I want to introduce you to someone really special to my family. This photo is of my Great Grandpa Leaders taken in 1985. This photo tells a story and leaves a legacy of who my great grandpa was. I never met him as he passed away before I was born. But this wonderful photograph helps me know him. It gives me an idea of who he was and why he was so special. I want to capture every photo like this one is captured. Here is how:
1. Take photos doing what you love.
I honestly cannot stress this enough. Take photos doing something you love!
When I think about my great grandpa, I don’t think of the photo of him standing in front of a background smiling in new clothes that he probably thought were too uncomfortable, but looked good for the church directory. I think of this wonderful photograph.
It shows me that he loved gardening, being outside, and was probably a mover and a shaker. Seeing him doing what he loves helps me know this captures his authentic smile, and that he always had a twinkle in his eye. I bet he was a jokester and laughed a lot. When I asked my mom if that described him, she said, “You are right on.”
This is why I encourage you with my entire being to take photos doing what you love. Seriously, hire a photographer to watch you go tubing down the river with your fiance, playing monopoly with your family, or eating at Runza (Nebraska, baby). I promise, you will love those photos more than anything in the world. It shows a story. Shows who you are. It lets others into your heart.
2. Take photos in a place that matters to you.
This picture of great grandpa is in front of his house.
I remember seeing the cobblestone brick house when we would visit my great grandma and all the cookies she would feed me. Great grandpa was known for his amazing flower garden and yard. What better place to take a photo than at his home property where he worked, lived, and loved.
Guys, I love the mountains. I love the desserts. The beaches rock. But I also love your backyard, living room, corn field, house you grew up in. I know you do too. Don’t get me wrong, taking photos of you on your first ever vacation is amazing and it is also so meaningful. But don’t feel like your most precious locations can’t work because its not “trendy”.
Take photos somewhere meaningful for you.
3. Take photos often.
I have to beg a little for this one: Please take photos often!
Some of you are total photo haters, and that’s ok.
But I cannot express enough the importance of photos. If my great grandpa would have waited for his church directory photo, I would have never had this meaningful photo that welcomes me into his life legacy.
We don’t know how much time we have on earth. What we do know is that we can capture the present and reminisce on those memories, instead of wishing we had more of those memories captured in the past.
This is an emotional blog for me. My whole heart cannot express these three points enough, and what I strive for as a photographer. Forget trendiness, capture meaningful. I want every single one of you to have a photo (or many photos) that you treasure like I treasure this wonderful photograph.