The Importance of Photography
How often do you hear stories about loved ones who have died and what comfort the photos bring to the family. Sadder still when they pass on and all they have is "I’d been talking with someone about getting a shot of the family for some time but never got around to it."
It’s not just the passing of loved ones that may trigger this emotional connection to our art. Moms might sit on the side of the bed holding a photo of a son or daughter who’s left home for college or a job in a distant place. My mother brought up some old photos of me when I was a baby, I can't believe how much my son looks like me and how much I enjoyed having the photos.
Photos are a great way to live in the moment. To look at a photo and be taken back in time to a moment of your life is a great experience. Now that I have a son of my own, to me the journey of life has become so much more important to capture.
There’s a reason why we hear about people dragging the family photos out of a burning or flooding home - sometimes even risking their lives. I can’t picture someone racing back into a burning house to rescue many of the other thing we spend so much money on.
This may sound maudlin or sappy or even self-serving, but as important as any of our other possessions may be, I just don’t see the other things making as much impact over time as those images and albums.
That’s why we should all celebrate life today. So capture it in art by J & B or pick up the camera yourself for tomorrow, today will be gone!
John Childress
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