September 1, 2010
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Weekly Photo Challenge, “Keepsakes”
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the Weekly Photo Challenge
It runs for one full week from Friday mornings to late Thursday nights.The challenge beginning August 27, 2010 is:“Keepsakes”
suggested by me: PhotoGraphicsI’ve had a terrible time with my own challenge. I want to like my own entries. This particular challenge was meant to be meaningful for anyone playing. I fixed more than a few photos I thought I would use but they turned me cold when I looked them over.
Keepsake, the definition includes: emblem, favor, memento, memorial, relic, remembrance, reminder, souvenir, symbol, token. What I had in mind originally was keepsake/memento/memorabilia. And, I do have a ton of stuff, old, new, inherited that fit the definition. I decided I would display images that might strike a cord with anyone looking at my entry, things everyone might be familiar with having seen similar in their past, maybe even making a collection of their own such as prized jewelry, toys or dolls from childhood, a book with stories your mom read to you as a child. There really are so many things a keepsake can be. Another but, as I said I was left cold and scraped my work into an extra images folder and started over. So, the long delay for my entry even though I’ve been sitting here trying to work it out since the day it began.
Anyway, I finally came to the conclusion that photos of friends and family are my very favorite keepsakes reminding me once again to be upset because I have lost many of my digital photos that are indelibly traced on my brain. Their loss is monumental. So, I will give keepsake another definition: mementos, items so valued their loss causes near physical pain.
My photos, I have used all of these before.
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We all have grandchildren. They grow up and move away. Their loss is nearly devastating when you dwell on it. This is my one and only grandchild in an apple tree at my sister’s home. She was nearing 11 years of age in this photo.
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My grandchild in many stages of growing up and my daughter also in the collage’. All of my family except for my husband are miles away. Halie, Eden and Mitch are 600 plus miles away. Others are not so far (100 miles) and others as far as 3000. Some friends are even farther away. The internet is a plus for keeping in touch even if it is a far down the line help.
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Tim is one of my most recent good friends, a relationship of 5 years now. He lives in the UK so I know him through chat and photos he takes and sends.
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This photo is filled with people who mean a lot to me, most are family but some are Xanga friends I have been fortunate to meet.
Going through my photos to make decisions for this challenge refreshed many memories. It has been a reminder that things are just things but family and friends and the time we have to spend with them are what the best of keepsakes are made up of. Photos are the next best thing to the people as all the good times come flooding back as memories/keepsakes.
Thanks for your visits and comments. They are appreciated.
aka Becca
Comments (5)
This black and white artistry is really quite unique. I believe I may have seen many of them in colour too. I am honoured to be in the lens of your camera again, but more of a pleasure is seeing you and distinguished looking John and of course Halie, Mitch and Eden. ~ Tim
@tim_beddard - Tim, I love getting you into the lens of my camera which reminds me you and your son were doing some shooting with your camera’s and comparing notes. I hope that is turning out to be additional fun for you. Becca
Thank you for pointing me to this entry. Your grandchild looks beautiful and filled with vibrancy. Your collages are an inspiration. Thank you. It is really sad when people you love are so far from you. I suppose we do the best we can but the wish to see them grow and develop is always there.
@Zeal4living - Hi, I was glad to point you to my keepsakes entry. I enjoyed doing it at the time and love the pieces I used and felt sad no one came to see them. But then everyone has a life of their own somewhere and we can’t expect them to do what they may not have time to do. I’m glad you stopped to look and your comment is very flattering as well as heartfelt per family. Yes, family should never be so darn far away from each other. It’s a sad fact of life anymore. Anyway, thanks so much always for your nice comments. It’s always a pleasure to see your name here. Becca
Mom, these are wonderful collages. I’m not sure if you’ve changed the first one, but I took a good look at it again. Boy, did I have a LOT of hair
. And of course, Eden looks like such a happy little girl in all these photos. She smiled so much more than me and was such a joy to be around 99% of the time. I used to tease her when she was being rotten that it wasn’t Angel Eden there but Evil Eden. I think that helped her realize that she could choose how to behave. You and I both miss that little girl; believe me!
Now the 2nd collage is quite wonderful, and I know it is special to you personally because it’s more than just family. You’ve done quite a nice job with this collage, and everything is put together quite well. I’m amazed that it scrolls with the page and seems to keep on going and going. And the choice of black and white really helps keep everything coherent. It would make a nice print, but you may have to cut off any white print paper that wasn’t used on the edges.
Love you, Halie