Sparrow
Mentor
My dad died many years ago, too young for me to think of taking a proper photo of him, next year I'll be older than he was .. and I find that very disturbing for some reason
I wish I had a good photo, I assumed he would always be there so there was no need ...
I wish I had a good photo, I assumed he would always be there so there was no need ...
Traut
Well-known
I definitely got my camera collecting hobby from my Dad. I need to scan some of his old stuff. He died in 1987. I visited his gravesite on May 30. It was the 100th anniversary of his birth.
I miss him every day. I wish he could see his grandsons.
Here's to Dads and their sons. Nature bears us children - Life's lessons makes us Dads.
I miss him every day. I wish he could see his grandsons.
Here's to Dads and their sons. Nature bears us children - Life's lessons makes us Dads.
ornate_wrasse
Moderator
My father passed away on Friday March 13th 1992. So, a very unlucky day for me, not only being Friday the 13th but also the day I lost my father at the age of 82. He fought in WWII at Peleliu with the First Marine Division. One of my most treasured memories was the Japanese dogtag he gave me that he got when fighting in Peleliu.
He and my Mom are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Whenever I go back to Washington, D.C., I visit both of them at Arlington.
He wasn't really a photographer but I do remember the excitement in our family when he brought home a Polaroid Land Camera. We were so amazed that the pictures (they were black and white) actually developed themselves.
Ellen
He and my Mom are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Whenever I go back to Washington, D.C., I visit both of them at Arlington.
He wasn't really a photographer but I do remember the excitement in our family when he brought home a Polaroid Land Camera. We were so amazed that the pictures (they were black and white) actually developed themselves.
Ellen
T
Todd.Hanz
Guest
Semper Fi!
Did you see the HBO special "The Pacific", a good portion dealt with the battle of Peleliu.
Todd
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pschauss
Well-known
I still have the Aires but I have not used it in years because the shutter sticks. From what I have read, it is a common problem with this model.
ornate_wrasse
Moderator
Yes I did. I added HBO to my satellite package just so I could watch the series. And, long before the series was even conceived, I read "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge (as well as "Helmet for my Pillow" by Robert Leckie) which really helped me to learn what happened on that island in 1944. My father had never talked about it. I so wish he were here so I could ask him about it. All I knew was what my brother told me and that was that he went in on the second wave of boats to land on the beach.
Ellen
Haigh
Gary Haigh
I have a few photos of my father who passed on in '91 when he was about the same age. He far outlived medical predictions after he was gassed in WW1 on the Somme in Northern France but then lived to a ripe old age. He got his life back and his sense of humour but spoke little of the war.
oftheherd
Mentor
Very nice thoughts from all. My father passed away about 1954 when I was in the seventh grade. I still miss not having him around as I was growing up. Times we could have spent together and questions I could have asked him. I got my first taste of photography from him, even though it wasn't until about 35 years ago that I got really serious about it.
I have tried that much harder to be a good father for my daughters and grandkids. I know how important it is. It was pleasing recently to see my youngest daughter take a couple of my early Army photos to copy for preservation and keepsakes. She wore combat boots as well, including jumping out of perfectly good aircraft.
My oldest daughter took a passing fancy with photography a few years back, and still has an Fujica ST 801 and AZ-1 I gave her.
I have tried that much harder to be a good father for my daughters and grandkids. I know how important it is. It was pleasing recently to see my youngest daughter take a couple of my early Army photos to copy for preservation and keepsakes. She wore combat boots as well, including jumping out of perfectly good aircraft.
My oldest daughter took a passing fancy with photography a few years back, and still has an Fujica ST 801 and AZ-1 I gave her.
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OurManInTangier
An Undesirable
I haven't seen my father for nearly twenty years when my parents divorced so I can't really comment on him, my mother died four years ago from breast cancer...something which my sister is now fighting. My grandparents, in their 90s', found this extremely hard to deal with but overcame in the same stoic fashion of those of that generation.
Unfortunately my grandfather died five weeks ago and seeing my grandmother struggle with her daily routine without the person that shared almost every single day of their married life is utterly heartbreaking. Perhaps because I haven't had a father around or perhaps simply because of the man he was; he was the man I loved and respected most in the world. Having joined the army in late 1939 at the age of twenty, in a bid to have some say in which regiment he ended up in, he was sent to Morpeth in the NE of England where he met and quickly married my grandmother. He then joined what was later to become the Parachute regiment, in order to earn the extra shilling or so. He was sent to North Africa initially before heading to Italy and Cassino. After five years of war and never seeing my grandmother he was sent to Greece for a while before finally being demobbed and able to reunite with the wife he'd last seen five years before.
My love and respect comes from knowing the hellish time he, and so many others of his age, had during that period yet only talked of the fun times and his mates. He then settled down to live the life he thought he'd never get and put everything into raising his family and providing unceasing and unquestioning love. Something that is hardly rare among those that returned but to those of us lucky enough to not experience such times can only marvel at and benefit from.
So let's remember our fathers, but also our families and the things that they have done for us that have made us the people we are.
My grandfather gave me his photograph albums of his pictures taken during the war, he'd make each jump with a small 35mm camera, the name of which I don't know unfortunately, tucked into his jump smock...very much against orders I believe. I'm now in the process of scanning them for the rest of the family.
