I shot a birthday party today for a beautiful lady who was turning 90. It was a lovely day with lots of old stories, plenty of laughter, and great family camaraderie (and the most amazing cupcakes I have ever seen - see below!). What was great about it for me was that it reminded me of the incredible importance of photographs.
With digital cameras now on everything from our phones to our computers, we often take for granted how important a single photograph can be.
At the party, photographs were a central part of the event from a display board on an easel full of old photos all the way down to buttons with old pictures on them for the younger generation to wear. What was most fun for me, though, was to watch the younger family members pass around a box of old photographs and react with such excitement. To me, they just looked like just old photos. To them, however, those old images were windows to their past, reminders of their heritage and of times they spent with family and friends - some still around and some not. Each picture that was passed around would light up someone's face and remind them of a story.
We forget how fast time passes, how quickly our children grow up and our parents grow old. My father passed away when I was a senior in college and I would give anything to have more photos of us together. Like most people, I always figured there would be another day to do that sort of thing.
Outside of losing a loved one, the main reason for photographs is to capture a moment in time. We are always changing, always growing, and by nature we look to the future while enjoying the present and only have our memory to remember the past. Photographs capture those present moments before they quickly slip away. Good photographs can even tell a story in just one image.
This is why I love what I do. If I can give someone a memory they can hold onto for the rest of their lives, and do it in a beautiful way that tells a story, then my job is complete.
As we move into Spring and Summer and life gets hectic, don't forget to capture life's moments yourself or hire someone to help you with it. You may not fully appreciate the photographs today, but many years from now, when the memories have begun to fade, when you or your children are having their 90th birthday party, you'll be so glad you have them.
The rest of the photos from this party can be seen here.
Posts
