A Picture is Worth...

I'll never forget the many years I went without being able to take pictures of my mom. She used to hate the way she looked in them and would always turn away. As I grew into a photographer...it became more and more important to me to capture her.

One day I remember telling her, "Mommy, when I grow up and my children have children, I don't want them to only have a few old photos of their great grandmother when she was in her 20's. I want them to see your life. I want them to know you if you're not here to tell them." Even though it came out of my mouth, it was also the time I truly realized how important photography was. 

Since that day I have focused on so many attributes of my mother than I want all later generations to see. I make sure I have photos of here while she's changing the oil in the car before a road trip (because she was always an awesome provider), and her praying over someone in Malawi (because she's always been extremely loving), and all the way to moments of us just talking in the the bed with our bonnets on. Photographs are so much more than just pictures. They complete your stories, they help your life make sense, they bring back your memories, and they connect time periods together. 

-Shay

For me, I've always thought about the small things when it comes to photographs. I like to get the photos of someone brushing their teeth, doing their hair or sleeping. Those are the things people barely see and I've always loved those moments. I take pictures of Shay doing the most normal things all the time. 

Recently I have thought about the importance of a photograph in even more ways. As missing people are on the rise in so many places, I started to think, "Man what if some of these people are people who refuse to take pictures? How much harder would it be to find them without a photo that really identifies them?" 

So many of us think about photos for memories, but they can be so helpful, too and can play a major part in safety. Though many people don't like how much we are using technology, I'm happy to know that I can take a photo of any environment I'm in and send it along for people to know where I am and that many photos can always help someone identify exactly who I am. The power of a photography...so much more than you may think...

-Dru