The Value of a Portrait

A cute and sassy photographer from whom I have received photography education has a saying, "You never know the value of a portrait until its all you have left."  Michele Celentano   That speaks to my heart every time I read it or think of it. 

This morning I was reading a post from some other professional photographers about the value of printed photographs - whether personal snapshots or professionally printed photographs. One photographer commented, "With digital photos I have lost hundreds, if not thousands, of shots due to failed hard drives, computers and technology changes. As for the snapshots, in 2015 we had a fire start in our dining room caused by a charging computer battery that went up in flames. ...The photos in the house were badly smoked but, because they were in albums and boxes they were salvageable. We are still in the process of cleaning them. Going thru them has brought back many memories." 

And that is the point that resonated with me, going back through the printed photos brought back many memories.  That's the purpose of taking photos isn't it - to preserve a memory?  A specific point in time that you will never get back again but with a photograph, you can return to it again and again.  Sometimes the photos bring back memories that we didn't realize we had.  They can bring joy and comfort.  

The beloved wife of 36 years of a dear friend of ours passed away rather suddenly at this time last year.  He recently told us that he has been going through tons of photos of his late wife that she had in boxes that he now has scattered on his dining room table as he is working through organizing them as he continues to work through his grief.  And his wife, within the year prior to her passing, had some professional portraits made.  She is stunning in them and he had one printed and framed for the memorial service and it now hangs in his home.  I too cherish the printed photos of my parents who have been gone many years now, as well as other friends and relatives no longer with us.  And in my daughter's case, she likes to fondly remember her German short-haired Viper.

Again - you never know the value of a portrait until it's all you have left.  Thank you Michele for that reminder!