Memory insurance...

When in the photography business, we talked about portraits as "memory insurance"... saving a moment in time.

When my iPhone went away on Tuesday, I didn't have time to back up the photos to the cloud; you have to have wifi for that, and my phone is our wifi.  We rarely use public wifi.  The genius "air dropped" some of my recent photos to Joan's phone.  I lost a bunch of other photos.

I'm not one to use my phone as my only camera.  I was able to put photos I wanted on my phone from my MacBook Pro or the photo storage site I use.  Memories preserved.

That said, I don't back up stuff to "the cloud."  Oh, contacts on the phone, yes.  But not photos.  The contacts all came back... you have to re-enter your favorites.

This summer on the boats, I watched with interest all the people who took photos with their phones.  Without a real zoom (not just digital cropping), phones as a camera have real limitations.  What they do have is access... most of us carry a phone all the time.  Only a few die-hards carry a camera all the time.  Taking whale photos with a phone?  Yeah, I tried that a couple times when I didn't throw a camera in my bag, or the camera battery died.

"See that little black dot in all that water?  Yeah, that's a whale." ;-)

Memory insurance.  In our studio days, that meant a nice image hanging on the wall.  Or, a wallet-size photo you could carry around with you.  Anyone carry actual photographs these days... or do you show your phone around when you want to show someone an image?  The imaging world has changed a lot in the last decade.

That change has come about because of our phones.  We used to use a phone to "reach out and touch someone."  (Anyone remember that advertising catch-phrase from AT&T?)  You used a phone to talk to someone.  Now, more people use their phones for texting instead of talking.  They are your "photo book."  Your address book... well, back when we used to send letters instead of e-mail.  But, how many of us know our kids' phone numbers?  When I had to put Steph down as an emergency contact, I had to look up her phone number in my phone... hey, she's in my "favorites" - I don't have to know the phone number.

Want to know where the nearest gas station is?  A good restaurant?  Yep, right there in the apps on your phone.  Need to know how to get to that restaurant?  Yep, the phone will map it for you and speak the directions to you.  Yeah, map is now a verb.  Want to listen to your favorite music?  Why, back in my day (using my best curmudgeon voice), we used to listen to the radio... want to hear a particular song?  Call the radio station (with an actual phone) and request it; maybe they'd play it.  The only music we used to have on the phone was when you got put on hold.

My phone is a flashlight.  A level.  More information than a Visitors Bureau.  I have books I can read on my phone.  These days, it is the "engine" for my Apple Watch.  Back in the day, I carried a bag phone around, and felt liberated - I could be away from a land line, but still be in touch.  Then, phones started getting smaller.  Then, they folded... you could actually carry one in your pocket.  That was a big deal.  Texting?  You had the 10 numbers and two little symbols (#, *) and had to press them a bunch of different times to get a letter.  Then came the Blackberrys with a keyboard.  Then, real smart phones.  Now, they've gone from small to bigger...

"See?  The screen is bigger!  Better to see your photos!  Or for watching a movie.  (Really?  Not exactly "the big screen"!)  LOL  Oh, and we didn't used to have to tell anyone we were laughing out loud... they could hear that when we talked on our phones.

Phones aren't just our way of organizing/holding our photos (as memory insurance)... we have our lives on them.

Yet, many people are casual about their phone.  They hold them with one hand on a moving boat.  They hand them to their toddler to play with at a restaurant.  They carry them half-sticking-out in their back pocket.  (Do those people ever sit down??)  They text while driving.  They are looking at their phones while they walk.  Into things.  I really have to laugh when I see several friends meet for lunch... and then when they sit down, instead of talking, they all check their phones.

Occasionally, I will meet someone who is adamant about not carrying a smart phone.  I do understand that.  They don't have to be concerned about coverage.  They probably still have a land-line at home.  Use an actual paper newspaper to get information.  Maybe they don't care which nearby gas station has the best price?

RUKM?  (Are you kidding me?)

;-)  (Oh, and we used to actually wink, too)