Remember to make memories

In my previous post, I wrote about one of my wife's students, Jason, and his father who has cancer and about the frailty and temporary nature of our life on this earth. This is one of the very reasons that I love photography. Photography allows us to freeze moments in time. It provides a way for us to remember the things we don't want to forget. Our minds and our memories are amazing, but despite our best efforts, we forget things. Pictures help us to remember. Not only do we see where we were and what we were doing, but we remember how we felt at the time. We can recall the emotions and the events surrounding the photo as well. A picture can let us relive that moment that was captured, at least in our mind.

We don't get a second chance to make memories. If those moments aren't captured, eventually they will become fuzzy. Despite our best efforts, we will eventually forget parts of the moment or event or day. So make an effort to document any time that you want to remember. Whether it's a cell phone snapshot from a day in the park with your kids or hiring a professional to capture all of the details of an important day like a wedding, don't miss the moments.

Make pictures, keep the memories.

Both of our girls asleep in my lap. Taken and edited with my cell phone. A memory I'll treasure forever.

Our Christmas card picture for 2011.
Do you know how hard it is to get a three-year-old and a 9-month-old to look at the camera and smile at the same time? (And we never sent the Christmas cards out!)