I was lying in bed this morning, trying to think of some reason (other than a refreshing vanilla diet coke) to get up. In the manner of an expert in avoidance, I procrastinated for at least an hour or so on social media before eventually pouring that fizzy black drink to scoff at my desk as I checked emails and the like.
Understandably my Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook feeds are cluttered with Christmas trees and other seasonal decorating efforts.
I don’t actually own a Christmas tree and have no real desire to do so, but it’s had me thinking about what I’d buy if I was so inclined.
The other thing I’ve pondered on is the much-maligned but alternatively-adored issue of technology and technological changes.
Most of the non-blogger types I know bemoan the food-photographing mania that is Instagram. And some only see Facebook as a necessary evil.
And I get that – having talked about the life-envy I suffer as a result of Instagram in particular.
However… today I’ve been considering its benefits.
My family had the same Christmas tree throughout my childhood. It was a green and silver tinsel tree—the tinsel strips wrapped around metal sticks that one inserted into a base and trunk. Each year we’d diligently sort the branches into ‘big’ and ‘small’ piles. The bigger ones going on the bottom obviously… and insert them into the holes on the faux trunk before decorating them. We didn’t need Christmas lights as the subtle overhead bright fluorescent lighting danced off the tinsel, bathing our lounge in sparkling reflections.
I loved that tree but over the years more and more of the tinsel disappeared until it became less-festive and somewhat pathetic. Naturally my Christmas-loving parents (mostly my mum) moved on with a new green plastic tree.
I wonder however if one of the reasons I haven’t ever bought my own tree (in 20-30 years of adulthood) is because nothing will measure up to the tree (and memories) of my childhood.
But… do you know what? I can’t even share those memories because we don’t have any decent photographs of that bloody tree. This pic from 1971 is as close as it gets.
I wondered why on earth we hadn’t taken a picture. I mean, in recent years family members (and even I on occasions) have documented their Christmas tree surrounded by so many presents one cannot help but feel ashamed at our largesse.
And then I realised. When I was young we used film. We had to buy film for our cameras (or polaroids) and then it cost money to have them developed. We were more circumspect when it came to taking pictures…. each click represented our hard-earned money.
But now… it costs us nothing (except sometimes our humility… when overexposure comes with a whole new meaning!). And what occurs to me now is that it’s not always the posed portraits that we want in later life. We may well want to remember that amazing meal we ate in a little restaurant by the beach. We may prefer the drunken group selfie with real smiling faces rather than the posed ones of hours earlier.
I know technology has its downsides: I’ve occasionally been so busy documenting what I’m doing that I haven’t enjoyed doing it. But I need to remind myself sometimes that it’s not all bad. (And not just cos of Netflix and the like.) I can’t even imagine what technology will be like in 10, 20, even 30 years. I hope I’m around to see it. (And someone please donk me on the head if I start reminiscing about how much better life was when I was a girl…)
Do you remember cameras with film? Ones you had to send away to be developed?
Can you even imagine what technological changes we’ll see in our lifetimes?
December 2, 2015
I do remember cameras with film and it doesn’t seem that long ago. In fact I think we still have one around here somewhere. I hope it will be like the Jestons, we can order our meals through a vending machine. No more cooking, oh please God make it happen sooner than later. Very cute photo.
December 2, 2015
I read this futuristic ‘In Death’ series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts) set in 2060 or so and they do the same… Obviously my logical brain struggles with the concept of an autochef machine… pizza / steak / coffee? How????
December 2, 2015
I used a ‘real’ camera with film until just a few years ago – there was pleasure in not knowing what the pics looked like until they were developed and I wouldn’t just snap away at anything, my photos were more careful and considered (but not necessarily more posed). Regardless of what people say, I liked the quality of them as well – there’s a texture to pics shot on film that I miss. I only changed to a digital camera because my old one needed servicing regularly and the only place that serviced was expensive and they had your camera for a month – I never wanted to be without it that long… so reluctantly changed over to digital. When I switched, the people at my local photo shop wailed, saying I was their last ‘film customer’ and they loved developing (properly, in the old school way) my photos, as opposed to hitting the print button for digital 🙁
December 2, 2015
I agree. Photography class/developing the photos was always suspenseful ie not knowing if you had been successful or not. Our daughter studied photography this year but it was all so simplified. I was hoping they would go back to the dark ages to the dark room. No such luck.
December 2, 2015
I think some people still do develop their own pics Renee – at least I hope they do… perhaps I’ve only seen it on TV / in movies!
