Hey there! It’s me!
I’m your friend that always seems to be in your face with a camera. You ask me if we REALLY have to take ANOTHER picture…because we’ve already taken 10. You joke around with me because I have thousands of pictures on my phone and never seem to delete any. (A couple of weeks ago I hit 30,000 and that is not something I am ashamed of…though I do know it is a little bit crazy)
…But I’m also the friend that you get super fun, awesome pictures from after those moments have turned into memories. I’m that friend who edits your pictures because you aren’t even sure how to download VSCO on your phone. You know and trust that I will be taking great pictures of us and our friends when we’re having a blast together because I’ve somehow figured out how to live in the moment and capture it all at the same time.
Even though you might not value or love photography in the same way I do, you still love having memories in tangible photographs that you can hold close.
I love taking pictures because I’ve realized how quickly life passes us by. Each moment is a treasure and deserves to be captured. Later on down the road, you’ll really value those pictures and the memories attached to them. Looking back, you’ll be so thankful that you have a picture to remember that time you and your best friend got fries from McDonald’s at 2 am, had an epic jam session, and spent valuable time bonding together that you won’t ever get back.
Many times, it’s easy to simply take these moments for granted. If you aren’t like me, taking a picture may be one of the last thoughts you have. But I dare you to try it. Just try it. Take a quick picture together the next time you spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. Snap a selfie in the car during that late-night Whataburger run with your friends. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.
Photographs keep moments from running away. They freeze an instant in time, allowing us to relive and remember that experience each time we look at the picture.
Now I know this may sound crazy, but attempt to be enthusiastic the next time that I ask if we can take a picture together…or if I can take a picture of you…or if we can “just take one more”. Even though I might take “too many pictures”, I do it because I value you, our friendship, and the times that we spend together. I want to remember and cherish each moment.
My obsession with pictures isn’t really what you think.
I’m asking you to take a moment to reconsider how you view my taking “too many pictures” and how you view pictures in general.
Even though I do love the art of photography and creating pictures that look beautiful, it’s about so much more than that. My pictures are a love language. I find joy in taking pictures for you, of you, and with you. I’m thankful for the prints I have to hang on the wall in my room and pack away under my bed to look at in the years to come. I treasure each picture we take together and that I take of you and our friends…and I love being able to send you pictures so that you too have tangible memories of our graduation, the movie nights and everything in between.
It only takes a minute (or less) to take a picture and the memory will last a lifetime. Sounds like a pretty solid deal to me.
“Photographs capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”
– Karl Lagerfeld
