Can you help? Student in need of old family photos for dissertation

Mihaela_M

Mihaela_M

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Hi everyone,

I hope that's the right place to post this and I really hope you can help me!
I am a third year media student working on my dissertation at the moment. The theme of my project is The Last Family Album and I am making a collection of old family photos. I will be extremely thankful if you can provide me with a copy of a photo from an old album ( the photograph shouldn't necessarily be of the whole family, it could be any you like ). Also it would be great if you could explain with a few words what this particular photograph means to you.
You can email me at mm502@uni.brighton.ac.uk . I'd like to collect as many photographs as possible so it will mean the world to me. Thank you!
Mihaela
 
Mihaela, what are you going to do with the images? Can you describe your dissertation in a little more detail? The sort of level of detail that you'd need yourself before sending a family photo to a complete stranger.. .. pretend some of us are older than the generation that's grown up with Facebook and don't routinely spread family images far and wide for anyone to see.. ;)
 
It is funny you mention Facebook because this is one of the reasons why I've started this project. It actually started as a research on the revival of retrophotography. But there is one thing that is dying out and that's printing out images and creating family albums. As you said, young families nowadays put their photos on Facebook, Instagram, etc. and that's their family album. I personally thing is a great loss and passing around a hard drive is not as intimate and exciting as showing someone a family album. So what I have in mind is creating a family album, hence the name The Last Family Album, and this is why I am asking people to provide me with photos if they feel like it. Going though a photo album always comes accompanied by telling stories so it is really interesting how one firstly reacts to the image itself and how their mind changes when there is a story about it. I hope that makes sense haha
 
Have you tried family?
 
donut said:
what is retrophotography ?
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I think she means the fashion for filters, techniques and philosophies that apply a vintage look - instagram, lomo, VSCO, etc..
 
Thanks, Alastair, that's exactly what I mean, also The Impossible Project and everything that's been going on in the last few years.

Yes, I have tried family but unfortunately my family is not endless :D I want to collect as many images as possible. It is actually lovely when strangers send me old family photos from 1936 telling me the story of their grandparents or something like that : )
 
How recently are you prepared to accept photos, and are you exclusively looking for photographs of people? Some of the older albums in my possession contain views of places visited, as well as people; and the ones easiest for me to come by are scans from my own negatives from the 1960s. My maternal grandparents married (and produced their first children) in the 19th century so many photos I have have very little personal meaning or memories for me (I was about 3 when my grandmother died, although I do remember her).

I see from the email that you presumably aren't far from me :)
 
Maybe you missed part of my question earlier, but what happens to the photos once you get them? - you're going to need to convince people to participate..
 
Alastair said:
you're going to need to convince people to participate..
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This.

I have family pictures going back to the late 1800s but I'd need to meet, discuss the project and see evidence of credibility before I handed over any copies.

Don't mean to be a killjoy but I think your asking for more than you realise.
 
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:agree:
 
Alastair said:
Maybe you missed part of my question earlier, but what happens to the photos once you get them? - you're going to need to convince people to participate..
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As a moderator here, I'd rather like an answer to this myself... We don't generally allow anything that constitutes a "rights grab" or similar...

Especially if it ends up turning into a commercial exercise.... Publishing a book of the project for example.

I must admit, I do mourn the demise of the family album... Having spent a considerable time scanning 5 shoeboxes of pictures and negatives when my parents passed away last year, and distributing the digital files around the remaining family...

All because I live alone, no kids etc, and when I die, all my photos will end in a skip or a bonfire, so I had to do something to try an perpetuate the images...
 
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TheBigYin said:
All because I live alone, no kids etc, and when I die, all my photos will end in a skip or a bonfire, so I had to do something to try an perpetuate the images...
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Not an unusual situation, and I come across abandoned family photo albums, boxes of prints/slides, etc. in junk shops on a regular basis - which is one of the reasons I'm wondering why a public request like this needs to be made. Or is it the accompanying words that are really the important bit?
 