December 2, 2015
I agree Kate cos I sometimes think older pictures (taken with a film-using camera) that I scan and upload are better (clearer and more alive) than ones taken with a digital camera!
I have recently borrowed my mother’s digital camera as my iPhone no longer takes pics and my iPad 2 pics (mostly what I put on Instagram) are pretty dodgy! But if I can ever afford a new iPhone I’ll stick to that as I’m not really much of a photographer!
And this is embarrassing but it didn’t occur to me until recently that people use cameras other than their phones / smart devices to upload pics to Instagram. I assumed – cos it was only accessible via mobile device – that was what you had to use there. It wasn’t until there was some media kerfuffle about how ‘doctored’ Instagram pics can be that I realised some people edit them to death (rather than just changing filters etc!). D-oh!
December 2, 2015
I only switched over from film to digital like 7 years ago. Seems crazy though! You are right technology definitely has improved many aspects of life!
December 2, 2015
The thing I’m bad at doing (in terms of technology) is getting rid of extraneous crap. I’ve taken pics with (or saved them on) my ipad or iPhone but never go through and delete ones I don’t want. As a result every time I sync my phone etc gazillions of useless pics of the ceiling or my arm are uploaded onto my desktop computer (and later my backup hard-drive) and bloody stay there!
I need someone to clean up my devices for me!!!
December 2, 2015
Hi Deb! I actually remember that we had real Christmas trees with real CANDLES when I was five or six. Later we had real trees with fake candles. I don’t think we had our own camera so of course we have no pictures of it. You can just imagine how careful you have to be with Christmas trees with real candles and they often causes fires.
I have almost no Christmas stuff of my own because I visit my parents and my sisters family every Christmas. If I had I might want a small fake Christmas tree that I can put on my table because I live in a studio.
December 2, 2015
I can’t stand the fact I made so many spelling errors in my comment!
December 2, 2015
No you didn’t!!! x
December 2, 2015
I think I have a little minature tree somewhere – you don’t decorate it as it comes with a few things on. I’ve seen some interesting ones on Instagram and Pinterest – modern minimalist ones.
And Satu, I can’t even imagine how careful you would have to be with real candles!!! (Cats wouldn’t be allowed to climb over those trees, that’s for sure!)
December 2, 2015
Your tree photo made me smile with nostalgia. We have almost the identical photo of me and my sisters with various cousins – in our pyjamas – underneath the tree perched on top of a side table or radiogram (remember radiograms?)
Those old photos are previous because of their scarcity. No one will ever feel nostalgic about their 8638 selfies on Instagram or their 4539 pics of dinner!
December 2, 2015
That’s true Brona – I wonder if there’ll be some permanent way to store digital pics in the future other than printing them or trusting them to hard-drives etc…
December 2, 2015
I often think about this sort of stuff and try to frame it through the lens 🙂 how much easier and better our lives will be when we become the elderly. All of the changes can feel overwhelming and not so positive until I think about stuff like that…
December 3, 2015
Sometimes I think about the memories we have of others. Now we can not only see photographs of them after they’ve gone but watch them in action, hear them speak etc… At least that’s what I think about my dad.
December 3, 2015
I’ve always taken loads of photos- even during the film years. Last time we did this trip (20 years ago) I remember how much it cost to buy the film, guard the little canisters until we could get it to a chemist or a photo shop & then curse at the expense- especially when the pic wasn’t right. I still miss the clarity of film, but not the cost. These days I can take 10 pics of a view & choose my fave- or ditch the lot.
Re the xmas tree, a friend who was in another city for xmas last year, bought some of those little plastic wall stick on hook things, a tube of balls from target & hung them on the wall in the shape of a tree. It looked fab.
December 4, 2015
You reminded me too Jo that we have the ability to edit pics ourselves now and improve on what we’ve done. Something we couldn’t do in the past when we’d drop film off somewhere to be developed.
December 9, 2015
I remember going to the local chemist to get my pics developed and the fun in seeing what I had actually taken, usually fuzzy out of focus prints!! I have so many pictures on my phone and pc that I would love to print but it just never happens.
As for the future I really cannot wait to see what the latest gadgets will be!
Also our tree “died” last year, it was 14 and had served us well, now replaced with a “realistic” 7 footer that better last for twenty years!
December 9, 2015
I’m with you Heather – I think about the technological changes in my lifetime and realise I couldn’t fathom what changes we’ll see in the future!