6 Word Memoirs

Photo credit: N. Johnson

Theme: Me

I chose to use this picture because it is a physical representation of my oddness and weird personality. I chose this font because it is funky and quirky with a little bit of an edge, which reflects the feeling in the photo. In this picture I was on a 10 day canoe trip and my friends convinced me to eat the leftover food we had cooked over the fire. I was stuffed but I agreed to the challenge. Afterwards, I pretended to go crazy from the sheer amount of pasta I had consumed and smeared pot black all over my face. My good friend Natalie then proceeded to snap a picture.

Photo credit: The Canadian Armed Forces
Theme: My Past

This is a photograph of my paternal grandparents when they were serving in the military in the 40's. My grandmother was an army nurse and my grandfather a soldier. At the time the role of women in the ranks was limited, but my grandparents became the first two people in The Canadian Military to marry. I feel like this story is a strong and important part of my family history and my own past. The reason it ties to this six word memoir is that both my grandparents passed away when I was young and I regret never getting the chance to truly know them. Unfortunately, I know the feeling of regret can never change what occurred in the past and the few memories I have of my grandparents are all that I will ever have. I think the font and effect that I chose reflects the simplicity and authenticity of the past.

Photo credit: C. Johnston
Theme: Growing Up

This photo represents one of the many fleeting moments in life. The moment pictured here was taken at my 9th birthday party just as I was about to blow out my candles. Childhood is precious and short-lived so I chose to apply a dramatic darkening effect on this picture. The effect allows the cake to be the focal point when the original picture showed Jenni in the background and wasn't as visually dynamic. A birthday is a definite reminder of growing up and how life has a way of complicating itself as you age.

Photo Credit: Johnston Family

Theme: Family

This is a photograph of me and my dad when we first moved into our new house. The time the photo was taken represents a turning point in our lives since it was close to the time my dad got custody of me, my brother and sister. It was nice to finally have a stable home environment to grow up in. The house has allowed us to grow together as a family. I used a grainy, black and white effect in order to portray a warm feeling associated with the past. I think the font I chose for the text is something that would come from an old scrapbook and it is also visually appealing.

Photo Credit: W. Dyck

Theme: Future

In a way, this photograph represents my past, present, and future. Every year, my best friend Rayna and I return to the same summer camp in order to enjoy the lake, canoeing and other fun activities. The camp is called Manitoba Pioneer Camp and one of the greatest drawing factors of it is the genuine love and acceptance expressed by the people who return year after year. Rayna and I fell in love with the camp and consider it a second home. This past year, we spent the entire summer (July 1st- August 31st) working at the camp as camp leaders and doing other types of maintenance work. I hope to return again this summer in order to rekindle some of the lifelong friendships I have made and spend time doing what I love. The white text seemed like it would make a good contrast with the bright colours of the PFD's in the picture. I also chose to use a filter that subdued the colours of the picture to put more focus on the text.

Photo Credit: Johnston Family

Theme: Love

This is a photo that was taken at my grandma and grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary. In this picture is me and my first crush, Alex. We were young kids and we loved to hang out together and run around like kids do. Like most childhood infatuations it wasn't meant to be and we eventually grew apart. I chose to go with no effect and the CheekyRabbit font because the heart-shaped "o" reminded me of something a little girl would write in a note to her crush.