The value of a Photograph
Its taken me a long, long time to officially start this blog post.. ok thats a lie, to finish this blog post! Ive started many, many times before. For me its hard to put myself out there with anything new because I feel vulnerable, i’m sure many of you can relate. I have never been great with words, I use photographs to express myself. Being behind a camera is where I am comfortable, its where I feel I am bringing value. Behind the keyboard, not so much. So! heres to trying something new, putting myself out there and sharing - even though it won’t be perfect. If you are a grammar person please avert your eyes.. I have forgotten everything High School English taught me.
““Photography is the story I fail to put into words””
This blog post was meant for me to put into words the reason why I do this for a living. You maybe thing its just because taking photos is fun, and you’re right - it is! The fun is absolutely part of why I love this but there is so much more to it. A photograph means so much to me, whether its of your loved ones or mine because they’re what gets us through hard times, what allows us to look back and remember good times. Allows us a window into the past, a way to see what came before us, to know a piece of the people whose lives and choices created our reality.
My grandparents when my grandpa was sick. Married 53 years and look at the way she still looked at him!
As a child it was an ongoing joke that I had more grandparents than anyone else could ever dream of - I believe the number almost reached the 20s. What an amazing honour to have so many people who loved me, cared for me and taught me. With this honour has come the pain of loss as well. As I near 30 (yikes) I have lost most of these grandparents. With each passing the one thing that has brought me the most healing was sitting with my family, and looking back on photographs. As I said before, I express myself through photographs, I show love by photographing and I grieve by looking at photographs. The laughing, the crying, the memories and the bonding that happens while I sit with my family remembering the essence of the person. 2 years ago my cousin, and friend passed away. My uncle asked another cousin (who is also my best friend) and I to create the slideshow for his memorial. We accepted of course, even though it was one of the hardest things i’ve had to do. We asked for photos from friends and family and they poured in, literally by the hundreds. As we sat at my computer looking through them we felt every ounce of love that each person in Codys life had felt for him. During the memorial as the photos played you could see a bit of peace and healing wash over each person as their photo came onto the screen. Photographs are so much more than a Facebook share, an instagram like or a tweet (do people still twitter?). They are to be cherished, they are to be cried and laughed over.
Every. Single. Photograph. Has. Value.
If that last paragraph was a little dark and doomy - i’m sorry! I don’t just love a photograph when a person has passed on. I truly believe every photograph has value, the iPhone shots included! The best camera is the one you have on you.(( I see so much value in professional photography as well but to avoid a complete ramble on ill save that for another blog!)). If you have children you know just how fast time goes and how precious sleep is. Did I say sleep? I meant time. But sleeps pretty precious to…. Our children grow, and learn and change every damn day. And if we wait until we are skinny, or our house is clean, or whatever other excuse we can conjure up to not take photos with them well be left with none. Unless you have a photographic memory you can never remember all the details, all the silly and sweet things they do. Thats where a photograph can step in! Did you know its also proven that children gain confidence by seeing their photo on the wall? A little confidence can go a long way in this world.
So whats the true value of a photograph? Its love! A photograph shows love, reminds us of love and this crazy world can use a little more love.
If you’ve gotten this far, thank you for listening to my Sunday afternoon ramble@