It's worrying Alastair... My best mate and photographic mentor passed away a few years ago, and, as he was a pro 'Togger, I took on the 'archive' from his mother, who didn't have the knowledge or resources to administer it...

But as I said, I'm worried that when I'm no longer around, the whole lot of the negative bank will be binned, and the computer just formatted and the images lost...
 
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donut said:
retro ??? retro ???? ,,i'll have you know that they're cutting edge technology young Ken
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compared to my Perkeo I or half a dozen other objects in my oldies box, you may be right...

...to the EOS3... not so much...
 
Mihaela_M said:
Thanks, Alastair, that's exactly what I mean, also The Impossible Project and everything that's been going on in the last few years.

Yes, I have tried family but unfortunately my family is not endless :D I want to collect as many images as possible. It is actually lovely when strangers send me old family photos from 1936 telling me the story of their grandparents or something like that : )
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Let me play devil's advocate here a minute.

I see what you're doing, and I fully appreciate the worth of appropriated imagery in art. However... I feel the concern of those questioning you is because you've not yet explained exactly how these images are going to be disseminated, and also, what exactly are you going to do with them creatively. Will the subjects be re-interpreted or represented in a way that could be seen as negative? Will identities be changed in any way? Will identities be kept intact, but revealed publicly?

If I were you, I'd answer these questions, and perhaps give a better idea of what you wish to create... perhaps a mock up, sketch, extracts from your research logs etc.

Asking for someone's family photos without also giving a clear idea of how the images are going to be used will be greeted with suspicion.


On the other hand, once you've done that, I urge others to help if they can, as projects that breathe new life into old, forgotten imagery are often really worthwhile, enlightening and almost certainly always interesting.

TheBigYin said:
Especially if it ends up turning into a commercial exercise.... Publishing a book of the project for example.
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I see no problem with the project being published as a book. I can see the problem if someone publishes a book with the work of others in it without permission, recognition or remuneration, but we're talking about family snaps here. Why prevent a creative from publishing a book merely because some of the material was provided from other people? Many artists self-publish these days, and to expect to be paid in some way by providing a family snap shot of no financial worth is just overly mercenary and the kind of thing that prevents artwork being created. I can understand people not wanting family images being publicly displayed, but this objection you raise appears to be a financial one; that if an artist makes any money from their work, then you're not prepared as a forum to support, condone, or assist in any way.

Think about that a minute. Are we here to promote photography as art and help people succeed, or put barriers in their way?

There are ways you can avoid rights grabs without closing the door on ANY commercial activity. So what if she does publish this as a book and makes some money? Why is that bad? Why would the people who supplied a creased, 2 1/4 inch print of a long lost relative expect some kind of cut in royalties? All she has to do is provide a license agreement saying that contributors will receive no financial reward, and all is sweet.

Why are we making it impossible for an artist to make some money? LOL Shouldn't we be helping to facilitate that as much as possible?
 
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Alastair said:
Not an unusual situation, and I come across abandoned family photo albums, boxes of prints/slides, etc. in junk shops on a regular basis - which is one of the reasons I'm wondering why a public request like this needs to be made. Or is it the accompanying words that are really the important bit?
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I genuinely think that this is why images SHOULD be disseminated widely. The more places they are, the more likely they'll survive. For some reason, people think that a shoe box of negatives in someone's loft means perpetuity, when in reality, it means dumped in a skip most likely. Plaster them all over the net, and they will survive as orphaned images for a very long time.
 
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David speaks sense, as usual!
I'm willing to send some pics to Mihaela, but I would like to know about the project- purely because it sounds interesting.

I have scans of family going back to the 1900's gathering dust on a memory stick... It's not as though they are worth anything.
My only concern would be if they were manipulated to ridicule the subjects.
 
