I remember the old days, every time Tet came, when the whole family was together, my mother would call Uncle Sau to come and take pictures. At that time, his shop was the only photo studio in the area. Every year, the image of us growing up, the whole family gathering together was recorded through those intimate photos.
Girl and spring - Photo: Trinh Hoang Tan
When receiving the photos, my mother would stick them in a large frame, where other photos were kept. Now that I think about it, many people used to do the same thing. When you enter a house, you will easily see a photo frame hanging on the wall. Some houses put the photos on a glass panel under the table, so that guests can easily look at the photos, ask questions, and discuss them, as if it were a natural and intimate way to start a conversation.
I am often moved by black and white photos because of the feeling that time has passed and left many traces. The signs of old age are etched on the faces and figures of grandparents and parents. The innocence of children has faded, everyone has grown up with worried, thoughtful and somewhat cautious faces. Looking at the photo, I know the power of time is formidable, especially when there are so many people in the photo, some of whom are still alive and some of whom are gone. I hear impermanence calmly nearby.
At that time, photos were taken with film so it took a long time to develop, during peak times like Tet, sometimes it took more than a month. The feeling of waiting to see the photo I had taken was also very exciting. There were few opportunities to take photos so looking at every photo, I saw shy, slightly forced smiles, unlike now, where from children to adults, everyone knows how to "act" in front of the camera. It's not a comparison, but I appreciate old photos because they are genuine and have depth, not the "industrial" style like now.
Back then, the shooting motifs were mostly directed by photographers, so sometimes the Tet photos of each family looked similar. Families sat at tables and chairs, looked at the camera and smiled, sometimes held glasses toasting, or stood next to flower pots placed in front of the porch. Nowadays, there are many props, settings, and backgrounds, the photos are beautifully polished, the people in the photos are perfect from skin to figure. Those differences are obvious, but it seems that the excitement and eagerness have also diminished a lot.
The Tet holiday photos back then were valuable because it was the occasion when children had new clothes, adults were also well-groomed, the house was neat and beautiful with a few pots of marigolds or peonies. Unlike now, we had more to offer, clothes could be bought all year round, and the appearance of the house was more important. The excitement of gathering together to take a family photo seemed to have become unnecessary.
Taking photos is not difficult now, with a smartphone in hand, anyone can record any moment they want. Those countless photos are rarely printed. We have more tools to save and “display” from social media platforms. However, we show others more than we see ourselves.
Some people take a lot of photos of themselves, of food and drinks, of random landscapes. However, they forget to take photos with their loved ones, especially their grandparents and parents. Like my friend, one day his father suddenly passed away, he was shocked when he couldn't find a single photo of the two of them together. Luckily, when he went through an old album, he found a faded photo taken when he was five years old, his father holding him in his arms. The photo couldn't contain all the sadness and longing for his father, but it helped him realize that moment had been forever.
Nowadays, at spring travel destinations such as parks or tourist attractions, photographers are ready to serve customers. We can capture images of our family having a happy and bustling spring trip, but I still love photos taken at home. To remember when I was this old, my house was like this, this corner of the table, this window frame because who knows, after years, those things will no longer exist, even me and the person next to me will change in the blink of an eye. It is not true that a hundred years of a person's life can be framed in a lifeless photo, the value of memories is when they are gone, we will see how precious and regretful they are.
This Tet, don't forget to take pictures with your family!
Miraculous Love
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