sure, these leaves are pretty. and technically they each serve the purpose of identifying a particular species. but their value to me is not their perfect colors or their diagnostic qualities. i picked these up in 24 different places, and i just need to look at each one to remember the location, the time of day, and even the weather. the leaves themselves don’t even exist anymore in many cases. but those places do.
a collection of found autumn leaves
all from minnesota
i heard on the radio that photographing an event reduces your memory of that event but i experience the opposite. When i look back at photographs it triggers all sorts of memories and details that I might otherwise have forgotten. This is especially true for very old photographs of my childhood.
That’s interesting Margie. For me personally,I think both explanations can be true. If someone is simply snapping photos without much intention or consideration, then the camera is very much a distraction to the actual event. But I rarely take snapshots any more, and usually only take photos when I am being my most present. So, for me, it is the being present that gets burned into my memory. The camera, and photo, are incidental. So, as in most things in life, it all depends on the intentionality you bring to it.
some photos i’d rather forget were taken (you know, the ones of you when you weren’t camera ready…) but i truly love this collection!