The Doing

"But the biggest mistake I made is one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."

-Anna Quindlen

I often find myself pushing onto the next thing. Dinner, bath, book, bed. Or now that my kids are a little older-- homework, dinner, shower, bed. Seems like it's my job to keep things running at an even pace, to make sure things get done. There's a rhythm to this sort of living and all too often, we lock into it and POOF. Another day, week, month, gone. The truth is that mindful living takes some practice. Photography helps. But only if our minds are in the right place. It's easy to fire off a hundred shots and think: Done. Moment sufficiently captured. The key is to shoot thoughtfully, mindfully. To know when to pick the camera up and when to put it down. To drink in the whole scene while you're shooting, not just the visuals.

I'm not going to lie, friends. I'm guilty of mindless shooting. But I'm working on it, I am always working in it. When I shoot mindfully, the images I come away with feel like so much more than just images. I look at this photograph of my son Ezra and I remember everything about that day, that night. I remember how we laid on the trampoline, looked up at the sky and talked about the moon. I remember the way the evergreen trees looked, how the air smelled sweet like pine needles. I remember how our hair stood up on end from the trampoline's static electricity, I remember the way he laughed. I remember how the light changed from gold to blue, how he grabbed my hand as we walked back inside. I remember the mexican we had for dinner that night, the smudge of salsa on his cheek. I look at this photograph and I remember everything.

Which photograph of yours captures a moment just the way it was? And when you look at it, how much do you remember? Please, do share an image and a few words with us today. 

Comments

[Valerie]

I don't think I could pick just one photo. But here are two photo shoots that felt slow and sweet and leisurely to me. I was focused and grateful, absorbing rather than just clicking away. (Unfortunately, I've done lots of the latter.)
http://journeyleaf.typepad.com/journeyleaf/2012/04/osh-kosh-bgosh.html

[Jill]

A surprise 70th birthday for my Dad, with all 5 of his daughters and our children. The cousins played football on the lawn, and I was 'sneaking' around to capture them with my telephoto zoom. The sun began to drop and golden hour began.

This is my sunshine boy - http://www.flickr.com/photos/humbirdhum/6966724290/in/photostream

[Lindsey]

I love that Anna Quindlen passage; it makes me cry every time I read it. I feel the same way. xox

[Mama J]

A beautiful post and photo.... and a beautiful reminder.

[Jess]

Love this post Andrea! So true, and so easy to rush through (or not even bother to pick up the camera for days at a time).

Here is one that is wedged deeply in my heart: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/6349520728/ I remember the warmth of the light (oh! that light!), and the unending beautiful autumn. My son was focused completely on that toy tractor and pumpkin as if there was nothing else in the world, and the too-short sleeves remind me of how acutely aware I was that the little boy he had been was going going gone. I can still feel the guilt for not taking snapshots of my kids in their Halloween costumes, that I would do it tomorrow, and I never did. I remember that I *should have* been making dinner instead of lying on my tummy with sunshine streaming into my lens, but that I did NOT feel guilty about that. I can still hear the crunch of the brown grass behind me as our kittens attacked each other. I wanted time to stand still.

[Martha Hughes]

It was a family summer vacation. We went to visit my father who lives in Eastern Washington. He has a speed boat and took us out for a ride. It was hot - almost in the 100's. My father and I were trying to beat the heat by staying under the shelter of the boat canopy. The others (my husband, his sister, her husband and the nephews) were out playing along the banks of the Columbia River. My father and I have a very easy relationship were having one of our many conversations, making observations about the nephews playing in the river with my husband, and I was busy snapping photographs of everyone. During a lull in the conversation, I looked over towards my father, who was lost in thought and that's when I took this photograph. It's one of my favorite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancingmonkeyjewelry/3867900151/in/set-72157622054435883

[Deb]

Lovely post. This was taken as I was just having a break from my knitting, to make a cup of tea http://www.flickr.com/photos/muddybarefeet/6963119356/in/photostream :-)

[rakusribut]

What a well timed message, andrea! only yesterday night i decided to stop the mindless shooting and be more deliberate...
so this time i didn't go out and shoot something memorable, but browsed through the tons of shots i already have on my mac lol!
I found two similar images that capture completely different experiences. i will always remember everything about both of them.....
The first one is not a happy memory: it was our first family gathering after my mom died, just the four of us dining together in a nice candlelit restaurant. i remember how excited i was about it and how bad i felt when everything went wrong. we got into a big fight and i almost left, but decided to stay and sit it out. i remember how we ate in silence and tried not to look at each other. it seemed to last forever..... ...we later realized that we had all still been too raw, that it had been too soon...
i took a couple of shots of the table setting and thought: nobody will know the sad story behind this sparkling shiny image..
.
http://kiekjevandedag.blogspot.com/2012/03/familiediner.html

The second one contains a happy memory of our easter celebration. we were supposed to go to my sweetheart's sister and her kids for a brunch, taking along our home made grape cake and cheese scones, but had to cancel at the last minute due to my arthritis, i just couldn't walk anymore, let alone drive a car. when i called them to cancel they just took al their food, jumped into their cars and drove over to our place. it was wonderful and we felt so loved and cherished! i remember the table laden with food, the kids clowning around, everybody laughing and shouting and having a good time.

http://kiekjevandedag.blogspot.com/2012/04/vrolijk-pasen.html

i think i need to be mindful about both happy and sad events in my life, and i want to keep on capturing the whole spectrum.

[Helene]

Of all the buttons, dials, calculations, lens info there is to learn about photography, being in the moment has got to be the hardest to master. I am so guilty of clicking away. Being in the moment...one of the major things I need to remember and master. Wonderful post!

[Katie]

The first photo of mine that came to mind while reading this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamamayi/6760654853/in/set-72157629027106373

I hope to never forget the details of that afternoon. The photo is a visual but I recall every sense of that moment with sheer fondness and gratitude.

[Gabriela]

Girls playing this day at the beach, it was cold, but comfortable and they were laughing away:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gamaraca/6502577201/in/photostream

[AmyG]

My husband's grandmother was put on hospice after falling ill with pneumonia on Christmas. We went over to visit when she came home and it was such a wonderful day. She had been battling Alzheimers for many years, but on this day she knew all of us. It was like we got one wonderful day with our old grandmother back before she passed. I remember sitting on the couch and the whole family talking and sharing stories and laughing and just really focused on being present in that time. I remember the way the sun was shining through the back windows on this chair and thinking how wonderful it is to be a part of such a special moment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amygillard/6969311180/

[Sarah Jane]

So true. It's difficult sometimes balancing being in the moment and taking the time to capture it. Feels like something I've been thinking about often lately. Your photo is beautiful, love that light.