When I went back to Malacca for Chinese New Year this year, my aunt showed me some polaroid photos of my aunts and uncles when they were young.
It was a rare glimpse of what they looked like when they were young. These were the rare occasions when a photographer was in town. There were only a handful of photos from each sessions, probably because it was not cheap to engage the services of the photographer.
I was reminded of how I have stopped printing my photos. With the advent of digital technology, people tend to store their photos on their hard disks. The jury is still out on whether it is more reliable to keep the soft copy of your photos instead of printing them out. But it is certain that you need to manage your backup workflow well to avoid losing your photos when a drive fails.
There is a strong resemblance between how they looked when they were young, and the younger generation. I wonder how much I would look like my parents when I grow older.
Permed hair was in fashion. My eldest aunt got her hands on some DIY perming kit and gave her younger siblings a makeover. Even the doll was sporting the perm.
Recently, I printed a new batch of business cards with my photos on the back. Seeing my own photos printed on the cards evoked an immense sense of satisfaction. That was just a small business card size. I started to imagine how the photos would look like in larger print sizes.
Having a tactile feedback when handling a photo makes the whole experience a lot more intimate. This is partly why I prefer viewing photos on a touchscreen instead of on a desktop or laptop. Being able to touch the digital photo makes me feel more connected to the photo. Of course, it is still no substitute for a printed photo.
Perhaps I should start printing some of my photos.
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