I love photography because . . .
Photography is a love affair with life.
-Burk Uzzle
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I got into photography because life is short and beautiful moments are worth remembering.
I've always been an old soul.
Even from a young age, I could feel the brevity of life in the way that the sun rises and sets with the day passing quickly before your eyes, and people come and go, with the ones you love never seeming like they had enough time.
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Photography became my solace.
My assurance that beautiful moments are still beautiful after they've passed.
And people are still important when they're no longer present.
And there's something lovely about pulling out old, yellowed photographs - reading the scribbled date, places and names on the back - and noting that our lives have been well lived.
Filled to the brim with moments and places and names and faces worth remembering and loving and doing our best to capture.
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I photograph for feelings.
To transport me back to the way the lake at the cottage, or golden hour on my balcony, Thanksgiving with my family, the beach with friends makes me feel.
Full.
Alive.
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I photograph for the future.
A shoebox filled with prints and stories to share with nieces and nephews and friends and hopefully children, of when their parents and I were young and learning. Our exploits and calamities. The times we triumphed and the times we tried our best but only won scraps of wisdom and scraped hearts.
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I photograph because I am dead center in the middle of a life that is so worth living.
Every painful/perfect, glorious moment of it.
Photograph by my insanely talented sister - Allysin. Find her on Instagram here.
What is your favourite photograph? Tell me about it!
I Feel Happiest When . . .
I feel happiest when I live in the moment and let go of worry.
Sometimes this comes in the form of taking a moment to see and enjoy the way the golden evening light streams through my windows.
Sometimes it's staring into the sky and feeling its vastness.
Other times it's fully giving myself over to rib aching, teary eyed laughter, when hanging out with my funniest friends. Feeling nothing but joy as the jokes flow easily between us.
Or connecting with someone new and those first moments of becoming friends.
Or the feeling of spontaneous adventures with people I like. For example - the other day was quiet at work and we spontaneously went for donuts and coffee. I remember sitting in the backseat of my friend's Jeep, windows down, radio blasting, sunshine coating everything in golden light. And as the wind tangled through my hair, everything slowed and the word 'infinite' ran through my head as I thought, 'this is it.' These are the moments we live for. The ones that matter and make life worth living.
This is life.
And my heart was full enough it could burst.
I feel happiest when I let go.
Photo credit: Allysin Van Ysseldyk
When are you your happiest? Leave a comment and let me know.