# The importance of documenting life



## tinycomet (Jan 2, 2016)

I've been playing around with cameras since I was about 15 years old when I picked up my dad's old Pentax ME Super (not realizing how amazing it actually was until it was stolen from my home in my late 20s). I'm 36 now.

I didn't start taking photography seriously until I was about 27. Very late, really. I shot weddings and fashion. Guess which one was the money-maker?  I now work as the staff photographer at a major corporation here in Salt Lake City, Utah.

It's been a fantastic ride, and I can't wait for what the future holds.

But I don't think I realized until this particular experience at work about 2 years ago, the value of letting yourself be in *front *of the camera. I have 2 kids myself, and not having very many pictures of my own dad who passed away when I was just 12, I know the importance of creating a sort of record of my having actually existed.

We photographers tend to hide behind the camera a lot. Then there's those who just hate being in front of it.

So I'd like to share a video I made for those who are hiding too much. I hope you enjoy, and I hope it inspires you to get out from behind the camera if you don't already do so regularly 






Raji


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## rexbobcat (Jan 2, 2016)

Can't tell if sincere post or spam.


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## tinycomet (Jan 2, 2016)

I meant it as a sincere post. I mean the show is a mixture of comedy and sillyness generally, but in this episode I wanted to talk about the value of photography and basically saying "please stop hiding from the camera". Myself included.


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## beachrat (Jan 2, 2016)

My father took thousands of photos of our family between 1947 until 1984 when he died.
There are very, very few photos of him,and it always made me conscious of putting myself in the pic with my own kids so at least they have something to look at when I'm dead.
Looking around now,there ain't that many of me either.


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## tinycomet (Jan 2, 2016)

beachrat said:


> My father took thousands of photos of our family between 1947 until 1984 when he died.
> There are very, very few photos of him,and it always made me conscious of putting myself in the pic with my own kids so at least they have something to look at when I'm dead.
> Looking around now,there ain't that many of me either.


I still struggle with the same actually... Despite having learned my own lesson about this, it's still hard to get in front of the camera. I don't mind being out in front, but I just don't usually find myself in a position where I can be. And I'm not vain enough to take a million selfies haha


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## spiralout462 (Jan 2, 2016)

I encountered  an individual once that insisted that I be with my family while he took a picture of us.  It was a thoughtful gesture.  I have been more aware of that lately but I doubt there is ONE picture of me from this past Christmas day.


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## 480sparky (Jan 2, 2016)

While visiting my parents a few months back, I was handed my high school yearbook.  I thought I had lost it, and we don't know how they ended up with it.

Anyway.... I was thumbing through it, and realized I was in only two photos.  My 'formal' senior portrait, and a shot of the concert band.

Then I had an epiphany.  The reason I'm in only those two images is because _I took the better part of 1/3 of the candid shots and well over half the informal group photos in the book._

That said, I really don't care if I'm in front of a camera or not.  I'd much rather be behind it.


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## snowbear (Jan 2, 2016)

I avoid having my picture taken when possible, tolerate it when it absolutely _has_ to be taken.


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## tinycomet (Jan 2, 2016)

it's so interesting to see the variety of experiences and opinions on the subject. For me now, it seems so obvious that there are people who care about me who will still want to see me after I've died.



snowbear said:


> I avoid having my picture taken when possible, tolerate it when it absolutely _has_ to be taken.



Why do you avoid it so much snowbear?


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## snowbear (Jan 2, 2016)

Witness protection program 

jk.  I'm just not comfortable having my photo taken or being the center of attention (birthday parties, etc.)  I never have been.


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## tinycomet (Jan 2, 2016)

Witness protection program. I was just gonna guess that!! hahaha


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## soufiej (Jan 3, 2016)

Three basic rules ... 

1) Don't stand behind a horse or a mule.

2) Don't drink downstream of any animal.

3) Don't get in front of a camera, goat or bull.


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## AlanKlein (Jan 3, 2016)

Get some videos including voice recordings  as well.  It would have been nice to have them of my folks before they died.


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## tinycomet (Jan 3, 2016)

soufiej said:


> Three basic rules ...
> 
> 1) Don't stand behind a horse or a mule.
> 
> ...



lol, so I take it you answered "Never" in the poll?


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## tinycomet (Jan 3, 2016)

AlanKlein said:


> Get some videos including voice recordings  as well.  It would have been nice to have them of my folks before they died.


Totally agree Alan. I'm actually trying to make more of an effort to capture and catalog video, although... Right now it's all of my kids. I only exist in still image form here and there.


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## dennybeall (Jan 3, 2016)

I don't avoid the camera, it's just usually not convenient to hand off the camera. Most fun is to hand camera to a waitress and have her point it at the group and I sneakily press the wireless trigger. Had one almost drop the camera when it fired........
My Dad was one that avoided the camera. I had a heck of a time getting his picture with his Pulitzer.


