“The town was paper, but the memories were not.”
― John Green
Yesterday, I read a comment from Mona on the Autumn shots that I had captured and what she said really touched me, because it summed up Photography perfectly.
“I lived vicariously through your images for a few minutes this morning. I grew up in an area with four distinct seasons; autumn was my favorite, and I miss it, living in an area that has two seasons: summer and almost summer. Thank you for these beautiful images; I could practically hear the crunch of leaves under my feet, feel the crisp air against my cheeks, and see the leaves shimmer in the sunlight.”
It’s not about making money, winning competitions or having the best and most expensive camera equipment. Nor is it about age, gender, religion, skin colour or sexual orientation – or any number of other factors. Photography does not discriminate.
It’s about capturing the sunset from the highest mountain in the country because you can climb. It’s about taking a shot of an Autumn scene for those who live only through Summer months. It’s about showing the other side, provoking memories, bringing back childhoods, adulthoods and all sorts of other past lives and eras. It’s about preserving life, moments and things just because we can.
When I look at an Autumn shot last year I can smell woodsmoke and feel the chill. When I see the bluebell forests that I captured earlier on in the Summer I remember the earthy forest scent and the vibrant colours. Every single photo I have taken prompts a memory.
Because of Photography, I have spent every day this year showing you something I have seen through my own eyes. It’s incredible when you think about it, the powers we have to capture. And like I said, it’s not about what kind of camera we have, or how good we are at framing or taking a shot. Ultimately it’s about what you’ve caught, the moment, and what you can do with it afterwards.
Kathryn Dawson Photography 