Dear Photograph has been one of my favorite photo blogs for a while now. Every day, the creator of the site posts a few unique photographs that were submitted by readers.
What makes the photographs unique is that they’re digital snapshots of old printed photos overlapping current environments. So you might have a photo of you as a kid in a tree in your front yard, and you’d hold that photo up in front of the current tree and snap a digital photo of it.
The captions make these intersections of past and present particularly moving–many refer to the lost innocence of childhood or to people who have passed away. The general rule of Dear Photograph is that if you don’t make the reader cry, you’ve failed.
When I was home for Christmas this year, I created two Dear Photographs. I don’t think they’re good enough to submit to the site, but they’re good enough for jameystegmaier.com! You’ll find them below.
My dad and I have talked about doing this. I think we have some great pictures that would work. The problem is that since we’ve moved my entire life going home doesn’t take me back to any of the places that I would like to try this with. We’re planning a trip back to England in the next couple of years so I will definitely add this to the list of things to do while we’re visiting family in the country of my first (of many) homes.
I like both of the pictures you took and the captions you chose to go with them. I think you could submit both to Dear Photograph. 🙂
Those are both great photos and particularly moving since I’ve seen those places. The first one makes me want to play a game of horse on that parking pad behind your parents house (or take shots at a makeshift goal on the back of the shed).
Also, reflecting on what Laura G said above, you’re pretty lucky to have lived in only 2 homes as you grew up and that your parents still live in the one that you spent most of your life in.
Dude, those are awesome, especially the basketball court. Well done.
Thanks everyone! Trev, you’re definitely right that I’m lucky to have home be pretty much one place for most of my life.