Pookeyhead said:
I see no problem with the project being published as a book. I can see the problem if someone publishes a book with the work of others in it without permission, recognition or remuneration, but we're talking about family snaps here. Why prevent a creative from publishing a book merely because some of the material was provided from other people?
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Personally, I have no issue with it either, but it would be better if it was made clear from the outset...

and, in fairness, unless the book was given away, it would come under the prohibited content rule... hence my request (with my staff hat on for once) for clarification.

Prohibited content
  • Piracy (of the internet kind), anything naughty or criminal. Market research, surveys etc.
  • Anything that makes you money (or goods) from our community (Referral links etc).
  • Anything else that just isn't nice.
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The thread title kind of gives it away.
I don't have a problem helping a student out with a dissertation.
 
TheBigYin said:
Personally, I have no issue with it either, but it would be better if it was made clear from the outset...

and, in fairness, unless the book was given away, it would come under the prohibited content rule... hence my request (with my staff hat on for once) for clarification.
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Yep.. well aware of the rules..

Making money from our members or using the forum for any kind of commercial gain (opinions, market research etc etc).
  • It's a resounding no, unless you've already asked, and we have said yes, and you've paid our advertiser fees.


It's the rule I question actually. Making money from members has a decidedly nefarious tone to it - as if they are being exploited. While I'm aware that this may be possible, and not something any of us would want, the rule, as written seems to preclude anyone promoting their work, if that work is only available via a commercial means, i.e, a self published book on Amazon. Why would letting other members know they have a book available be a problem? No one's being exploited, and no one will be forced to buy it. It's not as if we're going to get inundated by posts from members flogging their wares. However, if an artist has striven and struggled to produce something worthy, I just don't see what's wrong with a post saying, "Hi guys... just to let you know my new nook is available here". The same rules for the for sale forum can be applied for this... meaning that they have to be a long standing member, with a minimum number of posts etc. As I see it, there's no difference between saying "I have a Nikon D700 for sale" and "I have a new book published".

This forum should be doing everything in it's power to to help photographers get recognition, publication, and ultimately make money. A rule that means someone can't promote their work if it's only available commercially is a barrier to success. I appreciate that we can ASK for permission, but would it realistically be granted? An amendment to the rule that states only long standing members, with let's for argument's sake say, 2000 posts can self-promote, then I can't see a problem with it.

It's not just this forum that has this rule, I appreciate that. I'm also sorry for the thread hijack, and perhaps this is a thread in it's own right, but surely, a forum who's aim is to facilitate the success of it's members should find a more elegant solution that merely stamping down on anything that promotes a commercial venture. Maybe the for Classified section can be utilised in some way?

If the official standpoint of the forum is that it's an amateur forum, for amateurs only, then fair enough, but the sub-forum content would indicate that is not the case, and it's equally for professionals (and those trying to be so). With that in mind, self-promotion should be something we embrace, not hinder.
 
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Pookeyhead said:
Yep.. well aware of the rules..

Making money from our members or using the forum for any kind of commercial gain (opinions, market research etc etc).
  • It's a resounding no, unless you've already asked, and we have said yes, and you've paid our advertiser fees.


It's the rule I question actually. Making money from members has a decidedly nefarious tone to it - as if they are being exploited. While I'm aware that this may be possible, and not something any of us would want, the rule, as written seems to preclude anyone promoting their work, if that work is only available via a commercial means, i.e, a self published book on Amazon. Why would letting other members know they have a book available be a problem? No one's being exploited, and no one will be forced to buy it. It's not as if we're going to get inundated by posts from members flogging their wares. However, if an artist has striven and struggled to produce something worthy, I just don't see what's wrong with a post saying, "Hi guys... just to let you know my new nook is available here". The same rules for the for sale forum can be applied for this... meaning that they have to be a long standing member, with a minimum number of posts etc. As I see it, there's no difference between saying "I have a Nikon D700 for sale" and "I have a new book published".

