Themes- Halloween and Nature

I know you have been seeing common themes throughout your project. This knowledge will help you in deciding what kinds of photos you want to take in the future. Halloween brings out the kid in all of us. Most everyone has dressed up in costumes sometime during their life. You may want to create an album of various members of your family portraying a character over the years and continue with that tradition. I made costumes every year for my children and I have noticed the outfits have become more sophisticated than those made 50 years ago. You could reflect those differences in placing photos side-by-side to compare. I developed pages in my scrapbook to reflect different characters that were made popular by movies and cartoons.

The fall season is beautifully expressed in the changing colors of the trees. I am sure you have photos from all four seasons in your area. You could compare the different kinds of foliage in your area. Maybe you could capture different activities brought on by the four seasons: your child jumping in a pile of raked leaves in fall, children building a snowman, a group riding bicycles in the spring, a group of swimmers in summer. Themes are plentiful and unlimited by the imaginative mind.

Family Reunion

We had our first family reunion in beautiful Breckenridge, CO. There were 18 in attendance from seven different states representing all ages from 59 to two months. You know me - I took pictures galore! I think there were over 350 pictures taken but I won't bore you with them . . but, maybe a few! Now that I have current pictures, I will include them at the very end of my project. Even though all of these snapshots were taken with a digital camera, I will still physically develop some. Not everyone has a computer so it is a good idea to share actual physical ones with some and include them in your chronological project. You can make a small 'brag' book with you to show others.

Back to the reunion - this is a good time to tie loose ends together. There are photos of family members and places that you do not recognize but others in the extended family may know. You can also share memories with spouses and children who have come into the family at later dates. The parents of one family member were deceased and he did not have any pictures of his past so I was able to share some that I had. Creating albums for a family reunion can serve many purposes: You’ll get an opportunity to say what is on your heart. You’ll connect with your roots. Albums make a connection between who we are, what we do, and why we are the way we are. You’ll make people feel loved – people feel validated. You’ll enjoy family fun.

TImeline

Hopefully, you have organized 1000 pictures by this time. Now would be a good time to make a timeline. Use and date a form for each year (or decade if there a very few pictures). Focus your attention on one worksheet at a time. Within each box for month, write down major events that occurred within that time period – such as family birthday, ages, when children began school, name of school and grade attended, and where you vacationed. Use old journals, calendars, and datebooks to supplement information. This will take quite a bit of time so do this in small steps so that you are not overwhelmed.

Play Detective

Let's get back to your organizing project. You may be finding stray photos and you have to decide where they fit in your chronological order. Some things to consider:

Count candles on birthday cake
Study Faces in background with magnifying glass
Guess at holiday by color and theme of decorations
In old black and white photos, people never smiled. Somber expressions were not a sign
of hard times, just a way to keep photos from blurring. Before film was invented,
the image set on photographic plates and the subject had to be very still so the image
would be very clear. Smiling for minutes was difficult so people chose the most
relaxed pose with the least expression.
The time frame that the family occupied a house
License plates on a car
Makes and models of cars change – appearance of cars can narrow down the year
Look for year on license tabs
Inscriptions of Wedding Rings
Styles of hair, clothing, glasses, and facial features (teeth, facial hair)
Fashions change frequently providing strong clues for dating photos. Pick up a book
On fashion trends and hemlines at the library
Hairstyles change often. Ask local hairdresser
Childrens’ looks – Height, weight, number of teeth
Room colors and furniture arrangement
Photos displayed in background
Nonfamily guest in photo
Compare undated photos with dated photos
Designs of telephones
Business and street signs
Signs and billboards may offer clues as to when and where the photos were taken
Size of trees, shrubs of other landscape features
International Flags
Landmarks
Identify youngest person – what is birth date
Ask extended family members if they have similar photo
Photographers mark or signature
Family pets

These suggestions can help you find where a photo belongs.