Initially I sat down to write, let my mind wander and be free, and was going to write about a completely different topic -- but as with most activities I intend to take part in, I was distracted by something else entirely. This time, it just so happened to be pictures of some of my favorite memories stored on my phone. With each one, my mind cycled through the entire event; sometimes the entire day. I found myself subconsciously smiling -- because I wasn’t looking at just a photo, I was looking into a portal to a specific place in time.
OK, a portal is a little drastic, but a picture does more than just capture the moment. A picture is like a stoppage of time in the way that it can protect the simplest, purest and happiest of moments inside a small frame and exist for as long as its owner cares for it. It’s more of a physical embodiment of a memory than space on a memory card or a slot of film. How much can we rely on our minds alone to remember every idiosyncrasy of the best moments of our lives?
There’s also a certain joy that comes from the tangibility of a picture over a flat memory, the ability to evoke a whole new set of emotions. We can feel what we felt then or what we feel reflecting on those events now, but regardless, we never even have to leave our seat to experience so much. No matter how much you try to remember a great memory you can never get everything right, but a picture always can!
Yet, a photograph can also almost transcend the capturing of a moment -- it can capture a state of mind. When you look at photography as an art form, pictures are still portals into another place in space in time, but rather from another person’s perspective. A picture can give an opinion on a flaw in society or praise another person without even using words. To take an objective snapshot of something in this world and somehow tie a subjective emotion or thought to it for all people to see is an amazing gift. It is speaking without words, humanity transcending most barriers of communication by looking at life from a different angle together.
Photography wasn’t even an appreciated medium for art when it was first invented, similar to how television wasn’t considered a serious medium for news and affordable personal computers were little more than a fantasy dream. Nothing is permanent, and the opinion of a group of people or even a majority of a population are subject to change with time, so it is incredible to think even things like social media and virtual reality may find their ways as integral parts of our society yet.
Photography is not always such a serious art medium or way of recording the past, however. Most of us tend to keep photography close to us in different ways that allow us to express ourselves in an open and entertaining way, like with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. While not exactly making us all on the go professional photographers, they let us store our personal favorites, share them with our friends, and bond over them. Digital pictures are staying relevant with modern needs and keeping with the tradition of storing memories and allowing free personal expression.
So here’s my suggestion -- take pictures. It isn’t a big task, but it isn’t a small one either. At the best and most memorable moments of your life, at the most amazing views, take the time to pull out your phone or a great camera, and take a snapshot of what you see. You won’t regret it.
