Reading time: 4 minutes
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 1,000 times – photos really aren’t worth 1,000 words. And photos can't talk. Yes, you can animate them. You can even use AI to simulate a loved one’s voice. And yet … it’s entirely possible that one generation removed, the story is lost. And two generations removed, no one remembers with certainty who that is in the photo.
You’ve saved all these photos only to, what, make new research projects for future genealogists?
We’ve written before about the need to rescue photos. We’ve offered tips, too. We are not advocates for projects for projects sake. For the best, most loved, and truly tantalizing photos in your collection, test out these interrogation techniques on your photos, and those you may inherit. You may just discover new personal or even world history in the process!
Interrogation Techniques for Photos: Let’s Get Beyond the Five Ws
Psst… the same applies to postcards! Here’s an oldie but a goodie in the Artifcts collection.
Interrogation is about reading your subject. In this case, the subject is a photo and the clues it can offer about its past to share stories with friends and loved ones.
START WITH WHAT'S TRUE
This is as close as you get to the 5 Ws but starting with “what’s true” can be simpler. “What’s true” even leads off our tip lightbulb on each Artifct you create in the “Description,” thanks to writer Jeff Greenwald.
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- Who is in the photo?
- When was it taken?
- Where?
- Who took the photo (if not you), and how did it come into your possession? Did it come down through your mother’s or father’s family?
- Is there any information written on it (if it’s a print) or in a caption or the metadata (if it’s digital)?
- What type of photo is it (E.g., black and white, colorized, CDV, real photo postcard)?
- What are the original dimensions of the photo?
- If printed, is it matte, glossy, added borders, or other adornments?
Word of caution! If your photo, like this example, was pasted into a scrapbook or similar, and you suspect information is hidden on the back, start first by digitizing it. Then most of us should ask a professional archivist for help. If you are more daring, or less concerned if you damage the photo further, you can certainly purchase tools and learn online about approaches to help uncover the information, like applying hot air with a hairdryer.
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Learn more about old photos you may have inherited from your family with our guest Lisa Lisson, genealogy researcher and techie behind Are You My Cousin? Genealogy.
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NOW TAKE THE PHOTO IN, IN ITS ENTIRETY
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- What is the photo of?
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- E.g., nature, a party, a portrait, a group of people, a cool building
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- What is happening in the photo?
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- E.g., blowing out candles, dancing, a ceremony, just smiling, nothing – simple still-life
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- Is it staged or casual?
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- This might also inform why it was taken. Do you know? A formal posed photo of an individual or family is very different than a candid moment, in motion or unaware. If it is staged, could it even be part of professional portfolio of work?
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- What is the photo of?
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WHAT'S THE MOOD?
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- Do you see: Shadowing, twilight, a moody setting? Or is this bright and sunshiny fun? Somber faces? Joyous expressions?
- And closely related, how does the photo make YOU feel? The artistry could invoke feelings or your attachment to the people or places in the photo.
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STEP BACK AGAIN: THIS TIME FOR THE DETAILS
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- Anything surprising in the photo, like a logo, a signature, or an object? Check the background and all around!
- Maybe who’s together in the photo is even odd, what they are wearing, type of hairstyles, or perhaps where it was taken.
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FINALLY: WHY THIS PHOTO?
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- As in why save this photo? What does it mean to you? What did it mean to the person who gave it to you? Why is it special?
- And what do you want others to know about it?
- Is this photo best paired with another photo, an object, a document, or even a video, to fully tell its story?
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Looking for Assistance? There’s Tech that Can Help!
When context clues and family are not enough to help, you may opt for some technical reinforcement. For our co-founder Ellen’s mysterious family members on bikes, there are a few tools she’s curious to test. Maybe these tools will help you, too! Let us know at Editor@Artifcts.com what you discover.
Many tools include facial recognition these days and automatic tagging, likely including the built-in technology that came with your phone as well as popular cloud storage sites, like Google. Review the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions before you get started so you know the ins and outs of the data you’ll begin to share and collect for your privacy and the privacy of others who are featured in your photos.
Related Faces' patented technology uses the US Library of Congress database as its testing input along with known persons others and you add to identify people in photos. Related Faces offers a free 14-day trial membership.
New arrival PhotoDater™, from MyHeritage, according to the in-person announcement from the company’s CEO at RootsTech 2023. Listen in around minute 38. The system uses everything from the furniture, hairstyles, and textiles to approximate the date a photo was taken. That can be a real help in narrowing where to look in a family tree for the likely people and places in a photo! Like Related Faces, MyHeritage offers a free 14-day trial membership.
Happy Artifcting!
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You may also enjoy these additional ARTIcles by Artifcts:
Could You and Should You Part With a Family Photo?
What Should You Do With Old Scrapbooks?
A Virtual Impossibility: Keeping Up With All My Digital Photos
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