Why Our Photography is So Important to Us
South Africa - 2023
The saying “once in a lifetime” is heard often. A phrase that signifies an excellent opportunity that one cannot pass up. It is a ubiquitous saying, and we may miss its literal meaning. The truth is, our travel destination could be the only time we experience it in our lives. It’s easy to convince ourselves that if we enjoyed it immensely, then this is only the first of potentially numerous times that we will be back. Still, so much can occur in one’s life that it’s difficult to determine if it will ever be possible to return.
Travelling is more than just seeing these places in person; it’s about the experiences and journeys surrounding our travel. Everything that leads up to us getting there: planning what we will do, where we will eat, and how we will enjoy our time to the fullest. But it’s also about what occurs after. What were the most enjoyable things that happened? What was the best meal we had? What were the biggest surprises? Now that it has occurred, how are those memories ingrained?
Recognizing our place in time and what led us to stand and witness these things in front of us is essential to enjoying and experiencing travel fully. Some locations have a much more profound impact on our lives and are remembered, recapped, and shared more often.
Part of the Picture
Photography helps preserve our memories, livens our stories, and assists us in reliving what came before. The power of photography ensures that our travel experiences stay with us, frozen in time and place. Photography is a powerful way to shape how we remember our travels and maintain the emotional connection and the memories they preserve. We can look back and relive an experience over and over again.
Our photography aims to recreate our experiences for ourselves and those who look at our photos. Looking at a photograph, we’re not just seeing an image; we’re revisiting the moment. The emotions, sounds, smells, temperature, and actions led up to that moment of capture. It’s not just the photo that captures a distinct moment; it reignites the experiences surrounding that photo. Have you ever seen a picture and remembered what was happening beyond it? What events surrounded it? Who was there?
As recollections and memories fade, many have seen how much a photo can help preserve a memory. It can help us appreciate the experience and ensure it stays with us. Returning to the pictures we captured is a way to reconnect and refresh our past, feel it all over again, and craft a narrative around our journeys.
Our Place in the World
Travel and travel photography can help us identify our place on this planet and how insignificant and brief our time is. When we travel, we visit places we love and sometimes return, wanting to build on what we felt the first time we were there. Some trips become the first time, and some become the last, only a few days or weeks, a small percentage of our existence.
When we realize how quickly time can pass, making an effort and embarking on the journey makes it much more valuable. Travelling far, trekking to a place we have only read about, and finally getting there can help us realize how small our place in this world is. The experience of different cultures can open our eyes to acknowledging that there is so much more.
Change Over Time
Photography is an interesting addition to our history as it is a perfect medium to demonstrate how we change. Recalling some memories can be challenging, especially when remembering exact changes in our persona, style, taste, and more, but photography allows us to see that with definitive proof. We change a lot throughout our lives, and travel profoundly changes us. As our adventures age, we can reflect on how we changed and explored and how our surroundings and subjects have changed. Photography allows us to remember the little things that seemed inconsequential at the time.
Conclusion
Photography plays a crucial role in preserving and reliving these experiences. It captures not just an image but the emotions, sounds, and surroundings of a moment, allowing us to reconnect with our past and appreciate the significance of the places we’ve been. Over time, photos help us reflect on how we’ve changed, both in our perspectives and appearance. They offer a way to document and understand our personal growth and the evolution of the world around us.
In conclusion, travel, combined with the power of photography, offers more than just a trip—it provides a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. The experiences we gather and the memories we capture shape our identities, leaving us with lasting impressions that remind us of how fleeting life truly is. Our journeys, though brief, become part of who we are.