“PHOTOGRAPHS ARE THE RETURN TICKETS TO MOMENTS OTHERWISE GONE… FOREVER.”
Photography, to me, is more than a mere snapshot; it's a portal that transports us back to the emotions, the laughter, and the whispered secrets of a moment. Over the years, I've come to realize that it's not just about capturing images; it's about encapsulating the very essence of those instances that define us. Each time I press the shutter, I'm not just freezing time; I'm preserving the soul of that moment, ready to be revisited whenever the heart desires.
“WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER?”
I was exposed to photography at a very young age by my father who would chase my sister and I around the house with his old Canon film camera and we absolutely resisted the idea of having our photos taken.
Little did I know how my early exposure in life to my father’s process of capturing moments of our growing family would impact the way i would show up in the world later in my life.
Many years later, as a young adult, I have come to appreciate the power of photographs that my father once took of the family.
my parents relocated the family to alabama in 1995, where we settled in Tuscaloosa in the middle of my early childhood. we started a new life there until an unfortunate twist of events happened.
In 2011, a Category F4 Tornado ripped through my hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It destroyed the city, taking many lives, and erased pieces of history for many people.
Fortunately my family survived the storm but we did lose all of our old print albums which were the only archives of our family history that we had left to remember as a result of the tornado that completely demolished our home.
I had been away during that time, doing business in California but the reason why I share this, is to remind people of the value that these photographs have for me.
This is our first family photo together after my mother had finished her last chemo treatment in November of 2021. She is officially cancer free today.
Yes, we may have lost the old photos of our family and when we were in Vietnam, but I am grateful that today I can create new memories with the people that I love and spend time with.
The images are our connection to our past, which connects us to the present and is such a gift to share with our future generation.
My question for you is:
”What’s the value for you to preserve the ability to jump back into the time capsule to relive some of the best moments surrounding the life of you and your loved ones?”
THE VALUE OF THE MOMENT CAPTURED IN A PHOTOGRAPH IS PRICELESS.
BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCES IN LIFE, I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF AND TO THOSE I SERVE AS THE RECORD KEEPER OF MEMORIES THROUGH MY LIFE’S WORK AS A PHOTOGRAPHER - TO TREAT EVERY MOMENT WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT BECAUSE EACH MOMENT IS SO PRECIOUS AND THESE MEMORIES ARE VERY SACRED.
IT’S ONE THING TO SEE YOUR PHOTOS ON YOUR SMART PHONES AND YOUR COMPUTER SCREENS BUT THE REAL MAGIC HAPPENS WHEN YOU CAN PRINT THEM OUT SO THAT IT BECOMES TANGIBLE.
WHEN YOU FEEL THE PHOTO PRINTS & ALBUMS IN YOUR HANDS - YOU REMEMBER HOW IT MADE YOU FEEL TO HAVE LIVED AND TO HAVE LOVED SO DEEPLY, TO KNOW THAT YOU WERE HAPPY WITH THE PEOPLE YOU WERE WITH.
MY JOB IS TO HELP YOU REMEMBER THE BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIVES EVEN WHEN THE DAY COMES WHEN YOUR MEMORY NO LONGER SERVES YOU THE WAY THAT IT ONCE DID IN YOUR YOUTH.
IT’S THE TIME CAPSULE OF TRUTH - THE ONLY TRUTH THAT MATTERS. THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR LIVES.
WE HAVE ONE LIFE, MAY WE REMEMBER THE BEST PARTS OF OURSELVES AND THE PEOPLE WE HAVE LOVED, AND THE PLACES WE HAVE BEEN WITH THE PEOPLE THAT MEANT THE MOST TO US.
MAY WE REMEMBER IT WITH JOY AND HAPPINESS WHENEVER WE LOOK INTO THOSE PICTURE FRAMES AROUND THE WALLS OF OUR HOUSES THAT WE HAVE MADE INTO A HOME BECAUSE OF THE MEMORIES THAT LIVE INSIDE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES.