Do you take photographs of everything?

In the world of Snapchat and Instagram, people have become those who take photographs all the time: of their food, their coffee cups, their pets, the weird cloud formations, even their feet at the beach. The whole trend of random shit with hashtags like #nofilter, #blessed, #justbecause, or #wanderlust feels impossible to understand. Sometimes the real magic happens when the camera is forgotten, and it’s just about being in the moment. Photography is beautiful, and taking photos is great too. But somewhere along the way, there has to be a pause, a moment to put the phone aside and just live the experience, like there’s no backup of it except in your memory. So, it holds the value that no other person would be able to relive or even comprehend except you.

Having a photograph is useful to refresh memories of those really beautiful moments in life. But often, one or two photos are more than enough. Maybe not of the exact moment, but just before or after, something that reminds you of the feeling, the story. Meaning comes from what you attach to it. A photo holds meaning because of the story and feeling you give it. It could be a note, a rock from a hike, or a straw from a special trip to the movies… anything that brings back the moments you cherish. So make your own souvenirs, things only you understand, that hold your story, letting you relive your memories and feelings, quietly, without needing to explain them to anyone.

Before time passes, capture the photograph in your mind. Instead of a click, do a double blink. Stare at the person, the scene, the nature, or anything you’re fond of until the moment fades and you have to say goodbye, maybe for some time, maybe forever. What you felt, what you saw beyond the scene, that quiet connection of soul to soul, stays in the heart, far deeper than in the mind. Even if the memory blurs, the feeling stays alive. So next time there’s an orange sky melting into the ocean, a pair of deep green eyes full of untold stories, a cute smile that lights up the room, or rain tapping gently on the window… don’t just take a photo. Put your phone aside like nothing else matters. Be there. See the beauty. Feel the beauty. Write about it. Think of words that try to capture its essence. That’s how the moment becomes truly yours. Keep staring at the things you love, and just smile. It’s already captured in your mind, your heart, and in the smile that came when you saw it.

To my 'Photographs' I would love to keep, both physically and in my mind, snapshots of moments that never fade, memories made just for myself. As Ed Sheeran says,

“We keep this love in a photograph,

We made these memories for ourselves,

Where our eyes are never closing,

Hearts are never broken,

And time's forever frozen still…”