Polaroid Memories



 

   “No one move! No one move!” my aunt exclaimed as me and my cousins posed for yet another photo. Camera’s, you could always find one at any of my family gatherings, I even bring my special camera for events. My polaroid camera represents one main thing, memories. Each polaroid picture serves as a physical representation of who I am in society, and how my culture is reflected in something as simple as a polaroid camera. “No one move! No one move!” my aunt exclaimed as me and my cousins posed for yet another photo. Camera’s, you could always find one at any of my family gatherings, I even bring my special camera for events. My polaroid camera represents one main thing, memories. Each polaroid picture serves as a physical representation of who I am in society, and how my culture is reflected in something as simple as a polaroid camera.

  Growing up with a lot of cousins, aunts, and uncles there were constant family gatherings. We had at least one birthday each month, calling for a small party each month, which included a cake, fun, and a lot of pictures. As the years have passed I’ve watched the form of visual documentation go from a camcorder, to pictures on an iPhone. To tell you I loved posing for thirty minutes worth of pictures and crooning would be a lie. My young mind never understood why the adults made such a fuss over pictures and videos, why couldn’t we just move on I asked. It was not until I grew older and started taking pictures that I understood the importance of capturing as many precious memorie as I could.  

Holding and scribbling a date on a printed picture is a feeling like no other. My polaroid provides what a phone with digital pictures could never do, give the feeling of belonging. Staring at all my polaroids takes me back to the exact time and place of the memory captured. In those photos you can see so much from the smiling faces, to their surroundings or clothes. You can see the type of house I live in, the friends I have, family traditions, and how I am participating in society. My polaroid can capture these moments so that later we can show the generations to come our photos and pass on our history.

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