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Dear Photograph
by
Taylor Jones
We all have moments we wish we could relive. We'd give anything to skid down the toboggan hills of our youth, to breathe in the smell of our children as babies, or to spend just one more minute with someone we've lost. Dear Photograph provides a way to link these memories from the past to the present, overlapping them to see how the daydreams of our memories collide with o...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
May 8th 2012
by William Morrow
(first published April 24th 2012)
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This idea is so cool! While looking at old photographs in his parents' home, the author realized one birthday photo was taken from the same chair he was sitting in at that moment. He held up the photo, lined it up to match the actual kitchen cabinets and table in the background, and then snapped a new photo showing his hand holding up the old photo in the exact same location where it was originally taken. (You have to see it to really understand.) He posted this photo and others like it on his b...more
I enjoyed the heartfelt sentiments from the contributors, and although some sentiments are tear-jerkers, I didn't feel any were mawkish - they're merely heartfelt feelings/longings the images evoked. Makes me wish I actually had photos from my youth to see what returning to those physical places would bring to mind for me. Definitely recommended, and I appreciate that Taylor Jones came up with an idea I've not seen in a book before. It's a great reminder to hold on tight to those you love (many...more
Fascinating idea... You put your hands on an old photo, go to the place where the photo was originally taken, and snap a new photo (making sure your hand holding the old photo lined up with the location is in the shot). Next you upload your photo and add a note. Apparently this idea has gone viral. The photos in this collection are from all over the world. You can read this in one sitting. I'll admit that a lump formed in my throat while reading many of the notes. It was very touching, and makes...more
Take an old favourite photograph. Go back to the same spot from which it was taken, and take another while holding the old photograph within the frame. Add a dedication to the resulting picture. What you get is a small wormhole that brings the past into the present, and a book full of such photos from submissions to the website DearPhotograph.com, taken all over the world by people willing to share their memories. Some photos seem sweet, some are nostalgic, some are full of regret, and some of t...more
Like many of the other reviewers, I must say that Jones' idea was a very interesting one, and for that reason I decided to read the book.
How you react to the book is very much how you deal with being steeped in personal nostalgia and sentimentality. For me, the pictures and the sentiments attached to the photos more often than not felt like saccharine navel gazing.
I'm certain others would disagree and find the photos and sentiments heartfelt and meaningful.
In other words, it's a matter of taste...more
How you react to the book is very much how you deal with being steeped in personal nostalgia and sentimentality. For me, the pictures and the sentiments attached to the photos more often than not felt like saccharine navel gazing.
I'm certain others would disagree and find the photos and sentiments heartfelt and meaningful.
In other words, it's a matter of taste...more
I'm giving this book a five because it's inspiring and thoughtful, not because every entry is well-written or executed. The book is full of submissions people have made to dearphotograph.com. Each page is the result of taking a meaningful photo from your past, revisiting the site where it was taken, and taking a new photo lining up the picture with the current reality. Some are kind of magical--others just ok, but either way it makes me want to go through my old photo albums and give it a try.
I got this book for free for answering a trivia question on Dear Photograph's facebook page. I LOVE the book! It made me so teary-eyed, happy, and nostalgic. The book itself is wonderful, the only thing I did not like was that on some of the photo descriptions the font was a little hard to read. But I would have definitely bought this book anyway, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a good picker-upper lying around the house for when they feel down. :)
I love this whole project. I was super excited to finally get my hands on a copy of the book. If you love photography, this is a must-read, whether on the Dear Photograph tumblr or in its book format. The project is a moving tribute to the art of photography using photos taken by everyday people sharing memories through old family photos and the changing backgrounds of the current world.
This is a great concept that became popular because of the internet, but which I discovered in the book store. The discovery in a bricks-and-mortar store over the bits and bytes cheers me. At any rate, some of the entries are incredibly moving. This is also one of those good books where you needn't read much to read it, as it is mostly photos.
Awesome concept! The author took a bunch of old pictures back to the original places they were taken. Then he took a picture of the pictures in the same place, so the old picture blends in with the background. Then he says a few words about the memories envoked by the pictures.
This collection of old family photos juxtaposed with/incorporated into new photos of the same spot provides some fun, sad, sweet, touching (etc) glimpses into folk's lives and the passage of time. I found myself alternately smiling and on the verge of tears, and I don't think it's just because I'm pregnant! A cool concept and nice collection to flip through. Makes you think about doing your own.
Flipping through pages and pages of other people's nostalgia, regrets, and ghosts is kind of strange, and a bit of a downer. Sure, there are dreams, devotion, and romance, but as often as not at least one of the referenced parties (or the place) is dead.
كتاب مصّور، قاسمنا فيه الآخرون صورهم الحديثة أُرفقت بأخرى قديمة، ودُوّن أسفلها بكلمات فأخرجت لنا لحظات سعيدة، حزينة أو مُبكية أحياناً.
Jul 11, 2012
Karen
added it
Take an old photo, go back to the location and juxtapose with a current scene. Really compelling pop art. Like Postsecret and FOUND.
Lovely! What a fabulous idea for a book. It did bring me to tears a couple times, but I'm so glad I read it :)
I've been following this since he started a Tumblr with the same title. I'm so glad to see it turn into a book!
I've seen this device before, but it took a 21-year-old to make it a Tumblr and get a book deal. Clever, but then repetitive and numbing. Two stars.
Such a fascinating concept... so much history in a single photograph. I really enjoyed this.
a unique concept....made me reflective about my past--wonder what photograph I might choose to use
Beautiful book, though sad sometimes. I love the creative idea behind it!
A collection of old photos superimposed on new photographs taken in the same place. Neat idea. Each photo includes a sentiment or explanation about the significance of the photo
This was a cool idea. Interesting.
So bittersweet.
Pure genious
What a lovely book!!!!!!!!
I had to read this 5 pages at a time because it made me so sentimental. Such as neat idea.
I loved this blog. What a great concept.
The book was really sweet. Lots of interesting contributions.
The book was really sweet. Lots of interesting contributions.
Dec 12, 2012
Kelli
added it
A fun and easy diversion..also tugs at the heart from time to time.
Absolutely wonderful!
Jun 11, 2013
Jessica Sparks
marked it as to-read
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