This forum should be doing everything in it's power to to help photographers get recognition, publication, and ultimately make money. A rule that means someone can't promote their work if it's only available commercially is a barrier to success. I appreciate that we can ASK for permission, but would it realistically be granted? An amendment to the rule that states only long standing members, with let's for argument's sake say, 2000 posts can self-promote, then I can't see a problem with it.

It's not just this forum that has this rule, I appreciate that. I'm also sorry for the thread hijack, and perhaps this is a thread in it's own right, but surely, a forum who's aim is to facilitate the success of it's members should find a more elegant solution that merely stamping down on anything that promotes a commercial venture. Maybe the for Classified section can be utilised in some way?

If the official standpoint of the forum is that it's an amateur forum, for amateurs only, then fair enough, but the sub-forum content would indicate that is not the case, and it's equally for professionals (and those trying to be so). With that in mind, self-promotion should be something we embrace, not hinder.
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It's simple really unless a member has paid for the privilege of advertising on here they the shouldn't try and advertise on here, it's not rocket science...and a key to this is that not all advertising requests get approved
 
All you just did was tell me the rules Matt. I already know the rules. I'm disagreeing with them.

[edit]

Out of respect for the OP... I'll start a new thread... if there's any point of course.

Hypothetically, even if she was asking for material for a commercially available book... she;s not actually advertising the book here... just asking for help with it. She wouldn't be advertising anything, so why should the advertising rules still apply.

As you were.
 
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Wow.... I didn't see that coming. Okay, I will try to explain everything as clear as possible.

Some of you mentioned that I am asking for too much. Honestly, I did not expect that reaction. I sent away a bulletin around the university for example asking staff for photos. I got a really good response - people thought it sounded like a good project and were more than happy to help without asking any questions really. I did not want to bore anyone with my research or all the assignments and deadlines I've got, this is why I did not go into too many details. I said I'd use the photos to create a family album or it is more like a meta album because it is not a photo album of my family ( So no, I am not claiming rights on any of the images. Even in the introduction bit if anyone had a look at it, I explicitly said I would not dare to call myself a photographer, I am taking the role of a curator in this project ). As I mentioned above already what I am really interested in is what people have to say about these photos because that's what gives them true meaning. Otherwise, they could be any family snaps found in a charity shop ( I still find those fascinating but maybe it is just me being all sappy :D ). No ,Ken, I do not have any intentions to ridicule or add any negative meaning to the photos. This is one of the challenges of this project, organising the images in a way that makes sense and tells a story despite the fact that they belong to different people. At the end of the day, all family albums are very very similar but still unique.

I deliberately put my university email instead of my personal one to prove I am a student. It is my bad that I did not explain it is not going to be used for any commercial purposes. To be fair, I thought that the thread title gives it away. Of course some of the photos might not make it to the final project, some of them might just end up in my workbook but it is all for the purposes of my dissertation - no money making out of it. Thank you, David, for taking my side. I am sorry I was not clear enough about what I am doing. I just thought that this forum would be a good place to find some help from other creatives.
 
We are a suspicious bunch:)
Any types of shot you are particularly interested in?

I'll look out some pics for you later.
 
I'm sorry but I still don't think you've answered anyone's question as to where and how the photos will be used other than saying in an album.
Where will the album be ? Eg- sitting in the uni on a desk at the main entrance for people to freely flick through or just for your and the examiners eyes only etc etc

Also I think everyone is taking your side not just David as everyone is trying to help you :) some people just want to know who will be looking at their photos .

Best of luck with the project it sounds interesting
 
I guess no one actually has to put real names to faces ? (unless they actually want to)
 
stumac said:
I'm sorry but I still don't think you've answered anyone's question as to where and how the photos will be used other than saying in an album.
Where will the album be ? Eg- sitting in the uni on a desk at the main entrance for people to freely flick through or just for your and the examiners eyes only etc etc

Also I think everyone is taking your side not just David as everyone is trying to help you :) some people just want to know who will be looking at their photos .

