Cherishing special moments caught on camera |10 January 2020
The photos we take are an integral part of who we are, they capture moments, help us document our lives, allow us to see the world, allow us to admire beauty, and help us remember what would otherwise erode away in our memory.
The way we are taking photos and the technologies permitting this have evolved greatly over the years. A few decades ago, it was common place for us to make use of a film camera with a roll of 36 negatives to expose our favourite memories onto.
These cameras didn’t have an LCD screen to instantly view the shots and we would not enjoy our photos until we had them developed, printed and placed in a photo album; it was both costly and time-consuming.
Photo source: timetoast.com
With the advent of digital photography and more recently smartphones, we now have the ability to take more and more pictures, because at no point in the history of photography has our ability to take photos been so easy, accessible and cheap.
The technology in today’s cameras give us correctly exposed, in-focus, sharp photos instantly, in high quality and resolution, ready to be shared with our family and friends around the globe on social media. It is instant, convenient and virtually low cost.
However, the downside to this vastly accessible technology, is that individual photos seem to be losing their value. We don’t take 36 photos over the course of a few weeks or even months anymore; today, we can easily take hundreds of photos in one day alone.
The large capacities of our memory cards means that we have almost no limit; we snap away without a care in the world and if the photo looks bad after reviewing it, we can just take another one.
It is rather unfortunate however, that most of these photos will lay dormant on our devices with little to no chance of being viewed again or at the very least appreciated for their value and beauty.
So how do we ensure our photos retain their value?
Here are the top 3 tips of a local professional photographer of The Creative Studio - Seychelles:
Learn to take better photos – A good photo that is worthwhile has many characteristics such as ability to capture a special moment, showcasing a beautiful landscape or wildlife under beautiful light, or being able to tell a visual story that will evoke an emotional response in the viewer.
To do this, you need to slow down, stop taking multiple photos that end up being meaningless in most parts, observe more and wait for defining moments before snapping away, wait for when or look for where the light is more flattering, move two steps back or change your location to achieve a better composition for more balance in your photos. Doing these will help yield better looking photos that you will be proud to share and will be worth looking at.
Print your photos – Take your best shots, whether that is a portrait of a loved one; a group photo of your best friends after graduation or a strikingly beautiful sunset at Beau Vallon, to a good printer and make it tangible. We don’t print photos enough anymore and you will appreciate them much more. Even if you have already shared it and gotten many ‘likes’ on Instagram, the satisfaction of looking at your own creation in a large print ready for the wall or a photo album is worth more. Many conversations and laughter have started when looking at photos in an album or hung up nicely on a wall.
Photo source: dissolve.com
Longevity – The value of a photo, particularly a good one, grows over time. A beautiful photo of your grandfather today is wonderful, you took the time to capture it when he was happy, you’ve printed and framed it, and have proudly hung it on your wall. Decades later after he has passed away, that photo will continue to remind you, vividly, of that moment you had with him, his smiles, the stories he told and the bond you had. That photo has the power to make you and anyone who knew him well feel emotional. That is the power of a good photo, but also a photo that is well preserved and accessible.
It is no good having that wonderful picture on your hard drive or memory card and you can’t quite remember where you’ve stored it. If you choose to not print your photos, at the very least, find a system to catalogue them well, be it by date, location or people in them. Keep them safe and make backup copies of them. This way you ensure that those beautiful memories live on and can be enjoyed beyond your lifetime.
F.P.
