Selfies. Hmm.
For blogging, I have been taking them since.. 2006? setting up my digital camera (Kodak, with a 1" screen) by propping it on something til I could see myself (or, the area where I would be sitting once I set the timer and ran over there). Then try, try, try to get a decent shot.
I loved doing this. The activity of taking pictures of myself quilting was part of the hobby itself. 
Then there were the pics that look more like today's selfies.
Close ups, arm's length, looking at the camera (or not)
Still done with a digital camera (then Nikon?) and my little gorilla pod tripod.
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(omg, I look like my mom in this one)
Mirrors were good tools too.
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Then I got a smart phone and the whole world changed. it was 2011 I think?
And with that, and the forward facing camera, you could SEE yourself.
And the selfie became a MIRROR reflection of what you actually looked like in that moment.
I was pondering this the other day, after our trip to the zoo.
Why do the kids fight me when I want to take their pictures, but eagerly jump into selfies with me?
Because they can see themselves. ♡♡
I like seeing myself, I like documenting things. Paper, fabric, photos. These make life more real to me. I like seeing time. And I think this is a topic I want to explore more. Calendars, planners, letter writing, travel quilts. It all helps me remember. Allows me to go back, to place myself in time.
If you find that you do this too-- record yourself- words or images, how do you do it? What are your tools? How long have you been documenting life? And what does it mean to you? If you want to make an evolution of Selfies post, please do so! I'd love to see which moments, which glimpses of yourselves you choose to capture.
Hello, dear Jessica ! I must admit I'm not making selfies (actually, I don't even use my I-phone on a regular basis, and I often forget it at home. I'm nostalgic of those good old telephones, when you dialed the numbers, and there was not all that technology - don't laugh ! :)
ReplyDeleteBut anyway, I just wanted to tell you how thrilled I am to read your post and find you back on the blogosphere. When I saw your post on Bloglovin, I jumped in surprise and It was a big joy. Your travel quilts inspired me so much (they still are!).
Can't wait reading you again, we all missed you...
In stitches,
NADINE
Thanks for the warm welcome back, Nadine. I have missed seeing my thoughts and being able to track progression of my quilts. Plus the community. There is so much good out here in quilt blogland.
DeleteJessica, It is so nice to hear from you again! I love your documentation of selfies. I can't say I'm ever pleased with selfies, so I almost never take them. I love getting them from my teenage girls. Why is it they are so much more photogenic? Perhaps because I don't see attempt 1-97, jut the 98th one! I'm just not patient enough to develop the skill of taking a good selfie.
ReplyDeleteI love documenting my children's lives, and my life through events, quilts, and other EPP projects. I've even gotten better at documenting the process in photos in order to share that as well.
I will be teaching my cousin's daughter to EPP via long distance, and directed her to watch your video just yesterday. I love how you 'wrangled' your son while trying to make the video. What a wonderful documentation of you both at that time. I can't begin to properly thank you for your willingness to share your passion for EPP. Because of it, I had the courage to step forward as an instructor. I've taught EPP at my local quilt shop for 2 years, which has opened many other doors for me and introduced me to so many wonderful and talented people.
So, anyway, Thanks!
Kris, I hope your cousin's daughter catches the EPP bug! I'm happy to hear about your teaching, it sounds really rewarding for you. I agree, there's something special that comes from sharing this knowledge and passion.. and you never know what your students will teach you too. I just signed on to teach improv string piecing at a quilt shop outside of NYC.. details to follow.
DeleteTake Care~
As a person of a certain age, I don't even have a smart phone and don't like pics of myself. I did, however, want to comment on how nice it is for your generation of bloggers to have a record of their kids growing up. When my sons were young, pictures were an expensive luxury and paying for developing pics was not in our budget. We did take pics, but we couldn't "see" them so got many bad pics and few good ones. I have loved watching my grandkids grow even though they have always lived far away (their Dad is in the Air Force as was my husband). So, I can't comment on selfies per se but I do think it's wonderful that bloggers have a permanent record of their kids and their projects, etc. Thanks for blogging and the inspiration for us old ladies!
ReplyDeleteA few months ago, my aunt sent me a bunch of pictures of my mom on their childhood family vacations. Somehow every shot is perfect. So I'm going to write and ask her who the photographer was, and where I get the gene to need to photograph and document every bit of life..
DeleteThank you for reading (and commenting!), hopefully the inspiration will continue. xo
Yay! You're back on your blog! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love photos- I have an elaborate system of archiving them into folders by year and day, and then one folder per year of the absolute best ones. I have my screensaver set to scroll through the last 5 years, since my son was born, and we both love looking at those moments in time. (Helps me with my poor memory too!)
I totally agree. photos, journaling, blogging.. even the quilts themselves, all play a part in reinforcing my memories. I am terrible at organizing kid pics though.. I started using the Free Prints app, but I always forget to order before the end of the month. I have stacks and stacks of photos printed but they never end up in the photo albums I buy. I guess that'll end up at the top of the 2017 to do list, once again.
Deletesee you soon! xoxo
Lovely to see you're blogging again and I enjoyed reading your thoughts on selfies. Don't tend to take them myself - I forget to! The 1 and 1/2" diamond travel quilt I started 18 months ago has grown to almost single bed size now. All those 'wasted' minutes waiting or travelling are now being put to use. Thank you for your inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI grew up with a mother who was constantly snapping photos. It felt like such a chore at the time, but then she would scrapbook the pictures and they would be (and still are) a joy to pour through. She took so many photos that I never had to, now I am more grown up and have almost no pictures from my time in college, and so many other important events that it makes me sad. I have come to realize though that you are right about memories living in other objects. When I look at my quilts I realize I don't need photos of everything. In my quilts I see so many memories, that time my old roommate and I blew off Friday afternoon classes to go fabric shopping, the time I stitched all night while talking to a friends, when my boyfriend surprised me with adorable seal fabric he knew I would love....etc. Pictures can end up hidden away in albums on shelves, quilts are like living memories that reach a deeper memory center in your brain. I loved this article, thank you. Much love!
ReplyDelete