Sepia Saturday 758 : 18th January 2025

 

You can sometimes look at old photographs of young people and lose yourself in speculation over what became of them. So many of our old photographs fall into the "unknown" category and these present the greatest opportunity for speculation. Our prompt image this week is one such photograph: I have no idea who these four young men are, but you can look at each of the faces and imagine where life took them in the sixty or seventy years after the photograph was taken. Some look confident about what life might have in store for them, some look more dubious. Photographs have that unique ability to freeze existence, to halt the constant motion picture that is life. What questions do your old pictures ask? Share the questions and even some of the answer by taking part in Sepia Saturday. Post your posts on or around Saturday 18th January 2025 and leave a link on the list below.

And you can see what is next on Sepia Saturday by looking at our next two prompts.

Sepia Saturday 757 : 11 January 2025

 

My Sepia Saturday prompt this week celebrates that great institution - the school photograph. We all have these in our collection, whether they be our own school photos, those of previous generations, or those - such as the one above - featuring unknown faces in unknown places. Schools might be places where you learnt to do what you were told, in which case you might want to feature an old school photograph from your collection this week. And, school might have been the place where you learnt to go your own way and set your own rules for life, and in this case you might want to feature any old photo you want this week. Whatever you choose, post your post on or around Saturday 11th January 2025 and add a link to the list below. And you can take a look at what is on the curriculum for the rest of the term.

Sepia Saturday 756 : 4th January 2025

 

It's a new year and a new Sepia Saturday prompt - or, rather, an old Sepia Saturday prompt. The photograph must be well over a century old and is a studio portrait of an unknown couple. As you can see, I've added a touch of colour, or, should I say, some on-line spec of artificial intelligence has added a touch of colour. As far as I am concerned, the jury is still out as far as colourising old images is concerned - I can see arguments both for and against. There is nothing "real" about a black and white photograph - that particular palette was dictated by nothing other than the technological limitations of early photography. Equally, however, so many "colourisations" leave a distorted image that is neither true to reality nor true to  the original creation. Whatever your thoughts about realism in old photographs, you are invited to share your favourite old photograph of the week here on Sepia Saturday. Post your post on or around Saturday 4th January 2025 and add a link to the list below. And if you need themes for the future, here are the next two Sepia Saturday prompts to be thinking about.

Sepia Saturday 755 : Christmas and New Year 2024

 

Here it is, Merry Christmas. I'm not exactly sure which Sepia Christmas this is - it must be something like the fifteenth! Our monthly theme is still "Celebrations" which seems most suitable for the coming few days. You can share your old photographs at any point over the next couple of weeks, just add a link to the list below. 

I thought we would start 2025 with a bit of a change so I am leaving behind the idea of monthly themes for the time being. Indeed, I am leaving behind the idea of themes - just feel free to share any old photograph you like. If you really do need a prompt, here are the next three Sepia Saturday headers - you can find whatever theme you want within them. And finally, a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and Happy New Year to you all.

Sepia Saturday 754 : Saturday 14th December 2024

We are celebrating here on Sepia Saturday: celebrating Christmas, celebrating our love of old photographs and celebrating the fact that Sepia Saturday has been plodding along for another year. You can celebrate too by sharing your old photographs on or around Saturday 14 December 2024 and adding a link to the list below. And here is our final prompt of 2024, and soon there will be news of what will be happening in 2025.

 

Sepia Saturday 753 : Saturday 7th December 2024

 

We are celebrating here on Sepia Saturday for the entire month of December and we start off with a celebratory cake. Our theme image shows members of the Women's International League For Peace and Friendship celebrating their 40th anniversary in 1957. You can celebrate birthdays, weddings, or simple beautiful old photographs by posting a post on or around Saturday 7th December 2024 and adding a link to the list below. And whilst you are munching on your birthday cake, take a look at what is still to come in this month of celebrations.

Sepia Saturday 752 : 30th November 2024

 

Our "New Arrivals" month comes to an end with the arrival of a new wagon. For me, it's a bit of a special wagon as it was built by my Great Uncle Albert, but I accept that it is just another wagon to everybody else. It's the back-story that makes it special, its connection to history, its connection to my history. And that is what makes all our old photographs special; their back-story, their connections, their history. Share your special things here on Sepia Saturday by posting a post on or around Saturday 30th November 2024 and leaving a link on the list below. Before you jump in the cab and start the motor, take a look at what lies ahead for the rest of the year.