Digital Image Junkie
By
Leilani Grossbauer
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aa | Hawaii. For years I had anticipated visiting the exotic place of my birth, and upon my return home, I couldn't wait to relive the memories through my photographs. My stomach dropped as I looked at photos of missed sunsets, splotchy beaches, and smiling faces obliterated by tiny dots. (I apparently didn't use the correct film speed for such a sunny location.) I was sick. If I had used a digital camera, I would have had instant gratification--I mean feedback--and I would have been prompted to switch |
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camera to sunny weather mode (palm tree icon). That was it for me!
I've since gone digital. aaaaMy husband was kind enough to give me my digital camera as a Christmas gift several years ago. And, with the birth of our first child, we became proud parents of a snazzy camcorder. (Thank goodness it's HD; it has its own hard drive.) After discovering that my photo files are competing for prime real estate with my husband's War Craft adventures, and other practical files, I hope he doesn't regret his decision. Yet, despite the slow demise of DELL's memory space, I just cannot part with those precious images! aaaaMy memory is like my home computer: older and slower. How can I possibly be 100% sure that I want to delete the image of my daughter's first smile, the four-generation photo, or the smiles on my distant sisters' faces sent via email, and soon-to-arrive ultrasound of my brother's first child...forever! Why is it so hard to let go? Yes, yes, my files are backed up on CD-Rs and DVDs with 4.7 G's. I've made the iMovie of my daughter's first year, and Shutterfly and I have a nice little arrangement. Yet I have this ancient belief that we will live on as long as our image and I can't bear to erase just one. aaaaSo...is there a 12-Step Plan I must go through? Go cold turkey? I'm afraid I'm beginning to see life through my camera instead of living it. Have I fulfilled the ultimate prophecy of the Me Generation with my constant reposes, touch ups, and cropping? Perhaps I should watch "The Truman Show" again for some answers. How did it end? I can't remember. |
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i.
My name is Leilani Grossbauer, and yes, I am a digital junkie.
It all started out innocently enough: a fun hobby that turned
into an essential tool for documenting life's momentous occasions,
that then spun out of control. I'm slowly eating my computer's
memory while trying to save my own. To date, 70% of my RAM is
locked into My Pictures. My Movies has consumed my Mac from work.
And now I'm eyeing those tasty little camera phones.... How harmful
could they be?
