As an avid user of Snapchat, I take a countless amount of pictures daily. I see people scroll through Instagram and every event a person goes to includes pictures. Photos provide an excellent way to share a moment or scene without a single word, after all, a picture speaks a 1000 words. In high school, many of my peers would take picture after picture at a party. This was something I didn't understand. A couple photos satisfied me. Now in college, I have a new found appreciation for pictures.

I have always loved flipping through old albums at home and learning the stories about the people in the photos. A fleeting moment is preserved once a button is pressed. However, in high school, I felt like it was an obsession. I became adverse to pictures. I thought, "Enjoy the moment. Live in the present." I wanted to skip the posing and smiling. After all, if I wanted to really remember something I can write it down.

Then, graduation was right around the corner and I wanted to cling to memories the same way I liked to hold onto albums. Yes, I would remember them, but I would never see them again. I would never accurately remember every detail. If I wanted to show someone else what I was picturing in my mind, I couldn't. I would never see how I looked at the moment.

I began suggesting taking photos. I used Snapchat more and saved photos to my Memories. Every photo made me feel that I was in control. Time would pass me by, but I was able to hold onto each second a little longer. When I moved out, pictures made me feel closer to home. I could see what my family and friends were doing without even saying a word.

Furthermore, as a writer, I appreciate the numerous stories that can arise from a single photo as well as the single story that can be captured in a single photo. A good caption can intrigue readers, but an interesting cover image entices readers to understand the photo.

Sometimes I do think about all the times I didn't take pictures. I regret some, and because of that, I choose not to delete and still take pictures even if I don't like how I look in them. I would rather have my own full album to flip through endlessly than a few perfect photos.

The world we live in may feel oversaturated with pictures. A constant barrage of photoshop and filters fill up our lives. Taking a picture is an everyday affair; from the carefully coordinated selfie to the brunch table. We can't forget how powerful pictures can be. Even if we have millions of them, that doesn't make them meaningless.