It’s interesting how a change in technology can change an attitude or opinion. The observation that comes to mind is our approach to photography. Taking a picture used to be a rather involved process. You had to have a camera. I don’t mean built into a cell phone. I mean a box with a lens that had to be focused manually, as in with your own hands. You also had to have film stuffed in that box just the right way so that it would advance exactly one frame each time you took a picture.
After you ran out of film, you’d have to mail it off to have it developed. Fortunately, that process was sped up thanks to 1-hour photo developers popping up at certain stores. Either way, you didn’t know if the picture you took was worth the money it cost to develop it until you got it back. Then there was the exciting moment of truth while sitting in the car in the parking lot feverishly flipping through the handful of memories you had captured. Most of the time the pictures were taken over the course of several weeks or even months. We weren’t as shutter happy when it cost money to capture your past.
It’s all different these days. It’s the cellphone that does all the picture taking. And we’re not shy about collecting those pixels either. According to a recent survey by Magisto, we take some 150 new photos during a given month and have an average of 650 photos on our phones. I think that average might be a bit low as I know people with over 15-hundred stored on their phones. Try that in the old days and you’d go broke in six months.
My parents used to get on to us about taking the odd shot of your foot. That usually happened by mistake when you were trying to determine if the camera was loaded. Now we take those sorts of shots on purpose and then post them to social media.
My father loved taking pictures. He had a Pentax 35mm with a regular lens and a large telescopic one. The latter was used for surveillance when he was hunting down bootleggers. That was his job not his hobby if you were wondering. While he had his work photos developed as prints, our family pictures wound up as slides. Along with vacation pictures and shots of special events like birthdays and Christmas mornings, he did a few art shots along the way. These were mostly of interesting rock formations, mountain views and flowers.
There was much excitement when the postman delivered the latest batch of slides. Dad would set up the projector and screen on a Friday or Saturday following their arrival. Mom would cook a special dinner. The whole affair was something akin to killing the fatted calf. After dinner we’d gather for the “show.” There would be “ooos” and “ahhs” and the occasional “what the heck.” It was like watching a movie starring our family. A bit narcissistic I’ll admit, but so is owning too many mirrors.
Often, we’d invite folks over to see the slides from our recent travels. I’m not sure our guests were ever that excited to see someone else’s travelogue, but they came and watched politely. I’m also not sure why we thought that someone outside the family would even care about our vacation pictures.
I have poked fun of the idea, but now I may have to eat my words and I will not be alone at that meal. I have heard others make the same jokes about those slide shows complete with eye rolls. Not ours in particular, just the concept in general as it was part of the culture in those days.
Often innovators are only seen as such through the lens of history. In their own time, their vision isn’t seen as clearly by the people around them. I believe that is the case with those slide shows.
Folks likely tolerated such invitations rather than got excited about them. I doubt upon hanging up the phone after being invited anyone said “Wow, I can’t wait to see the Maine’s take Myrtle Beach!” At least they got a free meal. But the people who today would laugh at such parties are the same ones who scroll social media endlessly to see everyone else’s vacation pictures, food shots and selfies. They don’t want to go to someone’s home to see the pictures, but they’ll look at them on their phones…for hours! They’ll comment on them and share them. Back then, the family slideshow was a mirror that invited the family to look at we. With social media it’s more of a window inviting the world to look at me.
It has turned the internet into a world-wide refrigerator door. It’s everyone’s artwork posted for the world to appreciate. The only difference between that and my parent’s slideshow is you don’t get the free meal. That and the negative comments often made about posts. At least in the slideshow days you sat in the dark so no one could see your eye rolls and you kept your mouth shut. I think they call that last part “being polite”.
Not familiar with the term? Google it.
