When was the last time you had a really good laugh? I mean a belly laugh, where your sides and cheeks hurt from laughing so hard.
For me, it was the first time I watch the home videos I transferred with YesVideo. And I laughed for a solid 15 minutes, sharing that laughter with my husband. It was unexpected and wonderful.
No, I wasn’t laughing over our late-’80s fashion choices, although they were equally comical, we were laughing about how more than 25 years later my family is still exactly the same. Exactly.
We are a family of photographers. My grandfather had a great passion for photography that he passed down to my mother and she to me. And the most important photos to our family are those that capture family gatherings — especially the group photo. And after decades of practice, capturing the group photo is the same exact procedure — every time.
The video that had me in stitches was a 15-minute segment of my mom and uncle trying to capture that elusive group photo at a family gathering. Someone, probably dad, set the camcorder (remember those) on a tripod and let it run.
During the span of the video you see the scene play out like it always does:
- Everyone gathering for the picture
- Mom ushering people into position
- People rearranging themselves
- Mom and my uncle running from behind another tripod to slip into place
- Mom resetting to take several more shots (in case people blinked)
- Everyone giving mom a hard time
- Kids squirming and leaving their position
- Finally, mom announcing she got it and everyone abandoning their positions
It is the same scene I have participated in hundreds of times. And yet, to watch it unfold on the screen from 25+ years earlier — I couldn’t stop laughing. Even the phrases were the same. And apparently grandma blinked for every group shot even back then!
Someday I need to comb through mom’s pictures and find the actual photo that goes with this video, just for fun. From the video it looks like she probably got a good shot since I was able to capture a still with everyone looking at the camera. Either way, it sure was good to laugh.
Do you have old home videos locked away on VHS or Beta? Wouldn’t you like to laugh like a kid again reliving your family’s funny moments? Relive those moments, have your old formats converted to digital/DVD and take a trip down memory lane with YesVideo.
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Cynthia R says
March 6, 2014 at 1:21 pmI need to take more videos, somehow I just don’t take as many as I should and I know I’m just going to regret it.
Margaret Smith says
March 6, 2014 at 2:00 pmAs a kid, we always loved watching old family videos. Now I try to take many of our kids. Yes, we have a number of VHS videos too.
Cynthia C says
March 7, 2014 at 6:30 amWe have old family films that my dad took on vacations. He always seemed to get his thumb on the lens and we all laughed about it when we watched them.
Mya Murphy says
March 7, 2014 at 7:11 amI am horrible about taking videos and I would like to relive moments, but can’t… 🙁 I hate missing these moments!!
Heather Hayes Panjon says
March 7, 2014 at 8:07 amWe Have A Lot Of Old Family Videos On VHS, This Would Be A Great Way To Preserve Those Memories.
Betsy Barnes says
March 7, 2014 at 2:57 pmWe have a few home videos on VHS, honestly, I can’t remember what is on them, it would be nice to see though 🙂
Helga says
March 7, 2014 at 9:46 pmI love home movies! They can be funny.
Allison Downes says
March 9, 2014 at 5:50 pmHome movies are the best. YesVideo sounds pretty interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Amanda says
March 9, 2014 at 7:08 pmWe don’t have many home movies but it is a cool idea to watch them again
Laurie Nykaza says
March 9, 2014 at 9:25 pmThis is great we have so many old tapes so this would be wonderful to give them as gifts to family too
Sarah L says
March 11, 2014 at 12:40 amWhen I was little we didn’t have any kind of video camera. Just have some old Kodak pictures from then.
Ann B. says
March 11, 2014 at 11:20 amI have some VHS-C video of my older girls when they were younger, I’d love to see them again!
Cindy Merrill says
March 11, 2014 at 3:41 pmNope- Grew up long before Video cameras were readily available. I do have a few funny photos; there’s a picture of my aunt at age 12, she is standing at attention, trying to “behave properly”: Only problem is, picture was taken in front of the family horse barn….and one of her braids is getting chewed off by one of the horses.
Danielle Porter says
March 11, 2014 at 4:27 pmThat’s great. I take enough pictures, but I never take movies!
Deb P says
March 14, 2014 at 12:38 amBut some of the movies are sad too, people who have passed away.
Dianna Thomas says
March 15, 2014 at 2:43 pmOh I love these great old video–People that are gone now like grandma, and grandpa, I miss them so bad. Sometimes I laugh so hard at these oldies but goodies it makes me cry—I love taking videos and now it is so much easier– the crazy clothes, and the weird bowl haircuts , because my mother had to have us as neat as possible — we all look so dorky–lol– Thanks for the memories– I think Sunday will be an old movie day again with root beer and pie –lol
laurie says
March 15, 2014 at 9:28 pmI have a lot of movies I would love to have done
Starr Greenwell says
March 16, 2014 at 3:36 pmI wish I had home movies, they would be such a blessing. Thanks for sharing.