What are your earliest childhood memories? Close your eyes, travel to the farthest reaches of your memory, look around and tell me–what specific images do you see?
Personally, I don’t remember much from my early childhood. Trying to recall anything from when I was a 2- or 3-year-old, feels like trying to make out shapes in the clouds.
However, there is one clear memory of trips to my neighborhood park, where I remember climbing life-size bronze sculptures with funny hats and faces.
Is it really possible for a child to remember details of a sculpture she’s seen as a 2- or 3-year-old? Are these REAL memories? Or are they a figment of my imagination? Scientists believe it’s a little bit of both. They think what people remember from early childhood is more likely based on fragments of information or knowledge derived from family photographs and stories!
Photographs have the power to keep memories alive.
Once I asked my 10-year-old what she remembered about the birth of her little sister, who’s almost 5 years younger. She recounted her memory of visiting us in the hospital, where she set in a large armchair holding her newborn sister in her lap while sitting with her legs crisscross-apple-sauced.
Surely she remembers these precious moments because they made an extremely strong impression on her, but I’m also convinced photos from that day help her keep these memories fresh in her mind.
In the age of informational overload, it’s more important than ever to prioritize our interactions with people who really matter to us–and to create a document of the moments time could otherwise blur away.
Photographs help us preserve our most sacred experiences with our children.
This thought is what inspires me to take photos of my daughters, our surroundings, our friends and our family daily. I take photos of once-in-a-life moments as well as the mundane. I feel so lucky to be their mother, and want to capture as many precious memories as I can for myself–but more importantly, for them.
So, please, document your baby’s growth as often as you can. And if you want to be present in those photos with your little one, if you want your special bond and connection photographed artistically, then please, get in touch with me. It would be my honor to capture your authentic, meaningful memories, so that you always remember how much you love and are loved.