No, it’s not a deleted scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This little baby is turning into a young lady through the magic of lifelogging. Natalie’s parents took a picture of her nearly every day from birth to present and compiled them into a single 85 second video. The result is more than 3000 images that show her growth in a spectacular way. In a matter of seconds she sheds her bubbling infant’s smirk for a toddler’s grin and the gap-toothed smile of a school girl. A baby’s sleepy looks evolve into zany childhood antics and settle into the calmer face of a student entering into adolescence. In other words, the video shows ten years of life. It’s a wonderful artifact that Natalie and her family will be able to share forever. If that warms your heart, you’re not alone. You can feel a lot of love behind the camera in the video of Natalie’s growth below. As lifelogging gains more widespread acceptance, we could all have these personal records of our loved ones to cherish and explore.
Natalie’s clip, while very cute, is far from the first example of rapidly aging videos that we’ve seen. There are hundreds on the internet, many inspired by Noah Kalina and the video he produced in 2006. These time-evolved portraits, in turn, are just part of the larger phenomenon of lifelogging. Adherents use cameras and microphones to record their lives as they happen. Some, like Natalie, have snapshots of many moments in their lives, others endeavor to capture every event that happens around them. We already have the requisite equipment needed for 24/7 recording, and YouTube and streaming video sites like Justin.Tv provide the forums to share them. The only thing lifelogging needs in order to explode into mainstream culture is interest from the general public.
I’ve already discussed how I believe that adventurers and thrill seekers could help attract a larger audience to the lifelogging lifestyle. Natalie’s video reminds me that excitement is just one of the emotions that could get us interested. Nostalgia is another. Are there parents out there who can watch her age a decade in a few seconds and not wish they had similar records for their own children? I’m always told that kids grow up so fast. Well, Natalie’s accelerated example is, ironically, a call to combat that speedy loss of your child’s youth. With lifelogging you’ll always have a way of rewinding the clock and holding on to your little girl long after she’s moved out and had girls of her own.
The same can be true for grandparents, grandchildren, or even yourself.
There are myriad practical applications for lifelogging – everything from remembering where you left your keys to providing expert witness testimony at trial. Yet I doubt the practical side is really going to sell things. Holding onto the life and vitality of your loved ones as they age, now that’s a marketable idea. Take a good look at Natalie’s ever changing smile. It could be the face that helps launch a thousand lifelogging projects. Let me know when you decide to jump onboard.
[screen capture and video credits: JAMagicFilms]