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## tinycomet (Jan 3, 2016)

dennybeall said:


> I don't avoid the camera, it's just usually not convenient to hand off the camera. Most fun is to hand camera to a waitress and have her point it at the group and I sneakily press the wireless trigger. Had one almost drop the camera when it fired........
> My Dad was one that avoided the camera. I had a heck of a time getting his picture with his Pulitzer.



Holy hell... A Pulitzer?!... You'd think someone like that would wanna brag about that (including in pictures) to the ends of the earth!! What does/did he do?

I get what you're saying though. I've been lucky and recently met someone who takes my picture on a regular basis


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## dennybeall (Jan 4, 2016)

Dad was a WWII Marine Photographer and before and after the war was a newspaper photographer in Washington DC. I grew up in the darkroom of the Washington Daily News. That's his work camera in my picture. Like many of the WWII guys he was shy about what he had done over the years. He was in the same outfit with the guy that took the IWO JIMA Flag raising and just by chance went to the other end of the island....He won the Pulitzer for Spot News in 1956 I think it was. Just a hard working blue collar city newspaper man.


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## HikinMike (Jan 4, 2016)

Most of my pictures of me are selfies, like my current avatar. It's tough to be in front of the camera when I'm taking pictures of my family stuff. I do occasionally give my camera to my daughter(s) or wife and say "take a picture of me".

We just bought our oldest (17) a camera for Christmas (Canon T5i) and hopefully I'll get some pictures of me that way.


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## tinycomet (Jan 4, 2016)

dennybeall said:


> Dad was a WWII Marine Photographer and before and after the war was a newspaper photographer in Washington DC. I grew up in the darkroom of the Washington Daily News. That's his work camera in my picture. Like many of the WWII guys he was shy about what he had done over the years. He was in the same outfit with the guy that took the IWO JIMA Flag raising and just by chance went to the other end of the island....He won the Pulitzer for Spot News in 1956 I think it was. Just a hard working blue collar city newspaper man.



I mean that's super cool... To have a history and story like that. You wouldn't know that from meeting someone, and you'd never know it without some kind of recorded history for it. I really believe everyone deserves a sort of recorded history of their own. A picture would be worth so much in such a context. Do you have access to his photography? I've always wondered if my kids would learn to "see" me through the work I produced.


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## tinycomet (Jan 4, 2016)

HikinMike said:


> I do occasionally give my camera to my daughter(s) or wife and say "take a picture of me".
> 
> We just bought our oldest (17) a camera for Christmas (Canon T5i) and hopefully I'll get some pictures of me that way.



Good call. I think that'll become priceless with time. I'm still working on making it more of a habit myself (to hand off the camera I mean).


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## dennybeall (Jan 5, 2016)

One technique that has worked for me over the years is to always carry the remote shutter release. I keep it on the strap along with a spare memory chip. You can take it off and hand the camera to someone or set it on a shelf, rock or table. You can see the remote on one side and the spare chip on the other.


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## gsgary (Jan 5, 2016)

dennybeall said:


> Dad was a WWII Marine Photographer and before and after the war was a newspaper photographer in Washington DC. I grew up in the darkroom of the Washington Daily News. That's his work camera in my picture. Like many of the WWII guys he was shy about what he had done over the years. He was in the same outfit with the guy that took the IWO JIMA Flag raising and just by chance went to the other end of the island....He won the Pulitzer for Spot News in 1956 I think it was. Just a hard working blue collar city newspaper man.



Is there anywhere i can see your fathers work ?


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## dennybeall (Jan 5, 2016)

He was a working press photographer so what he shot was published by and owned by the paper. A few that won awards were given over to him. Here's the most famous:


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## gsgary (Jan 5, 2016)

dennybeall said:


> He was a working press photographer so what he shot was published by and owned by the paper. A few that won awards were given over to him. Here's the most famous:
> 
> View attachment 113940



I have seen that before


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## dennybeall (Jan 5, 2016)

gsgary said:


> dennybeall said:
> 
> 
> > He was a working press photographer so what he shot was published by and owned by the paper. A few that won awards were given over to him. Here's the most famous:
> ...



Yes, it was also a full page in LIFE Magazine and in some of their anthology books and mags since then. It was the logo of "Father Flanagan's Boys Town" for some years and there is a statue honoring police outside the courthouse in Jonesboro, GA.


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## tinycomet (Jan 5, 2016)

what a shot...


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## jcdeboever (Jan 5, 2016)

dennybeall said:


> He was a working press photographer so what he shot was published by and owned by the paper. A few that won awards were given over to him. Here's the most famous:
> 
> View attachment 113940


That won a Pulitzer if I recall correctly. 

I don't think I hide behind the camera, I just like taking pictures. I think at the end of the day, my kids don't want pictures of me, they want my money.  

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## tinycomet (Jan 5, 2016)

> I think at the end of the day, my kids don't want pictures of me, they want my money.



I hope you're kidding...


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## jcdeboever (Jan 6, 2016)

tinycomet said:


> > I think at the end of the day, my kids don't want pictures of me, they want my money.
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you're kidding...



yes, I am... I have no money.


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## tinycomet (Jan 7, 2016)

lol


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