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Snippets of Time

By Gary Woltal

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty 0575737

February 16, 2008 11:43 PM

Snapshots While taking digital photos of rooms and the exterior of a house to list it dawned on me how still photos represent

SNIPPETS OF TIME.

I have always been the photographer in my family from Brownie cameras to 35 mm to Digital. Why I am the archivisit I don't know? Maybe I have Japanese family culture in my background. I think I enjoy creating photos and the scenes. I KNOW I love looking back at the frozen memories as years go by seeing people change and their smiles. Sometimes I think it is preserving something that you will lose someday. Life changes. People go in and out of your life. You live different places. You vacation or travel to different areas.

These memories are all in your head too. One time, going unconscious after running too fast anaerobically in a 10K race, I experienced this life flashing before you effect and my brain randomly sequenced through my memories like snapshots. This is due to lack of oxygen. The memories are all there.

So if it is you, or someone in your family who naturally likes taking photos for all those memorable events, thank God you have a recorder in your midst. If they are really good they assemble them into albums or frames. Life is definitely about moments. Make sure you capture them in photos or in your mind. There's that saying you know. Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by every moment that takes your breath away.

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Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Gary ~ This is a good post for me today. Today is my daughter's 21st birthday, and I have the camera out and ready for her family party this afternoon. The memories of the 1st birthday are in my head today, as well as the others after that - like a little film in my head for each year leading up to today.

Feb 16, 2008 11:48 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Kathy, hooray for you on a momentous occasion for you and your family. Happy birthday to your daughter. I bet you feel like those 21 years sure went by fast. Make many snippets with that camera!

Feb 16, 2008 11:50 PM

Jill Wente

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Gary Greene - Spring, TX

Realtor, CRS, MCNE, CHMS

Wonderful collage of photos, Gary. My mother has always enjoyed taking photos. On our vacations, us kids always wanted some cheap souvenir. But not my mother, she always said that the photos were her souvenirs. Before the digital camera days photo processing was expensive. My mother's photo processing bill would easily be $40. Now I am glad she took all those photos because her souvenirs became our souvenirs.

Feb 16, 2008 11:51 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Jill: Your mother was right. Photos as souvenirs are more precious oftentimes than something from the gift shop.

Feb 16, 2008 11:54 PM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Gary, I have photos albums in order going back to when my husband and I met and we have been married 31 years. A few years ago my daughter (the graphic artist) had me put them all in to albums that would not disintegrate. Now they are all in to the same type of album and by date. I'm however not in to any of the cutsie stuff; that is just not me.

I think it is harder to keep it up with the digital camera's. I take more pictures but I have to work at getting them off of my computer and on to pictures. The last 3 years have some holes which I need to fill but it is going to take time to compare what I have with what has been developed. I need to come up with a better plan for this.

I have started backing up my computer better though, I had a computer crash and lost 6 monts worth of pictures. Lesson Learned!! I have no pictures of my sons gradaution from his advanced training in the Army.

Feb 17, 2008 12:11 AM

Teri Eckholm

Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN

REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro

Gary--My husband and I only have a handful of photos from our youth. I became a photographer very early on in high school and have many more of our lives together. It is always fun to review those snippets of time. Funny I even enjoy reviewing the shots of homes I have sold as they bring back memories of the clients. Thought provoking post...Good thoughts and memories! :)

Feb 17, 2008 12:25 AM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Gary, Your photo collage is wonderful! When my basement had water damage, all I could think of was my photos--literally thousands of them. I could only save about 500 but they are precious to me. You are so right, they are moments that we've forever captured--I love the post, you never lose your memories.

Feb 17, 2008 12:32 AM

Julie Neerings~Lifting Hearts ♥ Building Dreams~

Agent Referral - Salt Lake City, UT

Gary~This is so interesting to read today because my hubby and I were just having a conversation about photography yesterday. What a passionate hobby it is for me and scrapbooking too. There are so many given opportunities to take photos and my camera is always with me. I would love to travel the world and take amazing photos to capture and pass down through history to my family. Pictures of people, animals, sunsets, sunrises, oh I just love it.

