Happy 4th of July from Uncle Jonesy's Cameras!

American Independence Day is special for many reasons beyond the historical event it celebrates,  but for me, it will always be associated with the intersection of family and picnic. This is because July 4th was “Camp Dixie Day,” my family's yearly celebration of, well, family. I was blessed to have a large extended family on my mother's side, and while we saw a lot of them often, due to the fact that most of the lived in the Chattanooga area, July 4th was a day my brother, Kelley, and I looked forward to all year. The whole family would gather at a picnic facility owned by and named after Dixie Yarns where my Aunt Claire worked as a secretary. There would be swimming, miniature golf, fried chicken/macaroni and cheese/baked beans (killer combo), and general good times.

My great uncle, Charles, with grandson. 

Of course, no Camp Dixie Day would be complete without Uncle Jonesy taking lots of snapshots with his camera. He used an Argus Autronic always with slide film. A lot of the time he shot Kodachrome, but because he worked for 3M in Chattanooga, he also shot a lot of Scotch Chrome, an E-6 slide film that was made by Ferrania. It wasn’t the best film to begin with, and now decades later,  the colors have faded considerably. The Kodachrome slides, however, looks just as good today as they did the day we first viewed them

I don’t have to tell you how important and cherished these photographs are to both my remaining family members and those who have come along since. Uncle Jonesy used his camera to preserve our favorite family memories on film, and in doing so, fostered a love of photography that remains with me today. As I journey into new stages of my life, I now see this is how loved ones remain with us even when they are no longer with us.

My wife, Debbie, and our two daughters, along with (L to R) Uncle Jonesy,
Aunt Claire, and Ruth and John, my grandparents, July 4, 1996 at
Camp Dixie. 

So please, get out your camera today and capture your family’s moments. And while you are at it, take some time to show some children how your camera works and pass on your passion for photography. Years later, some kid will remember you for it.