The Stories Our Photos Tell: The Argument
Every photo has a story, but unless you know the context, the story isn’t always clear.
Take this photo. On the surface, what does it tell you? It looks like two conversations are going on, one laid back and casual and the other very intense, maybe it’s even an argument. It seems like it’s probably summer and it’s a gathering of people of a variety of ages. Any other guesses?
I’ll tell you the actual story. This is a photo from my wedding rehearsal. My husband and I were getting married on July 10, 1993. The day before, the entire wedding party gathered at the Wakefield Airfield Conference & 4H Center in Virginia to do a run-through of the big event. Of course, as the weather is like to do in Virginia in July, it was hot. It was triple digits, high-humidity hot. While planning, my mom and I knew this was a possibility because it was July in southeastern Virginia.
The wedding was going to be held outside in a lovely amphitheater facing the water. But it was July in Virginia, and did I mention how hot it was? Slowly rumbles of complaint percolated through the wedding party and other people at the rehearsal. “It’s too hot;” “I think we should move it inside.”
Eventually, I started getting upset. My dream was to have an outdoor wedding. We had a backup plan in case it rained, but I didn’t want to move inside unless we had to.
So that leads me to this picture. On the left are two of my bridesmaids talking while my Dad looks on. On the right is where the action is. My sister seems very entertained by the conversation between my soon-to-be husband and me. It looks like he’s yelling at me. It seems like he’s mad, but he’s not. He is sweetly (but firmly) telling me that this is our wedding and if we want to have it outside, it doesn’t matter what anyone else wants! So there! At that moment I needed him to look me in the eyes and remind me what was important, us and our dream wedding. And it worked.
Later that day, we practiced the ceremony indoors, just in case. However, it was announced to the entire group that rain was the only reason we would move the wedding indoors so gear up to be hot.
Photos sometimes lie about the story they tell. #photos #tellyourstoryClick To TweetAs it turned out, the weather was sunny and, of course, sweltering, and we were able to get married outside in the amphitheater. My mother-in-law brought hand fans from my sister-in-law’s wedding, that DID get moved inside due to rain a few years earlier. And everyone survived, even if we were sweaty.
And that is the story of this photo. What stories do your photos tell?
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This was so fun to read. You had me wondering what the story actually was! I would have been fine outside because I love the heat, and I’m glad you carried through and had the wedding you wanted. Such a beautiful spot! Your point is very clear – understand the story.. tell the actual story, because that is where the treasure is!
Thanks, Seana!
Gorgeous location! And fun to hear the story behind the photo!
Thanks, Hazel!
What a great memory from your pre-wedding days! And how interesting that what we see isn’t always what is actually happening. You reminded me of our wedding day. It wasn’t in the south, but it was SUPER HOT!!!! My dad wore a lavender tie in my honor (knowing how much I loved purple.) When you look at the photos throughout our wedding day, what you notice is that the tie starts out lavender, but by the end of the day it’s dark purple. It was so hot and there was no air conditioning (that’s another story,) so my dad’s tie got soaked with sweat. Hot weather and all, it was a magical day- one I’ll never forget. Thank you for reminding me about it and sharing your story too.
Thanks, Linda! I love the story of the tie!! And that is something that a casual observer would miss, but it tells the story of the day.
What a great story! I’m a fan of doing stories. I should have recorded my mom talking about the different photos in my ancestry album I made for my kids years ago. We had lots of silent movies and when we would watch them, my parents would explain what we was going in them. I should have recorded them too. It would have been a great accompaniment for the movies.
Thanks, Sabrina. I, too, wished I had taped more of my grandmothers talking about their albums. I need to start doing that with my mom. Thanks for the reminder.
Andi, you have no idea how your post affected me emotionally! Maybe it’s because I’ve assumed the role of family historian and have been wondering what’s important to capture. You’ve reminded me that the little moments are just as worth preserving as the big ones. I’m so pleased you were able to have your dream wedding!
Thank you, Janet. Some of my all-time favorite photos are of the little moments. They are usually unposed and capture the true nature of the person and of the moment.
What a great story! So many photos could be interpreted different ways, depending on the context and the viewer. This is a good reminder that captions can be very helpful in telling future generations about the photo, beyond just the names of the people.
Thanks, Carol. Yes, the story is so important to set the context of the photo.
Great story. Beautiful location for your wedding. I married my husband on Valentine’s day. Snow if Northern Virginia. I need to go back and look at the photos and see what kind of story they tell.
Thanks, Janet! You probably weren’t expecting snow in Virginia in February, but I bet it was beautiful.
[…] instead to learn more about the family’s stories. Once you get them talking, who knows where the stories will take […]
Your ‘Family Stories’ blog is a wonderful reminder of the power of family and the beauty of our shared histories. Each story is a gem that touches the heart and soul.
Thanks so much Teressa!