Alright. Been thinking about different ways to share photo memories with friends and family and will explain my thoughts on a few methods and then I want to hear what you like to do or was the last such event you participated in
There's something about reliving memories through images. It's not just nostalgia – I found it to be incredibly influencial on thinking about my whole life as kind of a story, bonding with people, and keep our most precious moments alive. But in this digital age, how we choose to revisit these memories?
I've been thinking a lot about different ways to share photo memories with friends and family. To me, that's kind of the point of it all. I might be obsessive about gear and tech etc but in the end all that counts to me is the social aspect and sharing it with people.
Analog Projectors: Bringing back the old school slideshow vibes.
Pros: Nostalgic feel, creates a "event" atmosphere, big screen impact. What I like about this is that making it an "event" lowers the social barrier of other people to actually engage in the activity.
Cons: Setup can be a hassle, image quality varies, limited to physical slides or prints. You not only have to shoot analog - you have to shoot positive slides analog.
Maybe here is the point I should mention digital projectors as well. I know that this is what the purists do (maybe you are this, please tell me if so) and probably nice if you are rich enough to have a whole home theatre setup. I remember reading on Reddit that some people even insist on using the same cine lenses on their projectors that they shot a vacation with
I get the appeal of cinematic photos from an ARRI lens on Kodak Motion Picture Film. I get it. But for me that's a little too autistic no offense.
Smart TV: The modern take on slideshows.
Pros: Big screen experience, easy to control from your phone, good for group viewing. This is the biggest screen, most immersive setup, most inclusive for everyone to copy photos into a folder before hand.
Cons: Requires some tech setup, can sometimes feel a bit too "produced". My personal experience is that this counterintuitively has the highest social barrier to do - even higher than doing analog projection as an "event". People don't like to commit to an calendar entry just for that. Might work well if tacked on onto the end of movie night or board game evening.
Prints: Going old school with fine art prints
Pros: Tactile experience, no tech required, creates a physical keepsake
Cons: Takes effort to organize, can be costly, not as easy to share widely
Prints can be as classy and fine art or as casual and posters as you want them to be. Great for looking at as a side activity during a bbq or board game night. It gets really expensive to print a dozen pics for every occasion tho. At this point I also want to encourage everyone to make a huuuge print if you ever take a pic that xould be a magnum opus. Once every decade event maximum IMO. Bonus: video about printing papers
Looking at an iPhone together.
Pros: Super convenient, always with you, great for spontaneous
Cons: Small screen limits the impact, not at all immersive. On vacation photos from last year I want to feel like I'm right there again. Not very social as people tend to hunch over the phone, can feel a bit impersonal. Even when we share an iPad or phone I think there is something subconscious about a personal device that makes it feel less together
I can't stress enough that this subconscous barrier makes it so that IMO the bonding aspect here is really zero. Idk how to say it.
VR: The futuristic option for immersive photo experiences.
Pros: Incredibly immersive, can feel like you're "in" the photo, great for panorama images which IMO one of the smart phone photography features that beats real cameras
Cons: Expensive gear, isolating (usually one person at a time), can be overwhelming for some. I haven't tried Apple Vision Pro but it seems like this is still so so so far for a social event.
kinda dystopian. Maybe when I'm 90 and alone I'll do that scrolling through my entire life on the day before I die.
Digital Photo Frames
I hate this one, it's just TV but worse. No pro&con list. Call me biased, whatever.
Conclusion
I will try to do TV sessions tacked on to other events. I mentioned that the social barrier is high but I can't shoot everything on positive slides. I will also do fine art prints for 3-4 photos per vacation or real life thing where I took a camera.
What's your preferred method for sharing photo memories? Do you prioritize convenience, social interaction, or immersion? Any cool ideas or methods I missed? Do you maybe disagree with the entire premise that socializing and reminiscing is the entire point?