The Power of a Photo
I always hear that I should “live in the moment” instead of photographing the present, but in all honesty, I believe that photos and videos are the greatest and only way to truly remember the amazing days that you never want to forget about. The power that a mere photograph holds is simply indescribable. It might not seem like it, but photos provide a multitude of benefits, from allowing oneself to laugh at silly childhood actions, to remembering the details of breathtaking views that one’s mind could not account for.
Reminiscing on photos allows myself to catch a glimpse of the times when I was truly at my best, and therefore prompts me to incorporate those past times of glory into my present day life. Even pictures that don’t relate to one’s current life can be pleasant to view. Over half of my middle school pictures, for example, feature my previous best friend (who I have not spoken to in several months), but despite this separation, I still love to think about our past friendship and all of the memories that we had made, which would be impossible without the images. Although these images make me miss this girl like crazy, in the end I always feel happy by simply looking at our good times.
It’s almost unarguable to claim that childhood photos will not provide individuals with many many smiles. When I take even one glance at my toddler self, I’m instantly laughing at my chubby cheeks and adorable outfits. Granted, this reaction is nothing compared to the one when I look at pictures of my two-year-old sister and one-year-old self wearing goggles in our bathtub — yes, my mom really let us do this. Hence, these happy reactions provide another example of the way in a photo has the power to enlighten our moods.
While it is true that photos cannot exactly “strengthen our understanding of the world,” they certainly are able to give us the opportunity to please ourselves with our previous memorable times that we never want to forget about.
Below I added a collage of some of my favorite memories captured on camera that bring me happiness each and every time I see them.
Lauren, I loved this post. I can definitely relate to looking back at photos with people you may not be close with anymore or times that you could never recreate. I love how you refuted Sontag’s claim and used your own anecdotes to back it up. Great post!
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS POST! I totally agree with you; although photos may not be able to tell the whole story, they do indeed bring us happiness and joy every single time we refer back to them. Amazing blog!!
ReplyDeleteAWW Lauren I loved this!! I definitely took the opposite approach on this, but you explained your point of view very well! I think it was really cool that you added a collage of pictures, as it helped the point of your essay. I loved the positive take on pictures, well done!!
ReplyDeleteLauren what an amazing blog, I love how you related it back to such a personal experience. Great work!
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