the importance of portraits

An acquaintance of mine told me a story recently. Her mother passed away a few years ago, and the only portraits she had of her were a few precious snapshots… but nothing professional.

That’s not to say that those snapshots aren’t full of impact, or that they’re somehow worthless. My friend wasn’t lamenting the quality of the images she had, but something more universal: lost time with a loved one, a sense that something important had slipped by. Setting aside time for image-making and portrait-taking isn’t self-indulgent or hyper nostalgic; it honors the significant people in your life.

The lesson here, I feel, is a pragmatic one. Regardless of whether or not you have professional portraits taken, promise me you’ll do this one thing:

Make time to create portraits of the important people in your life.

This includes you! If you’re the one behind the camera all the time, make sure someone snaps a photo of you every now and then.

Yeah yeah yeah, it's my avatar, but my brother helped me take it!

If you have parents who may be a little camera shy, don’t hesitate to push a camera in their face and say, “I love you so much I can’t live without a way to remember your likeness and personality.”

My parents, being themselves, in their element--the great outdoors.

If you have friends who are more like family, a brother who would cut off a limb if it would save you, hand the camera over to someone and have your photo taken with them.

Wacky faces, fun times.

I wrote earlier that photographs are like icons; they come to represent the essence of the people you love. No one wants to say goodbye to their beloved friends and kin, but when they do leave this earth (as is our destiny), it’s a blessing to have ways to honor and remember them through meaningful images.

A snapshot is all it takes.