I was watching a video with my 3 year old yesterday. It was the raw footage of our vacation to Disneyland last fall. I realized a few things while watching this. First I really need to edit the thing, I seem to have a lens cap problem and recording the inside of said lens cap. Second, although these are “precious memories”, are they really necessary? The video that is not the memories. Those are what is important.
I have always liked the idea of video cameras and the wonders of home movies. But many times I watch them and wonder if a slide show of still pics would be better. There is something that I like about looking at the split second captured in a picture. I like to remember what it felt like and what I was thinking when it was taken.
I know that you can still get all of that with video, but video is laced with noise and stupid comments that take some of the “remembering” out of the equation. It is kind of like reading the book vs. watching the movie, not as much imagination needed. Maybe they had it right before with 8mm movies. Sure they were people waving like mad at the camera but there was no sound and much more “remembering”.
Video isn’t bad. The kids especially love to see themselves having fun and sometimes it is great to sit back and be shown your memories. I just happen to like my still pictures. I like to be able to take some pictures with me and show them off. I can’t do that with video and don’t start emailing me with how ipods and iphones can have video on them as well as pictures, I don’t care about that. I don’t have the right setup to get the video off of my camera to the computer. Sometimes paper pictures are the best thing to have with you.
Not that digital photos are not the best thing that has happened since kodachrome film, I love digital pics. I don’t want to get along without them. I just get prints made at Costco.
Plan a weekend to go capture some memories, on video or in still pictures.
Justin
