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Photography And Memory
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our ability to create an infinite stream of images. But if you take the time to stop and be mindful before you click, your photo collection will become much more manageable.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our ability to create an infinite stream of images. But if you take the time to stop and be mindful before you click, your photo collection will become much more manageable. Kainaz Amaria/Instagram hide caption

itoggle caption Kainaz Amaria/Instagram

How To Stay Afloat In Your Infinite Stream Of Photos

In an age of smartphones, it's easy to take an overwhelming number of photos. NPR's picture editor, Kainaz Amaria, has some tips for creating a bounty of images without driving yourself crazy.

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Debra Jenson, 2, hanging from a hook in her grandmother's kitchen. "Over the next 35 years, I watched each of my cousins, then my own children and my cousins' children be dangled from that hook. Between the photo and watching it happen to others, this is a powerful 'fake memory' for me."

Debra Jenson, 2, hanging from a hook in her grandmother's kitchen. "Over the next 35 years, I watched each of my cousins, then my own children and my cousins' children be dangled from that hook. Between the photo and watching it happen to others, this is a powerful 'fake memory' for me." Debra Jenson/Instagram hide caption

itoggle caption Debra Jenson/Instagram

The Picture Show

A #FakeMemory You Have To See To Believe

Photos from childhood can often elicit rich memories, even when we can't truly remember the event. We asked you to share your favorite #fakememory on Instagram; this is what you told us.

Rebecca Woolf takes a lot of photos of her children for her blog, Girl's Gone Child, but says she tries to not let the camera get in the middle of a moment.

Rebecca Woolf takes a lot of photos of her children for her blog, Girl's Gone Child, but says she tries to not let the camera get in the middle of a moment. Courtesy of Rebecca Woolf hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Rebecca Woolf

Overexposed? Camera Phones Could Be Washing Out Our Memories

When you snap lots of photos, psychologists say you're subconsciously relying on the camera to remember the experience for you. And your memory, they say, may suffer because of it.

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