Memories: Why We Take Photos

Have you ever stopped to ask what a photo actually is? Why do we take photos at all?

For me the answer is simple: to remember.

A photo is a container for memories

A photo holds a memory. When you look at an old photo, something wakes up. You’re pulled straight back into that moment. You see what was happening around you, who was there, what you were talking about. Sometimes you even remember how it felt in your body: the warmth of the room, the tiredness after a long day, the breeze coming off the water.

That’s the real power of a photo. It isn’t only about how something looked. It’s about bringing back how it felt.

A series called Memories

This set of portraits is one of my favourites, because it carries that feeling so strongly.

It wasn’t taken at a famous tourist spot. It wasn’t taken somewhere especially beautiful: a simple room with green walls, a bed with white sheets, a window, and later a quiet shore at sunset. The girl in the photos isn’t a model. She’s an ordinary girl.

And yet none of that matters. She simply lets her feelings show, and that is enough.

A small smile while flicking through a menu. A long look out of the window, thinking about something only she knows. A tired, relaxed moment lying on the sheets at the end of the day.

Whoever looks at these photos can feel the weight of the memories they hold, even without knowing her or the story behind that day. That’s exactly what I wanted to express, so I named the series Memories.

What makes a photo worth keeping

I think many people plan a photoshoot around the most famous places, and that’s fine. Landmarks are part of a trip. But the photos you’ll come back to again and again, years later, are usually not the most perfect ones. They’re the ones that bring back a feeling:

• Quiet moments count. The hotel room at the end of the day, the walk back to the car, the last light by the sea.
• Emotion beats scenery. A real smile, a thoughtful look, a tired laugh. These are what make a photo feel alive.
• You don’t need to be a model. Ordinary people, being themselves, make the most honest photos. (I wrote more about this in how to pose for photos when you feel awkward.)

When I photograph someone, this is what I’m really looking for. Not just a nice picture of a place, but a photo that will still take you back to that day, ten years from now.

Book a photoshoot in Singapore

• S$200 for 2 hours, at the landmarks, the quiet places, or both
• No posing experience needed
• 50% deposit to book, balance paid after the shoot, and photos sent to you on the spot

See how a Singapore photoshoot works, or send me a message and let’s make some memories worth keeping.