Best of luck with the project it sounds interesting
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I don't understand your point. These are probably images the owners hardly look at. Why would you be so precious over an ancient image of you great great grandaddy?
 
Some of the photos will only stick in my workbook which is seen by me and my examiners and is used to show my progress and the research I carried out throughout the year. Some of the images will be part of my final project which is examined by my personal tutor, the level year tutor and a group of external examiners. At the end all dissertation projects are stored in a special library catalogue for dissertations in the university library which is accessible to students and staff.

I am not looking for any particular type of shots. That said it does not have to necessarily be of your whole family, you do not have to be in it, you do not even have to know the people on the photo. It could be any photo you like.

Thanks for bringing that up, Carl. I will not put any names, years or location unless that is specifically pointed out and contributes to the description you are giving me. e.g. 'In this photo I was two years old, the hand holding the soft ball belongs to my brother Tom. I have great memories...blah-blah,etc.' .
 
DerekL said:
I don't understand your point. These are probably images the owners hardly look at. Why would you be so precious over an ancient image of you great great grandaddy?
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I wouldnt be at all and im too young to have old images but if i did she can help herself to them, Im simply saying people have asked the question and she has given a number of long and well thought out replys but im afriad didnt actually answer the main question.

Where will the images be used? Answer - in an album. I think people were looked abit more info than that.
 
DerekL said:
I don't understand your point. These are probably images the owners hardly look at. Why would you be so precious over an ancient image of you great great grandaddy?
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and as you can now see the question has been answered and im pretty sure she will have some sucess in getting the images :-)
 
Right, I think we've clarified any issues around any commercial nature, and of the scope of usage/dissemination of the images so please folks, no more reporting this thread okay...

(we did get reports on this thread, and as I was a) in the staff room at the time and b) i'm sort of the "film bloke" on the staff, It sort of fell to me to come in and ask "the hard questions" - whether I actually thought it was likely or not, it needed clarifying to ensure we are seen to keep to our own rules - silly as some of them may seem, they're generally there for a purpose - in this case, advertising is pretty much what keeps the hamster fed)

Okay, moderator hat off...

I actually think it's a great idea for a project, and part of me is actually slightly sad that it isn't likely to make it as a book - because I'd really enjoy getting hold of a copy, and I wish you well with the project Mihaela
 
Mihaela_M said:
... I sent away a bulletin around the university for example asking staff for photos. I got a really good response - people thought it sounded like a good project and were more than happy to help without asking any questions really.
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But that was the university. You're now dealing with The Outside World ...

:)
 
Mihaela_M said:
Wow.... I didn't see that coming. Okay, I will try to explain everything as clear as possible.

Some of you mentioned that I am asking for too much. Honestly, I did not expect that reaction. I sent away a bulletin around the university for example asking staff for photos. I got a really good response -
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Amateur photographers are far more paranoid about copyright, image use, and image misappropriation than those who work in more creative environments. Even some professionals, like those who rely on direct sale of their work, such as events, sports and wedding photographers are equally as paranoid. To those of us brought up in a more creative environment where you exhibit, publish or rely on indirect sales... it takes some getting used to :)

Just answer their questions, however, and you'll not find a more helpful bunch of people generally.
 
TheBigYin said:
It's worrying Alastair... My best mate and photographic mentor passed away a few years ago, and, as he was a pro 'Togger, I took on the 'archive' from his mother, who didn't have the knowledge or resources to administer it...

But as I said, I'm worried that when I'm no longer around, the whole lot of the negative bank will be binned, and the computer just formatted and the images lost...
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there must be a local museum or History society that would take them (or at least copies) , come to that the Trust might be interested depending on where and what they are of... if you let me know where you are in the UK I can ask our curatorial services people when i get back in to the office on wednesday
 
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