Picture Perfect: The Treasure of Frames
Scrolling through our Facebook News Feed reveals a change of status, a few ads, and a variety of photos. The photos range from vacations, scenic spots, special events, food, babies, humor, links to articles, and selfies.
Our phones provide an instant camera, so taking pictures is convenient. Documenting moments has become easy. We store photos on our phones and perhaps upload to a computer. We may choose to print pictures and arrange in an album. We take more photos now than in any other time in history but how do we frame them?
Oh yes, we may write a caption on Facebook or place a date on a photo.
Still photos don’t tell a story, but capture one moment. How do we frame our photos to convey the real story?
Frames, as we know them are borders or cases that surround a picture or document. An obsolete definition of frame is to manage.
How do we surround our photos?
How do we manage them?
How do we frame our pictures?
How do we manage them?
How do we frame our pictures?
Does a photo of a moving van show more than a departure and a destination, but perhaps the faithfulness of God in providing a new job?
Does a family photo show God’s grace after years of waiting for a baby?
Does a milestone birthday celebration show the loyalty of friends and love of family through the years?
Does an adult baptism show the return of a prodigal?
Does a photo of a trip to the mountains tell about the last Fall shared with someone?
Does a photo of a tombstone show more than dates but tell the struggle and legacy of immigrants?
Sort through your photos and think about managing your frames and surrounding your pictures. Our frames can encourage others and show the grace and faithfulness of God.
Can you show more than a moment, but manage and frame to tell a story?
Comment and share your discoveries with us.
The Conversation
Hi Marilyn – That's an interesting perspective on it. This is a slightly different question than the one you've asked, but I've sometimes used a single photo as a writing prompt for poems or short stories. A photo is just a moment in time, but it's amazing how much you can imagine with a few 'What if?' questions. It would be interesting to think about which photos in our albums really show the significant moments in our lives. There can be a lot going on under the surface, so the most obvious photos might not be the ones that mean as much. Thanks for providing great food for thought.
Hi Nola,
Thank you for your comment. Yes! Our photos need "frames" to tell our story. Using a photo as a writing prompt often gives a theme, a paragraph in our life, or demonstration of God's promises and character. Next week I'll write part 2. Blessings. I appreciate your comments.