Why You Should Take More Photos
A few months ago, I met up with a group of folks that I hadn’t seen in a while.
Let’s call one of the folks, Alex.
When I saw Alex, I noticed that he had grown out his beard.
Before, he only had stubble.
‘Dude, you look so different! When’s the last time we saw each other?’
Alex and I began reminiscing.
He suggested a possible moment when we hung out.
‘Was it Gasparilla, Armani?’
‘Nah bro, I haven’t been to Gasparilla since 2019. I definitely saw you after that.’
We were brainstorming more.
Eventually, I had it.
‘I saw you at KP’s wedding!’ I said.
He looked at me confused.
‘I didn’t go to that wedding, Armani.’
I could have sworn he did.
Who was right?
The Answer Is…
I told him that he did go to that wedding,
As a matter of fact, I was sitting right next to him!!
But he was adamant that he didn’t go.
We kept going back and forth for a while.
He had me thinking that I was wrong.
As we were going back and forth, I suddenly realized something.
Mr. Pringles.
‘Alex, you did go to that wedding. That was the event where your brother had the Mr. Pringles mustache!’
Alex’s brother was one of the groomsmen.
In order to stick out, he shaved his beard into a Mr. Pringles mustache to be funny.
When I said that, lightning hit Alex.
‘Oh yea! You are right. I totally forgot.’
I almost forgot too….
Why Our Memory Isn’t Always Reliable
From the 1000s of experiences we have had, only a few are remembered.
Those memories are remembered because they made the most impact on us.
We change from year to year.
So, just because a certain memory was impactful in 2000 doesn’t mean it’ll be impactful in 2014.
I went to Cozumel Mexico a few years ago.
During the trip, I was having a blast.
I ate good food, traveled to hot spots, and met a lot of cool people.
In 2024, as I was trying to recall that trip, I was shooting blanks.
It was like trying to remember a dream.
Despite a moment being fun…
Don’t be surprised if crystal-clear images become hazy as time elapses.
Why You Should Take More Photos
If I had a photo of me and Alex at KP’s wedding, I would have settled the debate immediately.
But I didn’t take a single photo from that night.
The reason that you should take more photos is because it captures memories.
You don’t think “capturing memories” is important when you are doing it.
It feels like busy work.
But “captured memories” are valuable as time passes.
I recently downloaded Snapchat after years of not using it.
When I went through the library, I saw so many photos I took.
Your boy used to be quite prolific.
I saw images from my Hawaii trip, Boston escapades, and Chicago Beantown memories.
It was a blast scrolling through the camera roll.
When I saw those photos after years, I understood how important capturing memories was.
Have you ever heard the phrase:
- ‘Hindsight is 2020’
That phrase means that we think we had the right answer all along after being notified of the right answer.
Anyone can say they knew the answer after they have been presented with the results.
The phrase exists because so many humans fall for the hindsight bias.
I have a remix to the hindsight phrase:
‘Say cheese or regret in hindsight.’
Recording memories means very little when we are actually doing it.
But looking back at recorded memories is when the value is perceived.
How to Take More Photos
If you’re someone who rarely takes photos, then suddenly taking them seems awkward.
You probably have no clue how to take them.
I like to break it down into different phases.
First up, Non-Humans
For layer 1, we are recording our surroundings.
- The mountains, animals, and food that we consumed.
If you’re on Snapchat, there are filters to bring the environment to life.
Practice with different angles.
For layer 1, we are getting in the habit of using the camera.
Second up, Human
For the second layer, we are capturing photos of a human.
That human is us.
Maybe you can ask someone to take a photo of you.
Or you can practice your selfie game.
In this phase, we are melting away our camera shyness.
Who knows… you may get a unique Facebook profile picture out of this!
Third up, Humans
For this section, we are taking photos of humans.
You can be in the photo with the person that you traveled with.
Or you can coordinate a group photo of others:
‘Hey guys, let’s take a quick pic! Say cheese.’
This layer requires a bit more confidence.
It is tough to take a photo in certain environments because the people are unruly.
‘Photos? That’s so lame!’
Let those messages roll off your back.
A lot of the unruly folks are often the first to message you after the event with:
‘Hey bro, can you send me the photo you took during the event?’
Building a Valuable Library
It’s funny how life comes around full circle.
When I was a kid, I thought taking photos was fun and unique.
I grew up at a time when smartphones weren’t a thing.
So, my parents bought me a camera that I used to take photos.
Soon, the smartphone became a thing.
A camera was now built into the phone.
That’s when I wasn’t as keen on taking photos.
I thought smartphones were for searching the web, calling, and texting…
Not taking pictures.
Around the end of 2023, I realized that I couldn’t have been more wrong.
A smartphone is the perfect tool to capture memories.
When we are capturing memories, it doesn’t feel like much.
But when we look back, those memories feel PRICELESS.
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