7 Reminders For the Memory Keepers

The Tension Between Presence & Photographs

This one is for the memory keepers. The one whose family & friends look to them to document the trip, the birthday, the milestones, & everything in between with photographs. If you’re like me and if you have a creative personality, you probably enjoy the process to an extent - the photographing, documenting, curating, displaying, & sharing. But sometimes it can feel a bit stressful, too. There shouldn’t be pressure on this, but you feel the burden of photographing everything lest it be lost int he past forever. (Dramatic, but I know you feel me.) You exist within the tension of being present to the moment and bottling it up to savor later. You want to take the moment in with all of your senses right here in the now, but you also want to have something to carry on with you - for the hard days, for when they grow up, for when they’ve passed on, for when you need to remember why your life is so beautiful & not to be taken for granted. This one is for you.

There’s a natural tension between being present to the moment and photographing it as it happens. I think that’s good. Don’t shove it away. It’s a good tension because both things are good. It’s good to put the phone or camera down and just drink in the moment deeply. It’s also good to take a photo to cherish & enjoy later.

If you’ve ever lost someone you love, if you’ve ever watched your children grown up, if you’ve ever had a hard day - you know why photographs matter. They are a visual reminder of what matters most to us.

So let’s chat a little bit today about how we can stay a little more grounded in the moment while we bottle up the memories to share & display & enjoy later.

How can we stay present while we photograph?

1. Choose present over perfect.

Don’t make your kids (or your spouse or your friends) pose until it’s perfect. In doing so, you’ve lost the essence of the moment you were trying to capture anyway.

2. Capitalize on candids.

I’m not talking about fake candids where you pretend to laugh. 🙃 I’m talking about moments in motion. The who, what, when, & where as it’s playing out.

3. Photograph AND participate.

I love experiencing life with my camera in hand, it’s just how I’m wired. (It is what I do for a living after all.) There’s nothing wrong with that! But you can only participate so much in life with camera in hand. Mark the moment & then put it away so you can jump in the water, paint with your kids, eat your food while it’s still hot, & look into the eyes of the one you love.

4. Keep your phone on airplane mode.

If you’re using your phone as a camera (who isn’t?!), then keep it on airplane mode so you don’t get distracted with notifications.

5. Ask someone to take a photo of YOU!

Mamas, I’m looking at you especially. I know you have a camera roll full of your babes. That’s great! But they are going to want photos later on of you WITH them. Ask someone to take a photo of you and then offer to take one for them, too. This always helps if you’re feeling cringey and vain for asking them to take one. By the way, you’re not. 😘

6. Embrace your body as it is right now!

I struggle with this. It’s so easy to be critical. We keep a laundry list of all the things we’d like to change about our body before we step in front of the camera ourselves… but our bodies are a gift. You are existing in this moment with this body right here and now. It is carrying you through life, be gentle with it. (I wrote some more thoughts on loving your body, here.)

7. Cull, edit, & share your photos LATER.

It can alllll wait until later. I promise, I promise, I promise. Don’t miss out on what’s happening right now. Life is for livin. Photographs are for rememberin.

Live in the Moment

No one, including me, can tell you when to take the photo or when to put the camera away. But you’ll know. Deep down. Develop that intuition and trust your gut. Make the memories, participate in life, go ahead and accept that some of life’s grandest moments may not be documented. And take the photo, be creative, bottle up what you love to enjoy later on. You can do both - just don’t choose the latter at the expense of living life fully in the moment. Go forth, memory keepers! You’ve got this. 💛