Creating Memories, Not Photographs

My parents recently came to visit, and we went on a couple of outings together. While I was busy composing my shots, they were happily snapping away with their phones. I couldn’t help but notice their photos lacked clarity—poor composition, bad lighting, and sometimes the faces weren’t even recognizable. When I mentioned this, their response took me by surprise: ‘The photos may not be perfect, but they’ll help keep our memories clear!’ It was a simple, yet powerful reminder that sometimes the meaning behind a photo matters more than technical perfection.

 

(Lonely Tree – A photograph that always reminds me of the wonderful trek that I took in these wetlands)

 

Photographs vs Memories

Today is shaping up to be a lazy day. It’s raining outside, with the sky completely blanketed by clouds, and the forecast promises rain all day long. For photographers like me (lucky enough to have a light workload), this kind of weather is perfect for slowing down—reading books, watching movies, revisiting old photographs, or even cleaning up photography gear. And of course, there’s nothing better than ending the day with a cold beer and some jazz playing in the background!

I started with browsing some old photographs from a trip that I made more than a decade back. The memories filled me up. The hotel room from my 12th photograph, the scene outside the hotel window from my 13th photograph, 14th photograph of some avenue trees with their bright colors in autumn, with the hotel building and its copper drain pipes, and the 15th photograph from a park (a botanical garden that I had visited). But… wait… was I with my girl-friend or my wife? (I hope my wife doesn’t read this article).

The memories of a wonderful trip to the botanical garden are still vivid in my mind. I came back with so many photographs—tall trees with yellowing leaves lining a pathway, a greenhouse filled with cacti and succulents, a vast arboretum dedicated to medicinal plants, and zigzagging stairs bordered by rows of bright yellow flowers. The sprawling lawns and occasional gusts of chilly wind added to the atmosphere. It was truly a remarkable place.

I’ve realized that I can vividly recall everything that happened when I took a photograph. But during times when no photos were taken, the memories aren’t as clear—I can’t remember everything as well. The photographs act as cues when I walk down that lane of memory.

 

(A walk in the garden, on the carpet of yellowed leaves. Autumn is a wonderful time)

 

I have the photographs from the garden—they’re sharp, well-composed, and beautiful to look at. When my guests, often a captive audience, see them, I get plenty of ‘Wows!’ But when I look at those images, I sometimes struggle to remember the moments that happened in between, especially when there is a gap of multiple days between two series of photographs.

Sure, old photographs fade away and loose their impact (at least the prints do). Yet, they remind me of the incidents. When I pick up an old framed photograph of my grandfather from a place up in the hills, I remember him and the things he told me there when I was a kid.

 

No, videos will not do !

Here’s another perspective: Don’t create videos. Videos are captivating, but they close off our minds. When I watch a video, I get completely absorbed in it—my memory becomes limited to what’s unfolding on the screen, nothing more, nothing less. A photograph, however, invites the mind to wander. It helps me recall everything that happened before and after the shutter clicked. One single image can spark a flood of memories that videos often suppress.

If you want to preserve fond memories, take photographs, not videos. And resist the urge to alter them with digital filters or plugins—keep the photos as they are. Print them if you like, and let them serve as a window to relive those moments later on, even as the memories fade.

 

(A photograph captured on an inexpensive point-n-shoot camera, that always reminds me of the juicy fruits and berries that were sold under this roof)

 

A point well taken

Am I making a point with this rambling? Absolutely! Live in the moment—snap-shooting is here to stay. The days of taking one family photo a year are long gone. Now, we capture a photo every time something special happens, so why not join in? Embrace snap-shooting. Take plenty of photos on your phone or camera, and don’t worry about poor lighting, busy backgrounds, or shaky hands. Decades from now, those imperfect snapshots will become priceless treasures—if you still have them.

For serious photography, I always advocate taking fewer, but well-composed shots—’Click Less, Create More.’ But this is different. Here, the goal is to create memories while we’re at it!

This article, originally published on my photography site, is now archived here; while some details may have lost their original context over time, it still offers an intriguing read.
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