It started with a photograph. My grandmother and her little brother are sitting in tall grass. She wore a bow in her hair that was as wide as her shoulders, and he wore a billowy white shirt. Both were squinting. The picture was old—faded sepia-toned, edges curled—and I couldn’t stop staring at it. Who took this photo? What was Grandma thinking? It’s clearly summer; weren’t they hot in those clothes? I didn’t know the answers, but that photo made me wonder. The wondering turned into questions that uncovered a story I never knew.
That’s the magic of using family photos in memoir storytelling. Photos can inspire memories, give you new insights into the people in your life, and add an unexpected twist to your stories. Photographs are powerful tools for sparking inspiration when writing your memoir.
How a Photo Unlocks a Story
Have you ever looked at an old photo and felt like you were pulled right into it? Maybe it’s the way the light falls, the expressions on everyone’s faces, or the memory of that day. Family photos have this way of nudging memories loose, even ones you didn’t realize you still had.
Not long ago, I found a picture of my mother as a teenager, riding the subway system beneath the US Capitol in Washington, DC. What questions that photo sparked! I never knew a restricted subway system had operated under the Capitol since 1909! The photo was taken in the late 1940s. Mom used the tram regularly when she was in high school.
She told me about her best friends and summer nights hanging out around the Capitol grounds doing nothing in particular, just laughing and talking. I’d never heard those stories before, but that one photo opened the floodgates.
When you’re writing, try starting with a photo like that. Pick one that catches your eye and look at it closely. What do you remember about the people, the place, or the time? Don’t worry if the memory feels small—it doesn’t have to be dramatic. Even the quiet moments can lead to stories worth telling.
The Stories Outside the Frame
One of the best things about family photos in memoir storytelling is what they don’t show. The part outside the frame, the details only you know because you were there, often make for the best stories.
I once found a picture of my uncle as a young man “strutting his stuff” with a couple of his friends at the beach. They were posing and pushing against their biceps to make it look like they had big muscles. When I asked him about it, he laughed and said, “We were trying to get the attention of a group of girls. It didn’t work.” That little confession became a story about beach trips with his friends and when he lost his wallet and had to hitchhike home. Photos don’t just remind us of what’s in the frame. They bring back that day’s sounds, smells, and emotions—and sometimes the stories you’d forgotten entirely.
Describing the Details
When seeking inspiration from a photo, don’t just look at who is in it. Let the details tell the story. If someone’s wearing a particular outfit, talk about why they might have chosen it. For example: “It was a rainy day.” (They were wearing raincoats and hats). If the background is cluttered or empty, describe it and what it says about the place. Signs are beneficial because they tell you where the image was captured. Readers don’t need to see the photo to feel like they’re looking at it with you.
I once wrote about a picture of my great-grandmother sitting on her front porch. In the photo, her cat sits on her lap, and my grandmother appears to be petting it. The porch steps look worn, the kind that groan when you step on them, and in the corner of the frame, you can see a dog napping in the shade. Writing about that photo didn’t just remind me of their porch—it brought back the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen and the sound of the creaky screen door. Those details pull people into your memory, making it feel vivid and alive.
Getting Started with What You Have
You don’t need a perfectly organized photo album to start using family photos in memoir storytelling. Maybe you’ve got a shoebox full of pictures, or perhaps they’re scattered across old envelopes and drawers. That’s fine. Pick one. Any one. Look at it closely, and let it take you back. What do you see? What don’t you see? What do you remember about the people or the day?
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It just has to be yours. Because when you start with a photo, the stories will follow. They always do.
Your Stories Are Waiting
Photos are more than just snapshots. They’re reminders of who we are and where we’ve been. They allow us to connect to the people we’ve loved and the places we’ve been. And when you use them in your memoir, they bring your memories to life in a way nothing else can.
So, grab that shoebox or pull up that folder of digital family photos you’ve meant to organize. Start with one picture, and let it take you back. Your stories are waiting; there’s no better time to tell them.
