Photographs - The "Guards" at the Gates of our Memories

One of the best ways to make yourself happy in the present is to recall happy times from the past.
Photos are a great memory-prompt, and because we tend to take photos of happy occasions,
they weight our memories to the good.
Gretchen Rubin

by Skip Cohen

​While I usually step away from much to do with imaging on Sunday mornings, today is different. Our house is a gallery of great photographs from friends and associates over the years. Each print has a story, and with each story comes a never-ending flow of memories.

Whether you're a seasoned photographer or relatively new to the industry, the power of photographs is so often taken for granted. The collage above is a perfect example. I typed "memories" into the search box of Adobe Stock. Thirteen of the first fifteen images that popped up were photographs...and the two that were not are "Memories" and "Everyone Has a Story."

When I was a kid, my Dad put up a 4'x8' sheet of bulletin board material in my room. It was covered in photographs. Most of them I printed myself in the darkroom at school. Unfortunately, they were always turning yellow because I rarely followed the correct time in the printing process of fixing and washing. Why? Because I wanted the tangible memory on my wall as quickly as possible.

I never outgrew the power of photographs. My appreciation for memories is in every corner of my home office. I don't dwell on the memories; I just appreciate the scenery. It's like going out for a Sunday drive in the country - there's an endless stream of things to look at.

I just grabbed the shot at the right with my phone. It's a corner of my office. It's all about great memories, but more important are the experiences and friendships each photograph represents. Those photographs are thanks to Bambi Cantrell, Vanelli, Bob Coates, and Elena Hernandez. In my office, between the photographs, books, and memorabilia, there must be thirty-plus photographers and hundreds of stories.

Here's my point this morning...Our photographs are the guards at the palace gate of our memories. They keep us in touch with the past and pave the way for the future. Photography is about those special milestones that need the push of a shutter button to capture. So, the next time you feel down because something isn't going as expected in your business, step away for a stretch and think about the magic you provide to every client. Nobody turns the intangible into the tangible better than you!

Wishing everybody a day that requires a few clicks of the shutter - it doesn't matter if it's on your phone or with a DSLR - today's photographs and videos are the foundation for tomorrow's memories. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about with those people most special in your life - while you're there, grab a shot to update your memory-making album.

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world!

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