Time for the last 2010 installment of my top ten lists! This needs no real precedent, since I've already mentioned my love for photography. So, I present you with Kat's Top Ten Reasons to Take Pictures:
1. People truly connect through pictures.
I feel like most people own a camera and take pictures. Go to any party, and everyone's likely to have a camera. If you're on a vacation, I'm sure you'll find yourself surrounded by people with pictures. In our houses, we have pictures on the walls, on desks, on the fridge. Our hard drives hold hundreds and hundreds of pictures. We share photos on Facebook and Dailybooth and TwitPic. Heck, we even carry pictures in our WALLETS. You never know what picture will help you connect with someone. It might be that picture of a cool street sign, because you find someone who finds wonder in the same thing. So just take pictures of the things that fascinate you, the things you find beautiful, and the things you want to remember. You never know who they will help you connect with.
2. You can capture moments that would otherwise pass you by.
Obviously, photos capture moments. That doesn't really need to be said. But I feel like I capture a lot of moments I wouldn't otherwise notice or pay attention to because I have a camera strapped to my hand. Especially with my Project 365 project, I've come to look at every moment as an experience, something that has shaped my life, weighing its importance to my day. If I feel it defines my day well enough, then it's my picture for the day. But as a photographer in general, I've learned to look out for the beautiful objects and events that take place. Those things that could become wonderful pictures, so long as I stop long enough to notice and snap a picture.
3. Sometimes, you just capture the most beautiful scene.
This is still my favorite part of photography: capturing beauty. Personally, I like taking pictures of scenery a lot more than of people. I really do not know why, but maybe because the beauty of the world inspires me more than the beauty of other people. I mean, I still take pictures in big cities that include strangers, and I love the beauty of that too. I suppose because of my personality type, taking pictures of other beautiful people just doesn't make me...feel good. Sorry. But, basically, if you take pictures, you may just capture the most beautiful scene in the world, that you would forget or barely notice without the photograph. So take pictures. You never know what you will capture.
4. Pictures give you something to remember about every day.
Going back in particular to my Project 365 for this year. It's really hard to find something to take a picture of on some days. Because, yeah, some days I experience absolutely nothing exciting. I sit in my room and read or do homework. But over the course of this year I've come to realize those are the simple things, that make life beautiful just because I'm alive to do them and complain about them. I don't always have to be ridiculously busy or exciting. Recently, I went back to look through that album, and, yeah, it's nice to be reminded of what was important to me on some seemingly mundane, normal, boring day in November. So just bring a picture with you everywhere, and snap a picture of whatever makes your heart smile or your mind think. Those just may be the things you want to remember, even if you don't really know it at the time.
5. You begin to realize the small things that really hold a lot of beauty.
This connects again to Project 365. I think I've become a slightly better photographer, as far as positioning things to get beauty out of the most normal and mundane objects in life: a pencil against a deep brown desk. A flower in the midst of a lawn of green grass. The sun setting over the mountain just so. The rain and hail that at the time is so annoying, but becomes a beautiful picture. Your cat lying on your bed: something that happens every day and has lost its joy and wonder, but makes for the perfect picture. So, sure, snap a picture of your shoes, your books, your water bottle. It's beautiful if it's somehow important to you. Everything has the potential to hold beauty, even if no one sees it.
6. Years later, you have something to laugh about. Or cry about. Or smile about.
There are so many pictures from my childhood that make me laugh. Pictures truly do capture memories. Thanks to pictures, I can remember my going away party when I moved from Texas. Which actually makes me both laugh and cry. I can remember all of my camp experiences, my dad's and uncles' wedding, family vacations that no longer ever happen. Actually, now that I think of it, most of my pictures simultaneously laugh, smile, and cry, because they capture and convey so many separate emotions and bring out conflicting feelings: happy that it happened, but missing it immensely. Basically, I think pictures are wonderful just in how they capture our life as it passes by and help us to remember events and feelings we might otherwise forget or at least not remember so clearly. I truly treasure my camera.
7. With pictures, you get to share your experiences with the world.
Sure, words allow you to share experiences as well. But sometimes you just can't find the words that truly describe your journey or how you felt standing in that vast church or whatever. Clearly, we use photo albums to share our trips and times with friends and summers and vacations and all of that. People rarely seem to keep photo albums anymore. I only have ones up until 7th/8th grade, when I started keeping all of my pictures either online or on my hard drive. But almost everyone shares their experiences thanks to online photo sites or social networking sites. We can't use words to describe every single moment well, but a picture captures the smiles and emotions and joy that words maybe cannot. So don't feel ashamed taking a picture of nearly everything on that trip to Europe or wherever. In the end, it will allow you to easily share an experience with someone, without needing to attempt to use words that likely would never do quite as good a job.
8. You have great story material.
Pictures themselves tell stories of laughs and love and tears. Of joy and happiness, of a peaceful moment. I love scrapbooks and photo albums because they're a sort of story book. But also, pictures really are great ways to bring up conversations at parties. if you seen an interesting or beautiful photograph, you can bring it up with the host or someone else who's looking at the picture. Or, if you happen to be the host, having a lot of pictures around your house can certainly spark conversation between guests. Plus, you can tell the story of that vacation, including all the funny and sometimes painful anecdotes, making people laugh and smile and want to tell their own stories. Just make sure you know what the picture you're looking at is a picture of, so you don't embarrass yourself telling a long story about your vacation to California when in fact you're looking at a picture of Mexico or something. Yes, this even applies if it's your own photo. Remember what that picture is of. Other people will notice your fake story...
9. A photo can capture soul.
This one is a little hard to explain, but I truly believe pictures capture the soul of the photographer. Even just what we choose to take pictures of gives people a glimpse of our soul: what we value, what we love, what makes us smile. Photos can also capture parts of your soul you don't have full access to or maybe that you're afraid of accessing. A picture doesn't lie, but words sometimes can. Your photographs not only capture a beautiful scene or a laughing friend, but they become an extension and essential piece of your soul. :)
10. You have something to blog about!
Ha, again: CLEARLY. But, I mean, I truly enjoy looking at people's pictures. Partially because I consider myself a (VERY AMATEUR) photographer, and partially just because I love looking at people's lives. Which sounds vaguely stalkerish. But we've all kind of become that in the time of the internet. We see that someone posted a new photo album, and we decide to go "creep" on it and look at every picture and marvel at the beauty and wonder of their lives. Mkay, but I also really enjoy looking at the scenic pictures that people take. And I think most people like looking at pictures, so they're a good fall back for a blog topic: Just share some good photos that have a little story behind them, and you can easily keep people happy.
I wrote my What Defines Me essay today. I think that I'm going to share that as my blog post tomorrow, and then try to be a bit more exciting for my LAST BEDA(ugust) post on Tuesday. Honestly, though, the homework isn't too bad yet, but I know it will soon and I'm kind of dreading that. *sigh*
As I was typing this, I had the Emmys on in the background. I don't even watch TV, but sometimes they are really funny. Nothing exciting this year, but maybe just because I miss Neil Patrick Harris. I was expecting something like THIS. And that didn't happen.
Mkay. Well I should get some sleep while I can. Yep.
Cheers!
Inspirational quote/photo of the day: "The camera can photograph thought." ~Dirk Bogarde
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