Nostalgia is something that is both cosy and comforting but also deceptive and an illusion – explain how? Think about your own childhood memories of growing up in Jersey (or elsewhere). Are there specific moments that you treasure, or rather not want to remember? Think about what triggers the feeling of nostalgia, for example music, movies, places, or people. See below for more definition and ideas around theme of nostalgia.

Nostalgia in photography

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, nostalgia evokes “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for a return to or of some past period.” In photography, we can use nostalgia or the effect of nostalgia as a powerful tool to add emotional impact.

The four components involved in nostalgia are self-reflection, autobiographical memory, emotion regulation, and reward. The brain systems associated with these components work together to produce our subjective experience of nostalgia.