When I think about things that jog our memories - songs, scents, images - old photos are the most powerful for me. When I see an image from an adventure years ago, it opens the door to the entire trip. Just one photo can be the key.
A while back, I subscribed to a image backup service called Everpix. All the images that I capture with my iPhone, iPad, or are cataloged in certain categories in iPhoto, are uploaded to the Everpix servers in the Cloud. I don't have to think about this; it just happens.
One of the features this service provides is called Flashback. Everyday I get an email from Everpix containing images that I had captured on that day in years past. I could have a picture from last year, three years ago, and sometimes even 10 years ago -- all in the same email.
This sounds like such a simple idea. But its power has been amazing. For example, 3 years ago today I was drinking beer in Munich with my friend Oliver. 7 years ago today I was in Maui shooting with a Canon Rebel XT. I probably would not have thought of either had I not subscribed to Everpix and received those pictures. My pictures. My memories.
So often our images are uploaded to our computer, viewed a few times, then buried. But we deserve better than that. As photographers, we have most likely lived interesting lives. I like being reminded of my adventures. Maybe that's something you want to think about too.
-Derrick