The act of taking a photo means you’re intentionally taking a moment to remember something. A photograph becomes a documented memory the minute you release the shutter.
The art of documenting a memory also means that we can rest assured that certain moments won’t be forgotten. We may wake up the next morning forgetting all sorts of details from the day before, but a photo will remind us.
A single photo, just like a memory, can invoke a slew of emotions- happiness, sadness, nostalgia. There will always be photos we wish we had taken, and photos we wish we hadn’t or wish we could forget.
Don’t just document the good days. Document the bad days, the in-between days. Or document a feeling that your body and mind are otherwise unable to let go of.
A photograph offers an opportunity to release an emotion, a safe place to store a feeling or a memory, a physical momenta to hold on to. Creating a photograph gives your mind permission to release that memory- to let go of any negative feelings that might be associated with that memory.
Keepsakes aren’t just pretty things. The good and bad pieces our lives make us unique and are worth remembering- unless we want to forget. Unless we choose to let go and seek closure. A memory cannot be erased but a photograph can always be destroyed.