I Miss Photographs

Discovering that technology is both a blessing and a curse

- Jennifer Franzin

As a girl growing up, there were no cell phones or tablets, and computers were few and far between. Most of these devices were just starting to make an appearance by the time I’d reached my late teens. Back then I had a point-and-shoot film camera. It is hard to believe that was less than 30 years ago.

Right from the beginning, I loved taking pictures. At first it was nature and landscapes that captured my heart, but as I grew older it evolved into capturing images of the people I loved, their faces and emotions. I wanted to memorize everything about them. I vividly remember the excitement of waiting for my roll of film to be finished, the anticipation building as I sent it off to be developed. I’d count down the days waiting until I could relive the moments I’d captured. The arrival of prints was always an exciting time. I loved the wrapped bundle and the smell of the photos.

Dad and I always sorted the images together; we talked, laughed and remembered the shared adventures. My dad was and is meticulous, always taking the time to place every image into an album and labelling the adventures so that one day, years in the future, we’ll look back and remember.

A NEW AGE