Summers Well Spent
Storyteller: Scarlet Paolicchi, USA
What compelled you to make your photo book?
I love to capture our family moments together from the everyday moments like reading or playing to the big moments like family vacation. I love getting photos printed into photo books because they are so much fun to go back through later. The kids and I love looking at the photos and saying, "Do you remember how?" I don't have many photos from when I was a child, but I really like the photos I do have that show me with my mom or dad or siblings because they give me a sort of objective view of myself and how I fit into my family. I wanted my kids to have that. I also want them to know that I cherish our times together and this is one of my ways of showing that each moment with them is special to me. (This particular book I made to celebrate our 2017 Summer Road Trip to the Southwest).
What is your favorite image in the book and why?
The photo of us all in front of the Sandia Mountains. My favorite image is always the full family shot. I tend to take most of the photos or sometimes my husband will take some but it is rare that we get all of us behind the camera lens at the same time. Invariably these are my favorite shots, both because I love seeing us all together and because they tend to happen during special travels or special times.
What is your favorite story behind a single shot in the book?
There is a photo that was taken in Mesa Verde of my kids climbing this super steep wall face. I love this photo because it was a really fun day and fun experience but it was also one where my son and I had to conquer our fear of heights. I feel so proud of us when I look at the photo and I remember our journey down to the cliff dwellings and the amazing views and the scary ascent to the top. I also just love knowing that their appreciation for history, nature, and different cultures is growing through our experiences together.
