Lately, I have found myself thinking a lot about photos and the reasons people take them. Some say to capture a moment, a memory, something important. Others, just for fun. Some photos because they are arty or a 'great shot'.
Being that I work in an industry that deals with photos, I see them every day. Babies, weddings, dogs, cats, cars, landscapes, art works - we see it all.
Over the weekend I climbed a peak at Halls Gap, and I spent time near the water in Portland, where I had the opportunity to see some beautiful views and it was all very enjoyable. Now, I like to take photos, but it's not something I pride myself on.
Whilst taking photos of valleys and beaches, I suddenly began to wonder why I was taking the photo in the first place. Was it to remind myself what it looked like? Was it to show somebody else?
I knew that in taking the photo, I was not capturing the moment. Not the smells, the sounds, just what could be seen by a lens. Which is never quite the same as what is seen by the eyes.
I saw albino kangaroos on Sunday. I didn't even know such a thing existed until there they were right in front of my face. I took photos. It wasn't the same as my wonder and excitement at actually seeing them, there in front of my face.
So now, I have spent some time thinking about photos and why I take them. Maybe one day when I am old and senile I will be glad I took them, to trigger my memory so I can tell the story about what was actually happening at the time. In many years time I might need to explain to someone why I made my friend lie down on a big rock at the top of a mountain so that I could take a photo of him 'planking'.
I like to take photos. I will continue to do so. However, I am not collecting photos, I'm collecting memories.
Why do you take photos?
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