Stop and Smell the Photo Op

I have had an interest in photography since I was pretty young.  I even won a photography contest in high school (true story).

(Left: Here’s the photo that was voted the favorite from the school community.)

I later went on to serve as the photography editor for my college newspaper.  I was fortunate to learn and engage in the old school processing of negatives and printing photographs with smelly chemicals in a dark room.  Effects such a double exposures or filters on images were often cumbersome and difficult- time consuming and rewarding.

Now I am proud to call myself a Google Trusted photographer and I focus on the power of visual content in my work life.

While I am not a traditional ‘professional’ photographer, I still enjoy snapping images to share on social media and with family and friends.

With the rapid growth of social media and the fact that almost everyone carries a camera around in their pocket in the form of a smartphone – everyone is now a photographer.

There has been a shift in the ease with which people can capture a moment in time. Of course, just because everyone can take photographs, doesn’t mean they should take (and share) photographs.  While social media has catapulted individuals that may never had the opportunity to showcase their photographic talents, there are now billions of images are shared – 24/7, 365.

Has the incredible volume of users taking and sharing images hurt the standard expected of photographs being shared?  Are people thoughtful about what they decide to snap and share?

I believe my amateur photography skills have been diminished due to the fast paced, instant gratification, multi-tasking nature of recent times.  Often, we don’t even stop long enough to capture the moment – we are simply too busy.

Capturing a moment in time is powerful in photography.   Photography allows us to capture and freeze a moment so it can be referred to at another time and repeatedly.  With much of life being ephemeral, images in time let us remember and relive history or provide a window into a life we have not experienced first hand.

Personally, having photographs of loved ones from that past is a way for me to connect with their memory and keep them in my life.

My wife Nita is a wonderful photographer.  She has a keen eye and a creative mind – which is a good combination for a photographer to have.  Part of her talent lies in her natural curiosity and her incredible patience (which continues to come in handy as we raise our three kids).

Despite the advent of digital photography and the snap happy culture of Instagram, there are still many times when we think to take a picture and then let the moment pass.  There are always distractions.

Have you ever had the experience of driving in some picturesque place and seeing a beautiful vista and thought – we should stop and snap a picture? How often do we actually pull over and do so?

This past summer I found myself in this exact situation – driving on a country road in northeast Pennsylvania.  I was headed home and still had quite a drive. As I glanced out at the countryside, I didn’t think too much of the beautiful landscape.  That was until I drove down a hill and stole a glimpse of a pond to my left.

Although it was likely only seconds, there was a conversation in my mind – wow – that’s an incredible reflection in that pond.  I should pull over and stop and get a picture of that. You now what? I am going to pull over.

I pull over and walked up the side of the road to the edge of the pond.  It was worth stopping. There was a moment in time, when the sun was shining onto the pond resulting in a stunning and blinding reflection.  It created a mirror effect in the landscape in the water…. Snap. Snap. Snap.

It could have been a “postcard” picture.  In my reverie I didn’t notice that the owner of the property had come down from the house and was now standing beside me. He asked what I was doing and I explained.  I told him how I had caught the view as I was driving past and wanted to stop and capture the moment.   He seemed a little dubious, but as I showed him the images on my iPhone, he nodded in understanding.

I offer this story as a metaphor for one’s life.   We all rush through life, and while we are not always driving down a country road, there are many opportunities to pull over and stop.  It may lead to capturing a beautiful moment.

One of my guiding beliefs, that I reference often, is that we regret the things we don’t do much more than those we do.  The next time you find yourself having that internal conversation, I hope you listen to the voice that encourages you to indulge your curiosity and take action.

Happy holidays!!

Interested in why STORY MATTERS and creating compelling content for your marketing? Contact Geoffrey at Geoffrey@ninedotsmedia.com or call 267.999.9149

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