What do you think this picture’s story is?

Telling a snapshot’s story is a way to uncover your own personal meanings within an image that you did not create.

I invite you to explore the possibilities of the “story” within this old photo that was found in a worn book my mother bought from a used bookstore.

When looking for clues within the photograph, it’s not only what you see but just as important is what isn’t being shown.

Be creative and use your imagination! Write a word, sentence, anecdote or even a novel for this image.

I’ve found the below questions to be a very helpful way to generate ideas for finding the “story” with an image. They are taken from Judy Weiser’s book “PhotoTherapy Techniques — Exploring the Secrets of Personal Snapshots and Family Albums” copyright 1999 (second edition), pgs. 118-119; used with her permission.

Questions to ask the photo as a whole, and for each individual part of it (person/object?place/etc.) ask:

• Is there a story that goes with it?
• Has it/she/he a name? A title? A “home”?
  (where; what’s it like?)

• a question to ask?
• a message to give?
• a need to express?
• a hurt to share?
• a wish to make?
• a gift to give?
• a hope to tell?

• Is there something you hope it doesn’t ask you?
• Is there something you hope you don’t hear?
• Is there somewhere it wants to go?
• Is there somewhere it’d rather be?

Tell the Snapshot's Story!

Please email us with your story!

Your story will be posted on our Visitor’s Story Telling Page.