While searching for unique photography blogs I stumbled upon Dear Photograph and completely fell in love with the concept of the site. Its description seems to be a paradox: “take a picture of a picture, from the past, in the present”, but it makes perfect sense when you look through the blog. To clarify, a person would take an old photo, and go back to the place the photo was taken, and take another photo of it, including a letter to the photo as shown below:

Dear Photograph,
13 years ago, my father taught me how to ride a bicycle in the park.
After all these years, now theres no dad and no bike rides.
I love my father.
Jangsoon

This post in particular seemed was very touching; it was short, but clearly had a lot of emotion in it. It’s also a great representation of the other posts on the site. Anyone can submit their photo of a photo, and for the most part, the “Dear Photograph” letters they write are very heartwarming, reflective, and can make anyone feel nostalgic. Many people include photos of people or pets that have passed away, while there are others that simply show how time has flown by and things have changed.

The creator of the site is a 22 year old named Taylor Jones, who, while going through family photos, noticed that his brother was sitting at the same table as in the picture, and took a picture of the picture in the present. He then decided to bring his idea to life, and asked people to submit their own photos online. It soon became an online hit. Aside from the main website, Dear Photograph has a Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter account, and also accepts video submissions to their Youtube channel.

Dear Photograph,
This picture was taken in the summer of 2003 of my lazy but lovely beagle Ellie. She had given birth to five healthy pups just a few weeks before and I guess the window ledge was the only place to get some peace.
Remi

After viewing many posts that, I must admit, nearly brought me to tears, I found the above submission. It made me laugh, but also made me realize just how easy it is to relate to each submission. This one, for example, can appeal to an animal lover, a man, woman, mother, or a parent in general. The fact that each letter is quite simple, and unedited by Taylor Jones, makes each emotion brought forth even more raw and powerful.

Visually, Dear Photograph’s site has a plain white background, which allows for the viewer to solely focus on the posts. There are only a few links; to ask Taylor Jones a question, to view the archive, to sign up for a daily email subscription, to view what the press has said, and to purchase the book.

I found the latter three links to be interesting and decided to explore. I was shocked that a person could actually subscribe to the site, as it shows how popular it truly is and how intrigued people must be to want to view submissions daily. I was again surprised that the blog is highly recognized, and was even mentioned in an article from The Huffington Post. I love the idea of Dear Photograph also being a book, something you can bring with you anywhere. As you see the photographs of people from all over the world, you can be traveling as well.

Taylor Jones does not seem to write anything on the blog, nor does he edit the submissions; he lets the posts speak for himself and frankly, no explanation is needed to describe the purpose for such a site. The connection a viewer can feel to a complete stranger – the sorrow you feel when viewing a photo of a loved one that passed, or the joy that comes from seeing a fun memory – is enough for a person to be hooked on the unique concept of Dear Photograph.