photographic memory

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”

~ The Wonder Years

We flock like birds at the coast on a windy day. He runs from us with his balloon. This is real life. Laughter catches on the wind as we bend to collect seaglass. These are memories I don't want to forget. We are younger than we seem when we gather at the beach.

I recently visited family over the Thanksgiving holiday. Home is faraway and appears on my horizon much too seldom these days. I shoot about a zillion photos over a span of five days, all in hopes to preserve the memory. As if I can freeze time and the moment and the energy of family right now as it is. I fill memory cards because it is through photography that I find what is real.

Now that I am back home, I keep returning to this image: our four bodies clustering like spirits. With magnets in us, we are magically drawn to one another. What is revealed through candid photography is the space between us, the love that lingers there, the laughter of a child bridging the generation gap, the newness hidden within what was old.

How do you shoot your family? Share with us your moments and memories of group togetherness captured through photography.

Comments

[Marcie]

What a beautiful image. I especially love the reflections huddling together at the water's edge.
Here's one of a family (not my own) fishing on a cold autumn morning:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=952

[Chris]

I had a great time last night with my boys and even got to photograph it, something I didn't think my son would agree to. It was perfect...
http://everydayheartbeats.com/2009/11/30/best-shot-monday-celebrating-family/

[Puna]

How do I shoot my family? Anyway I can. I don't worry about photographic technique. I just want to capture the moment.

http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2009/11/16-for-dinner-please/

I love the photo above.

[melissa]

Love the balloon in motion above!
Candids are always less pressure when shooting my own kids. Here are some recent faves: http://melissamillerphotos.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/10/bruthas.html.

[Katrina Kennedy]

With a four year old sometimes the shooting happens on his schedule. Ok, maybe not sometimes, it always happens on his schedule! This is my all time favorite. He asked for a "family photo" I set up the tripod and this was the result. So so true of who he is! (and perhaps our place in the pecking order?!)

http://ianck.blogspot.com/2009/04/master-of-house.html

[Beryl]

We had a huge family renuinion of sorts for the Thanksgiving holiday. I loved being comissioned as family photographer this year and capturing all the candid moments. Here is my family enjoying the holiday together.

http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=295

[elizabeth]

I have trouble shooting people. I think because I have to step outside of that space between,
to distance, to forget, to lose...myself
(and god forbid I'm suddenly inattentive, or somehow unresponsive to what someone else needs! Is that it? I'm not sure)
But a photo does come to mind, when you mention remembering. And it is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindwhisperings/4129735486/

Thank you for this reflective post!

[Julie Alvarez]

I am the one behind the camera:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4146823333/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4146812649/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4147507990/in/photostream/
But sometimes I pop in too:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4146757721/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4147559748/in/photostream/

[Tracey Clark]

i LOVE that shot Meredith!
attempted a 'posed' holiday portrait...um...when will i ever learn??
http://www.traceyclark.com/blog/2009/11/30/seasonal-sequence.html

[Karyn]

I've been doing this:
http://www.mundanedetails.com/?p=2397

with my nieces and nephews all year... I too shoot non stop. The pic I want to show, (that shows their true personality) my mom will kill me if I post...this one was more acceptable.
http://www.mundanedetails.com/?p=2405

[beth]

I try and shoot members of my family from around corners, with my telephoto lens, in hopes they don't see me....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29291473@N04/4147110717/

[Jessica]

Here's a picture of my blended family taking a walk in the snow over Thanksgiving:

http://quotidian-photography.blogspot.com/2009/11/snow.html

[xanthe]

thank you mere! love family shots, yours is so natural and spur of the moment, beautifully captured.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xantheberkeley/4148561272/

x.

[Vanessa]

oh how I love this photo Mere! something so very special about it.

I love my timer lately. I have a remote too but the timer gives me more spontinatey (sp?). you have to dash, you have to hope you get all set up in the 10 seconds that it gives you, a little like a photobooth I guess. best part is I think the kid has figured out the timer too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glitch_nitch/4138908300/in/set-72157622782397077/

[Trude]

Love that shot! I catch my family photojournalism-style, for the most part, as they're not the most amenable to "the paparazzi" (as they like to call me). I'm slowly getting them trained. ;)

Half my photos of my dad are like this one - him messing around. Gotta love it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/4115476508/in/set-72157600090183928/

[Kathy Winter]

My favorite subjects are also (usually) my most unwilling subjects!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathywinter/3657717315/

[Kathleen]

One of my favorites, from last Christmas Eve.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/3148790492/in/set-72157603894867029/

[Michele]

I have 2 favorites - both melt my heart! <3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/socalimom/2559241271/in/set-72157603916041846/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/socalimom/2353813644/in/set-72157603916041846/

[lucy]

We too were shivering on the beach -- it was a cold gray Thanksgiving week here on Cape Cod, but we braved the elements and went out anyway. Here are my daughter and friend on the bluffs in Wellfleet:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucyloomis/4138808120/

After the Thanksgiving meal was cleared away, my brother sat down with my son and taught him the strategies of playing poker. I rarely get to photograph my son or my brother, so I love this shot of them deep in game-mode -- and paying no attention to the camera:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucyloomis/4138810018/

[dressers]

I love the photo! It reminds me of the days when we are still complete in the family and we take a walk by the beach and talk about anything.

[georgia]

oh, what wonderful photo! really!

i took many family shots on thanksgiving, but did not get much i was happy with. but practice makes perfect, right?

[kristin]

well i STILL struggle with pictures of myself these last few years, but i do love me a good shadow family shot! of course TOTALLY inspired by you!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/3778929503/in/set-72157616692117598/

[darrah]

I keep returning to these images from my Thanksgiving weekend:

http://artcetera.squarespace.com/artcetera/2009/12/1/december-views-12109.html

After a day full of cooking and eating, I came downstairs to find my in-laws on the floor with my nephew. We stayed there for an hour, watching, laughing, drawing.

These are memories and images I will carry with me for a very long time.

[sarah]

i just uploaded these and i like them because they are just random moments of our afternoon while i was getting the tripod set up for a posed family shot. my sister happened to stop by the house so she is there too!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradleysofaustin/4150113399/