loving grandmama?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Blink and it is decades later.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good luck with the scanning. I'm in the middle of a similar exwrcise. Surprised how much to do and how long it takes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I saw some youngsters in the store looking for 1980 costumes and they started asking me if different items were from the 80's. Heck, I had no idea. As far as my memory goes, I wore what I wear now in the 80's.
    Beautiful photo!

    ReplyDelete
  7. There also was a time between 35 mm cameras and cheaper simpler film cameras. I think they were also 35mm There are a couple of them kicking around the house here.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A happy sot for the memories. Doesn't time fly. I am also in the process of scanning coloured slides which i think were all the rage in the 60' and 70's. It is a a long job but fun for the memories. My last post included some. I must admit that I had to clean them up a bit and try to get a natural colour...that is the hardest part.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is hard for someone my age to think of 1990's as being very long ago. Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Huge project to digitise old photos - but worth it! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ah that is on my list too...and it will take a really long time. I understand being comfortable behind the camera. Of course we were always poor so film was at a premium...that and developing fees. I love the digital age...but I hardly ever print out photos...I must get better about that! :)

    ReplyDelete

11 March 2024 : Paper Hanging

  Some people read the paper, some try and understand the meaning of life, George II and Elvis Presley both died there .... and photographer...