Feb 17, 2008 12:40 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Marchel: You bring up to great points about digital photography - turning them into prints and backup. I have noted the same thing and mainly am still using a 35 mm camera for that very reason.

Teri: I go back through the boxes of photos from time to time. It's like strolling down memory lane.

Carole: Usually with damage to a house like water or while, the precious things you want saved are the photos.

Julie: I share your traveling the world and taking more photos. I have to get with it and get that done. I have a passion in this area like you.

Feb 17, 2008 12:57 AM

Chris Griffith

Downing-Frye Realty, Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs, FL

Bonita Springs Listing Specialist - Agent

I've turned into an archiver for many teams and families that my kids new. My kids graduated a while backk and I've been contacted more than once by fellow classmates asking for pictures. I put most of the highschool stuff on walgreens.com where you can give people guest priveldges and they can have prints made to order at any store or direct mailed to anywhere in the US. $.19 per print. When I order my prints I order a set mail to my mom in Ohio. I never touch them, they develop them and drop them in the mail from the factory. When I take pictures at birthday parties I always send a set to the birthday boy or girl.

Feb 17, 2008 12:59 AM

Rosario Lewis

DDR Realty - Newburgh, NY

GRI, SRES - DDR Realty - Orange County, NY

I love your final quote. I never heard it before. The trouble with having one depended upon recorder is the recorder is rarely in the photos!

Feb 17, 2008 01:11 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Chris: I use Walgreens too to get the best of both worlds with my 35 mm camera. I always get a CD of the photos. Then I have both forms right away. I'm like you I love sending copies either print or electronic. We must share our memories.

Rosario: Good point. Hey, I'm not in the photo! I do try to have others take pictures of me, but oftentimes as far as a ratio goes I'm only in one out of four or five being the photographer.

Feb 17, 2008 01:19 AM

Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist

Kingsbridge Realty, Inc - Hubert, NC

Hi Gary,
Looking at photos is like reliving the past. I have tons of albums and I used to be quite good at keeping them up to date but I have fallen behind in the last few years. Might have something to do with be a full time Realtor and Mom.

Feb 17, 2008 08:18 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Cynthia: Where does the time go? Give yourself a break. You can't do everything. But keep those photos in boxes nonetheless.

Feb 17, 2008 10:27 AM

Roberta LaRocca

Simply Vegas Real Estate - Las Vegas, NV

REALTOR®, Broker, Salesperson, NV. Lic BS.507

Gary, I am not the photographer in the family! I try but I never take good pictures. Fortunately, my husband is the family photographer and does a great job!

Feb 17, 2008 04:18 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Roberta: It's great that your husband snaps the photos. Those will all be treasures for you down the road.

Feb 17, 2008 11:50 PM

Lisa Ryan

Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty - Montgomery, NJ

Selling Princeton,West Windsor and Montgomery Town

In my family I'm the one that takes all the pictures. It's rare that I'm in any and the kids laugh when we take a look at the camcorder videos. You never see me, you just hear me talking and directing! This is what you get when you tend to micromanage!

Feb 18, 2008 02:56 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Lisa: Yes, those of us that are the "recorders" of time, don't get in as many of the photos or videos. It's nice they are picking up your audio with the camcorder though. Yell out those directions!!

Feb 18, 2008 04:20 PM

Sondra Meyer:

EXP Realty, LLC - Corpus Christi, TX

See It. Experience It. Live It.

Gary, I'm amazed at how you write great posts after great posts. Just today, I was looking back at pictures of a listing that I sold several years ago...as you said, it was a snippet of time. I had just met this person who later became a friend. The backyard shots included her dogs, her babies....Oh, all the emotions back then. Then time went on.... I'm planning to send her the pictures tomorrow.

Feb 19, 2008 02:37 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Sondra: Thank you for reading my little ramblings about life. I'm sure the friend you took the pictures of will love the photos. I think we all like "revisiting" little moments in time back in the past. You've got the gist of this topic down pat, for sure. Remember that yourself as you go forward and "capture" those moments.

Feb 19, 2008 02:48 PM