Unfortunately my grandfather died five weeks ago and seeing my grandmother struggle with her daily routine without the person that shared almost every single day of their married life is utterly heartbreaking. Perhaps because I haven't had a father around or perhaps simply because of the man he was; he was the man I loved and respected most in the world. Having joined the army in late 1939 at the age of twenty, in a bid to have some say in which regiment he ended up in, he was sent to Morpeth in the NE of England where he met and quickly married my grandmother. He then joined what was later to become the Parachute regiment, in order to earn the extra shilling or so. He was sent to North Africa initially before heading to Italy and Cassino. After five years of war and never seeing my grandmother he was sent to Greece for a while before finally being demobbed and able to reunite with the wife he'd last seen five years before.
My love and respect comes from knowing the hellish time he, and so many others of his age, had during that period yet only talked of the fun times and his mates. He then settled down to live the life he thought he'd never get and put everything into raising his family and providing unceasing and unquestioning love. Something that is hardly rare among those that returned but to those of us lucky enough to not experience such times can only marvel at and benefit from.
So let's remember our fathers, but also our families and the things that they have done for us that have made us the people we are.
My grandfather gave me his photograph albums of his pictures taken during the war, he'd make each jump with a small 35mm camera, the name of which I don't know unfortunately, tucked into his jump smock...very much against orders I believe. I'm now in the process of scanning them for the rest of the family.
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
My condolences. The "firsts" are always tough when a loss occurs.
My dad was a Pentax guy too.
I still have his old SL - I remember him saying it was an all manual camera, no light meter, everything done manually.
While my mom passed away back in 2006, my dad's still around and we spend what time we can together. He's busy, I'm busy, but we talk regularly and he's not that far from where I live. I've noted lately that he's picked up things that my mom would normally have been responsible for - he's become Mr Mom
And, as I posted on my Flickr, the older he gets, the older I get, the more I love him. .
Cheers,
Dave
My dad was a Pentax guy too.
I still have his old SL - I remember him saying it was an all manual camera, no light meter, everything done manually. While my mom passed away back in 2006, my dad's still around and we spend what time we can together. He's busy, I'm busy, but we talk regularly and he's not that far from where I live. I've noted lately that he's picked up things that my mom would normally have been responsible for - he's become Mr Mom
And, as I posted on my Flickr, the older he gets, the older I get, the more I love him. .
Cheers,
Dave
dpap
Member
yes. My dad passed away this March. He was in the process of scanning his old negatives, as he was also an amateur photographer. I think I will continue this process...
DRabbit
Registered
I lost my dad in 2001 due to alcoholism (cirrhosis), and he was far too young -- 57. Though I was already an adult (31) my brother was only 13.
I miss him all the time - I'm a total daddy's girl. He was also into photography, though our interests only briefly crossed paths, because I didn't get seriously get into it until after he died... and he never believed digital photography was "real" photography. He'd be so proud to see me developing film in my bathroom! LOL!
My brother recently found a box of slides. They date back to about 1960 through the early 70s and they represent hundreds of photos my dad took over about a 10-year period. I've started to scan them in, but it's going to take me a long time to scan them all.
My dad took this while stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam war...
And here's my dad with some service buddies. And yes, the beer somehow seems ironic. He's the one sitting, with the white shirt...
These old photos and slides are a gift... it's a great way to remember our dads...
My thoughts are with you all! To quote a very lame TV show, we're all a member of the club no one wants to belong to...
I miss him all the time - I'm a total daddy's girl. He was also into photography, though our interests only briefly crossed paths, because I didn't get seriously get into it until after he died... and he never believed digital photography was "real" photography. He'd be so proud to see me developing film in my bathroom! LOL!
My brother recently found a box of slides. They date back to about 1960 through the early 70s and they represent hundreds of photos my dad took over about a 10-year period. I've started to scan them in, but it's going to take me a long time to scan them all.
My dad took this while stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam war...
And here's my dad with some service buddies. And yes, the beer somehow seems ironic. He's the one sitting, with the white shirt...
These old photos and slides are a gift... it's a great way to remember our dads...
My thoughts are with you all! To quote a very lame TV show, we're all a member of the club no one wants to belong to...
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dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
Amy.. that last photo.. the beer is Canadian
Carling Black Label and Labbat's 50 - I'd recognize those labels anywhere..
Now.. back to Dads
Cheers,
Dave
Carling Black Label and Labbat's 50 - I'd recognize those labels anywhere..
Now.. back to Dads
Cheers,
Dave
charjohncarter
Mentor
DRabbit, your dad was two years younger than me. I wish that hadn't happened to him. I've been able to really get to know my kids since I retired. I also lost my dad at 57 and I constantly wish he was around for all the good times he missed. Those faces all look familiar I was in the US Army at about that time. Best wishes:
Carter
Carter
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T
Todd.Hanz
Guest
They call them the Greatest Generation for a reason, good to hear you saw the series.
Todd
robbeiflex
Well-known
I also lost my father when he was only 58, although that was over a decade ago. On a recent trip to my aunt's place we discovered a stack of old photos from the 50s, 60s and 70s that I had never seen before. Thanks for reminding me! It wasn't easy to read these threads and initially I hesitated on reading the thread, but I'm glad I did. Enjoy your father's company (and all family members for that matter) while they're here (and take lots of photos) because its those memories that keep them alive!
Michael Markey
Mentor
Richard Griffith
Established
My dad passed away 5 yrs ago, aged 90. He was a great photographer. Always used his Exacta, never wanted anything more 'modern'. I have inheritied lots of his old Kodachromes and they still look as good as new, apart from the odd bit of mould.
In WW2, he was a RAF radar operator flying in Beaufighters and Mosquitos. He said one of his biggest regrets was that he never carried a camera around with him during the war. Now those would have been really interesting photos.
In WW2, he was a RAF radar operator flying in Beaufighters and Mosquitos. He said one of his biggest regrets was that he never carried a camera around with him during the war. Now those would have been really interesting photos.