Outdoor Photos
We strive to take many photos of our loved ones, our family life, our day-to-day life. Taking photos of our family, friends, pets, special occasions and events, at these times we usually remember to pick up a camera and snap some photos to remember the moment. But how often do you take photos outdoors of your surroundings?
As time goes on, some of the details of a memory may fade and photos help to provoke a memory, a feeling, a sense of what was felt, seen or heard at that moment the camera clicked. One of the first details that may fade is the memory of your surroundings, the environment, the background of where your photo took place. That’s why I take a lot of outdoor photos of my surroundings. I find that looking back at the outdoor photos I’ve taken help me to remember more details, such as the weather, the time of day, how I felt at that time, little details my eye caught of my surroundings that provoked a thought, a feeling. These photos may not be the most interesting or best composed images captured at that time and that is okay. They may not have any significance to anyone but you but they may play a large role in preserving your memories of that moment.
These photos were not taken with the intent of capturing an award winning photo, they were taken to remind me of that day, what I saw, what I felt. They were taken quickly and included scenery that would help me remember that day. Had I not taken the topmost photo, I might not have remembered the early morning coolness and quiet of that walk along Pitt Lake. In the bottom left photo, I wanted to capture the expanse of mountain in the background. BC is known for its mountains and snowy peaks. My friend stood gazing out at the mountains and I knew that shot would remind me of the majestic mountains, the natural beauty of our province. We both enjoyed the serenity of the quiet lake with the mountains looming behind. The bottom right photo was taken in Alaska and it brings to my memory my thoughts of life in this small coastal town, the hardships of winter they endure and how different it is from my life, living on the western coast, in BC, with a much milder climate, a very busy, large metroprolis that is always noisy and fast paced. Had I not taken these outdoor photos, I might not remember the little details, the thoughts and feelings of the moment.
The top photo brings back to me the peaceful stroll along this cobbled walkway through the park. The cherry blossoms are spectacular and always remind me of spring, provoke a sense of well-being, peace. I get kind of a zen feeling when amidst the cherry blossoms and this photo brings all that to mind. The bottom photo was taken at Granville Island. Looking at this photo brings my senses to life. I smell the salty spray of water in the air, the soft breeze and the sound of the gulls as they fly around us, hoping for a scrap of food.
Each of these photos tell a story, enriches my memories of those days, bringing to mind some details aside from who I was with and what we did, or what we ate. The composition was not well thought out, I didn’t spend time checking the light to see what the best lit spot was, any distractions were overlooked, I just wanted to capture what I saw, felt and heard at that moment.
So the next time you are taking photos, take a few photos of the outdoors too, they may help you to remember more of that moment than just taking photos of the main focus, the main subject of the photos that day.
