Browsing through my pictures in my iPhone one day, I was struck by how random my colllection of shots appeared. I had taken landscape pictures to capture the beauty of autumn, my grand-daughter walking through the woods, a book I wanted to read but not purchase, a receipt, a blurred who-knows-what and a few snapshots that truly befuddled me.
These pictures detailed the important moments, elements of significance, and complete confusion in my life over the course of time. They are a microcosm of my life story.
I decided to take the last 100 photos and examine them for commonalities, thought processes, actions. What I came to realize was that they provide a pretty amazing "snapshot" into who I am and the things/people I consider important. I'd always failed at keeping a written diary, probably due to wanting it to be perfectly profound or that I found writing my thoughts rather tedious, so this was interesting - perhaps another way of documenting my life?
I then randomized the 100 photos selection so it was less chronological and became a game of when was this and what was I doing. It was fascinating. Memories were generated of activities I had forgotten, experiences relived and an powerful evocation was created of how my life had been lived. It was an intentional, active travel back in time. It was deeply moving.
I've decided to explore this further. Smartphone pics are fertile ground for understanding the individual and a life lived. I see this as an amazing legacy project of sorts to share with loved ones or a form of self-exploration when journaling seems daunting. An electronic journal of sorts that brings the full spectrum of life into being and even casts the mind into the future as to how I wish to be remembered. Check out the iPhone project page here.
If you are interested in the project or wish to pursue this as a form of self-exploration and are willing to share your process/results, please see the details in the research section of my website, or contact me at marp@sasktel.net.