Genealogy With a Camera
Many of us are fascinated with our family history. Learning where we came from, as far back as possible, can be both fun and challenging. Putting together a complete family history is a very time consuming undertaking. To do a thorough job will take hours of research. A task that shouldn’t be hurried, but a journey through history to be savored and enjoyed.
The first place to start the journey is in our own home or the home’s of our relatives. There you can find a wealth of information. Documents, pictures, jewelry (possibly inscribed), old letters, diaries, vintage clothing, family bibles with births, deaths, and marriages recorded, and school yearbooks are all pieces of the ancestral puzzle. Hopefully, many of them will have been passed along marked with dates which will help in the chronological order of the pictures and documents.
Just as valuable as these pictures and documents you’re able to uncover are the stories your relatives have in their memories. This is especially true of the older members of the family. They may be the only ones who remember coming into this country or hearing the stories, “first-hand”, from the relatives who immigrated through places such as Ellis Island. Stories that could be lost forever, if they’re not recorded now. Take copious notes or record the sessions. Take your camera case with camera, tape recorder, and other accessories to each session. You’ll want to have photographs of the relatives you’ve interviewed, so that you can include them in the finished family history.
Another very integral part of researching the family history would take place in the cemetery. You’ll need to first find out where your relatives are buried. Then load your camera bag with camera and accessories for outdoor photography. Next, gather some materials you’ll no doubt need to clean the gravestones. These would include a soft-bristle brush, a large sponge, water, rags, spray bottle, plastic knifes (good for cleaning out engraved letters and numbers), and scissors for trimming grass in front of the stone. Take along plenty of drinking water, insect repellent, safety goggles, and a first aid kit with snakebite and poison ivy protection. Wear sunscreen, a hat, and long sleeves for the best possible protection.
Bird droppings, moss and lichen can be removed with small wooden popsicle sticks or tongue depressors. Wet the stone completely (distilled water is best) and keep it wet the entire time you’re cleaning it. Then gently, but thoroughly, clean the stone using a soft-bristled brush. Wooden handle is preferred since it doesn’t leave any color as plastic can or rust as metal may. Cemeteries often are very shaded so photographing can be tricky. Some common, easy to transport items that help direct the light where you want it are small mirrors or even a piece of aluminum has been known to work. To make the data pop, spray it with water, it’ll darken and show up much better in your photograph.
A digital camera, a quality camera case, some cleaning supplies, and an intense desire to learn your family history is all you really need to put together a wonderful and impressive document that can be built upon and continued to be passed down for generations to come.
About the Author
Suzanne VanDeGrift has developed this article for M-ROCK.COM, manufacturer of a Modular Fanny Pack Camera Bag System .