They said the only things certain in life are life, death, and taxes. Well, I need to add another; all good things must come to an end.
Yes, I said it. And think about it, think of all the things you have enjoyed that eventually came to an end.
· A family vacation
· A good book
· A good movie
· A trip to an amusement park
· A lunch with an old friend
· Maybe, the life of a close friend
· The life of a family member
· The life of a family pet
· A family dinner
· Special time with the one you love
· A special afternoon with your child
· A family reunion
· Cooking dinner together with your family
You see, there are a lot of things that we do that are special. The problem is, we don’t always appreciate them until they are over. What can we do to appreciate them today? What can we do so that we remember these moments, lives, or activities even after they are over?
Well, I bet the number one thing that popped into your head is photographs or video tapes. But lets me honest, all those photos can fade, get sun damage, DVD’s get scratched, hard drives crash, online files can get corrupted, even tiny SD cards can get erased. Trust me I have had these things happen.
But, when those things are gone, what do we have left?
While you were taking photos or recording the videos, were you more interested in the subject of the frame, or the moment taking place? Were you worried about little Sarah’s hair and smile looking perfect, or were you just wanted to capture her just as she was running around on that playground. When that photo is damaged or lost, will you remember her playing, or will you remember how hard it was to get her to sit still on the slide?
You see, there is no point of capturing the moment if you have to stage the moment. If you spend your time worrying about how the photo will look, you will spend hardly any time enjoying the moment you are trying so hard to capture.
My favorite photos of Kathleen, or of anyone, are the ones when they aren’t looking, or don’t know I’m taking them, or when they ignore the camera all together.
THAT is when the moment is happening, THAT is what you want to capture. I mean, think about it. If you just wanted to take pictures of Johnny sitting on the swing, you could pack him up, grab the camera, and drive around and try out every playground in the city until you found just the right background. Then you would shoot 20 photos to see where you get the best light, least shadow, and best background scenery.
But that’s not what you want to catch is it? Because by frame 10, Johnny’s smile is weak, and he is slouching, and you’re fighting over getting him to look like he is really swinging, or really having fun.
What you really want, is to get a photo, and keep the memory of Johnny laughing and playing, and having fun with his little cousin, or sister, or best friend at the park. So, if those things are already happening, why stage it?
Let Johnny play, and snap the photos, 5, 10, 15, 30 at a time if you need to, and just pick the one you love the most. Because those are the memories you are trying to capture.
But let’s face it; you can’t always have a camera at your hip, so what about the other times? What can you do to make those times special so that they are never forgotten?
To be continued…
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