A man’s purchase of a secondhand camera has led to an extraordinary discovery and a moment of personal realization.
Kyle, from Toronto, is an avid collector of older digital cameras. “I like the unique and imperfect photos they can produce,” he told Newsweek. “I have maybe a little over a dozen of them at this point, some functional and some not.”
Kyle’s sister was due to get married and, eager to get her something personal as a wedding gift, he hit upon the idea of buying her a high-end digital camera. “She’s always wanted a camera but never really had a good opportunity to get one,” he said.
Take a picture; it will last longer. That is the adage used to scold someone whose gaze is fixed on a particular subject a little too long. There is some sense to the notion, though. Taking pictures can actually make an experience more enjoyable and more lasting. That was the conclusion of a 2016 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Researchers recruited 2,000 participants for a series of experiments designed to test the effect taking photographs had on an individual’s enjoyment of an activity. In each instance, participants were asked to complete an activity like taking a bus tour or eating at a food court, while either taking photos through or not at all. They then completed a survey designed to measure their enjoyment of the experience. In almost every case, those who took photos reported greater levels of enjoyment.
Kyle said he figured his sister would love a camera to document her honeymoon and the start of her new wedded life. What he didn’t count on was what he found with the secondhand camera he ended up purchasing for her. Kyle was perusing an online auction website when he came across a Canon PowerShot G3 X that he thought would be ideal for his sister. He purchased the camera along with another that had caught his eye, a Canon PowerShot S80.
So far, so normal, but things took a wild turn when the cameras arrived with him. Kyle discovered both had SD cards on them full of photos; over 4,200 in fact, across both cameras. It turned out that they had previously belonged to an Asian couple who featured in several of the pictures. These were no ordinary photos either.
The pictures captured trips to Italy, Alaska, Colorado, South Korea, Malaysia, California, Washington State, Utah, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Portugal. “I was completely blown away,” Kyle said. “It isn’t uncommon to find old photos from a trip or two when buying old cameras, but this is my first time finding several years’ worth.”
What made the photos special were the incredible sights the couple had snapped. The snaps included images of the Alaskan tundra, Mount Rushmore, Petra, Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx, and even a picture and video of the late Pope Francis. “They were objectively beautiful photos. They really knew how to take them,” Kyle said. “It was an honor going through these images that probably have never been looked at by more than a couple people. I don’t think I’m ever going to find anything like this ever again.”
There was a sense of mystery to the discovery, though. Why had the couple discarded the cameras and these photos? What had happened to them? All Kyle knew was that the couple also hailed from Toronto.
“I contacted the auctioneers I bought the camera from in hopes of contacting the sellers to see if they were aware that there were photos still on the cameras,” Kyle said. “I got a response back saying that they’ve contacted the estate business that cosigned the cameras to them to see if they can get any guidance, so hopefully I’ll be in contact with the family soon.”
Kyle shared his discovery to Reddit under the handle u/vekstthebest. It generated significant interest, earning over 5,600 upvotes in the process.
Looking through the photos also sparked a moment of personal realization for Kyle. The images reminded him of the importance of travel and capturing the special moments and experiences along the way. “Sadly, I have hardly ever traveled in my life so far, but the photos most definitely made me want to,” he said. “They got to see so many incredible sights and views, it almost made me jealous. I wish I had been there too with my own camera.”
Kyle is now determined to travel more and hopes others might feel motivated to do that same. “I just hope that anyone who sees the images also feels inspired to travel,” he said. “There are so many amazing places to go and so many cool people to meet.”
