Life is full of memorable moments — and a lot of us like to take pictures or videos of those times. Whether I have documented milestones like my two boys first steps or moments with my late father, I am so grateful to have them to look at. It’s critical to build memories that tell the story of your life so you can remember all those precious points in the years to come. And that’s where photography plays an important role in my family.
The Role of Photography in Documenting Your Life
In today’s world, we all have the power to take photos and create videos at our fingertips thanks to our smart phones. But what you might not realize when you’re taking pictures or videos is that you’re building a vast treasure trove of memories — not only for yourself, but also for your family.
According to Psychology Today, reviewing family photographs and videos can serve as a framework that facilitates conversations about the past with your kids. For example, you can show them photos of a grandparent who has passed away or share images of the home you
lived in when you were young. This gives your memories of the past a boost — plus, it can strengthen your relationship with your kids. And of course, seeing old pictures of loved ones who have passed away can bring you great solace.
That’s also why it’s just as important to take photos now that you can look at in the years to come. Just imagine how easy it will be to recall all the good times you had when you were in college, or all the precious moments you enjoyed when your children were growing up. Or how about the fun times you had on your vacations?
Gretchen Rubin writing for HuffPost advises that photos and videos of your everyday life can act as a diary. It might not be so interesting for somebody else, but for you, it can be a wonderful thing to document the little things that bring you joy in your day — whether it’s your dog frolicking in the park or a cappuccino at your favorite coffee shop.
At the same time, you can also use photography to document your hobbies. For example, if you enjoy baking, you can collect images of baked goods on Pinterest and add photographs of your own creations. Or if you’re an avid runner, you can take photographs of the races you’ve run or make videos of when you cross the finish line.
Creating Authentic Images
One of the most important things to remember about seeing and preserving through photography is that you don’t always have to look perfect in every image. We’re all unique, and although we’re inundated by images of celebrities and influencers, it’s critical to find the beauty in your own life. So, to make sure your images and videos are as authentic as they can be, try to really connect with the people and environment around you — instead of focusing solely on the camera — when you’re taking pictures.
Tips for Organizing Your Photos and Videos
Of course, taking lots of photos and videos is no use if you don’t know how to find the ones you want to see. Keep the following tips in mind.
- Digitize analog images. If you have a collection of old printed photos stored away somewhere, it’s best to digitize them before they deteriorate. Lifewire advises scanning them to your computer, or simply taking photographs of them with your phone or tablet.
- Save your photos and videos to the cloud. If you have all of your photos on your phone, tablet or computer, they’re vulnerable to hardware glitches. That means you could lose them all in a split second. To avoid this, upload your images and video files to the cloud. Once that’s done, you can either keep the originals on your device so you have two copies — or you can delete them to free up memory.
- Make your images searchable. Now you have a cloud backup of your photos and videos, it’s time to make sure you can find them when you want to. You can do this by adding specific tags in each file’s metadata, as USA Today reports. For example, for photos of vacations, you can add something like “Paris, 2020.” Then later, when you want to see them again, all you have to do is type in that key phrase.
Remember to Be in the Moment
Regardless of the power of photos and videos to create memories, it’s also important to be in the moment. So instead of always seeing everything through a lens, take some time every now and then to simply focus on your loved ones and the world around you. Because doing so opens the door for more spontaneity — and that in itself can lead to even more memorable moments.
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