We had so much fun featuring readers’ phones’ home screens that we thought we’d share a second collection. Each person’s insight into the choice of photo is fun and often touching, demonstrating that a fair amount of thought typically goes into choosing—and keeping—the photo.
In the previous post, Mary shared earlier that she had “597 photos, 11 videos. Default home screen, very boring.” She later got back in touch, saying the question encouraged her to change the impersonal photo to one she loves. Her home screen now features a photo of her with her husband on a beach in Greece. Mary says, “This is what I want to look at when I pick up my phone. The photo brings me joy every time I see it.”
Others shared stories of their images of travels, hobbies, or pets, and some shared art that they appreciated. And everyone has quite a few photos on their phones.
“This was taken in 2017 in Aguascalientes, Mexico during Dias de Los Muertos. I’d long wanted to experience the Day of the Dead, and then my grandpa (who grew up in Mexico) randomly suggested we visit his hometown on exactly those dates. You learn so much about a person by visiting the place where their life started. So I came home feeling like I understood my grandpa in new and deeper ways. The church is symbolic of this fascinating trip. I have 254 photos and 4 videos. I deleted a ton off and take most of my travel photos on my DSLR camera.” —Lori
“Taken in New Zealand a few weeks ago. I keep it here because I love mountains, water, and the outdoors.” —Shawn
“I’ve had this photo of on my home screen for the past couple months. It is Vincent van Gogh’s painting ‘Almond Blossom’ that I downloaded from Google Images. I chose it because it matches my phone case and I like the picture.”—Joe
“This is my home screen photo – one of 2225 photos on my phone! Pickle ball has become my latest passion. I play 3 to 5 times a week. Great work out and great social interaction. First rule of pickle ball is to have fun!”—Maureen
“This is my dog, Leah, taking a moment to sit while we were out on the lake on Christmas Eve. I’ve only had this as my home screen for a few days. I like to switch my home screen photos frequently, they are usually of my dog. I like to keep my screen updated and I have my dog as my screen because I love her very much and I sometimes go long periods of time without seeing her because I am in college. I currently have 565 photos on my phone. (Just recently removed over 1,000 and put them on my computer.)”—Clare
“3,334 😬photos. Home screen is a photo from my trip with my sister in September of this year. I change my home screen every couple of months – they are almost always photos of ‘happy places’ I’ve hiked or visited.” —Sandy
“Walter my 11 month old Golden is my home screen. I chose this photo because his ball is something that brings out his smile. I’ve had this for a few months. Prior to this it was Maynard. I always have one of my dogs up because they are like my children. I currently have 7891 photos on my phone.” —Amber
“It’s a crop of a larger painting that hangs in the Smithsonian in DC by Edward Hopper called ‘People in the Sun.’
Hopper is my favorite artist and this painting in particular is one of my favorites because it is a really good example of his ability to create an intimate portrait of people interacting with their setting while simultaneously making them seem remarkably distant from their surroundings
I mean, just looking at the painting you see several presumably good, old friends (or a family) sitting on a patio looking out over a western landscape. I love it because the more you look at it, the less peaceful it seems and after a while you’re left with the impression that not one of the people in the picture has spoken a word to the other in a very long time. They appear to be sitting in silence not out of awe at the view, which is relatively plain and simple, but because they truly have nothing to say to each other. I imagine, looking at their faces, that they’re all sitting there (except the man reading his book, who seems quite content to sit in peace) trying desperately to think of something to say, but all individually failing.
I like having it on my phone because it’s the first thing I see when I get a text or message from someone, and it reminds me to choose my words carefully and not take for granted the simple pleasure found in a simple conversation with a friend.”—Carl
Do you have a story about the photo you keep on your home screen?
