Thanks to Blurb, I was able to create a sweet book of Instagram memories from 2011 for all of the grandparents’ Christmas presents. It turned out great, and I like how accurately it documented the day-to-day of my family. I’ve been chastising myself for not taking more photos on our “real” camera. But it’s rarely at arm’s length. And those photo-worthy moments are so fleeting. I am definitely thankful to have my iPhone with me most of the time.
These are the only two photos I took of the sisters in December:
But you know what I’m learning? These two photos are enough.
In the long run, it just doesn’t matter. I don’t have to photograph every single event or day or week or even month. I will live through those moments, soak them up, and capture them when I can. Maybe I’ll change my mind in thirty years, but I really don’t care about documenting every visit to the pumpkin patch and every picnic and every doctor’s visit. I rarely revisit the “big event” albums once they download from camera to computer, anyway. I cherish little moments throughout the day, and I do my best to snap them on my iPhone. If my point-and-shoot camera is nearby, then great! If not, I’m not going to worry about it anymore. Technology is advancing at the speed of light, but I am not obligated to tag along. And I’m not going to feel guilty about it.
Freedom!
3 Comments
Thank you for this post! I feel guilty all the time for not taking photos on the REAL camera, but you’re right. It’s not those photos that I look through all the time…it’s the ones on my phone. Those photos ARE my life. I appreciate the perspective. :)
I’ve recently started letting go of my DSLR. I am allowing myself to relax. If I don’t bring it…SO WHAT?!?! I have this amazing piece of technology in my iPhone & I can capture everything easily from there if need be.
I take thousands of photos of my girls, both on my camera and on my phone. My faves are almost always from my iPhone. I refuse to let the camera get in the way of enjoying the moment. On the other hand, there are literally about 20 photos of me from when I was born to age 10 and it bums me out. My husband’s parents didn’t take many pictures of him either. I’ve never seen a baby picture of him (after almost 11 years together). I think I’m over compensating for the lack of photos of us, but I never print them out, so they’re free and I love to go back through and look at them all the time.