Though physical photo albums are becoming less and less common, that doesn’t mean modern photography losing any of its storytelling ability. Be it analogue or digital, there are tons of photos out there with rich histories, stories just waiting to be told.
That’s what this list is about. In it, you’ll find plenty of photos, from the heart-warming to the tear-jerking, whose backstories add a lot more.
Hand-me-downs.
A sweet little story of helping out a peer is told with this photo. “They [ sic ] guy from AT&T who installed my internet asked if he could have the old slide from my back yard. I was happy to see it go. He sent me this pic of his finished work (homemade). Cheers to this guy.”
Just an ordinary room.
Or is it? The title revealed the amazing secret behind this image. “My best attempt so far in creating a Photorealistic interior scene in CG after 2 months of work!” And what amazing work it is! If I hadn’t of been told, I never would have known it wasn’t real.
A clever disguise.
“Bought my brother tree trimmers for Christmas, built a cardboard frame around them and wrapped them like this,” read the caption for this image.
People wrapping presents to look like other things is always funny, but this might be the most impressive version I’ve seen!
Night and day.
“All the snow is making this photo shoot at midnight look like it was taken during the day. No long exposure.”
Fun fact, this sort of bright darkness that’s present in the wintertime is called snow albedo or snowglow, and is the result of either moonlight or artificial light reflecting off the snow!
A return to form.
“After being divorced for 25+ years, my parents reconnected, moved to Texas and bought a farm,” explained the title of this image, “Today they are getting married again. This is their wedding portrait.”
Getting back together after a divorce is already pretty iconic, let alone keeping a sense of humor about it!
Dining among riches.
If this table looks a little out of place, that’s by design. “The restaurant I work at was a bank years ago. You can eat in the vault if you make reservations.”
I’m not sure what the vibes of eating in a bank vault are, but it’d be unique at least!
A change in career.
“My wife took a picture with a ska band around 2000. Today we realized the guitarist was Oscar Issac.”
It’s photos like these that make me wonder just how many people have had accidental brushes with future celebrities. At least this one was documented!
Seated hauntings.
“We were handed down chairs built during the Great Depression. Lumber must have been hard to find at the time because our chair is made from an old Ouija board.”
That’s not the most welcome place for ghosts or demons, but it makes for such a cool chair!
Unmatched pride!
“My mom won her battle with cancer back in May and loves to greet me by showing me how much her hair has grown since last I saw her. Today, she was SO excited to show me the World’s Tiniest Fauxhawk.”
Spitting image.
Though this looks like two of the same photo at first glance, it’s actually much more. As the caption states, “Me and my son both at 9 months. 35 years apart.”
I’m not sure which is more impressive, you and your son looking identical, or that blanket being in such good shape!
Weight of the world.
“The coffee maker that saved my life a week ago.” A simple title that holds a lot of weight, but metaphorically and literally when you actually see how much that coffee machine is propping up.
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The best part? The uploader said that it’s still making coffee, same as ever.
Modern jungle.
“The home on the right, owned by an ecologist, contrasts with the manicured lawns of neighbors.”
I’m not even an ecologist and I’d rather have the yard on the right. Not only is it less maintenance as things start to regulate themselves, but letting nature do its thing will always be way cooler than cutting it back.
A year’s worth of knowledge.
If you’re having trouble reading what’s on the paper, no need to worry, you’re not alone. The uploader described the history behind this as, “We can bring one A4-size note for finals so I copied the whole semester of class material into it.”
Spooky secrets.
“Moved into a house and found these symbols under panelling,” is the only explanation given for this potentially eerie image.
Many were quick to debunk this and say the walls look too nice to have just had panelling taken off, but who knows, maybe these symbols cast an illusion that we’re all falling for.
A lasting legacy.
“The only recording of my Grandpa’s voice. A WWII veteran’s interview by 10yo me for a school project,” read the title for this post.
The uploader confirmed that he already digitized it, which means it’ll live on even longer. It’s wild to think that, at the time of recording, they didn’t know how precious this tape would become.
Gazing upon the horizon.
“The moment my daughter saw the ocean for the first time.”
Even without seeing her face, somehow her awe and wonder are still palpable. For a child who’s never seen unending waters before, what could her mind even begin to think in response?
A wholesome lesson.
“Just saw a dad teaching his son how to change a tire. All I could hear is, ‘Great job buddy’ ect, both wearing smiles. Looked like a man raising a man to me.”
Seeing good parenting in the wild is always such a treat. Knowing there are good men out there raising other good men is heartwarming.
Star-studded family.
In what is probably the coolest celebrity association I’ve ever seen, the user who posted this photo wrote, “My Great Uncle is the gangster from Home Alone who says ‘Merry Christmas ya filthy animal’.”
Hang to dry.
“Picture of ‘The Dry’, where miners hang their clothes after their shift,” explained the caption. Though, before reading and learning what this is, there was something a little spooky about it.
Maybe it’s just the unfamiliarity, you never normally see clothes hung up like this!
Goal, met.
“Finally saved up $1000,” wrote this user, “Been a battle to break my spending addiction but I’m extremely proud.”
As they should be! This is an amazing achievement on its own, but while fighting struggles like addiction and all that comes with it, that makes this even more impressive. Congrats!
