I have long been involved in a battle between the creative photographer and the family historian. Where this is most present is in my culling. As I evaluate how good an image is, I have to also decide if the moment I’ve captured, however untechnical it may be, is good enough to keep. There is a fine line between keeping things for memories, and hoarding pictures as an attachment to the past. Digital space has its own environmental impact so I truly feel the pressure to choose wisely. Most of my images are stored on EHDs, but will they even last to my children’s adulthood? I wonder how they will consume media in the future.
The birth of social media has been both a beautiful outlet for artists to share their work and a gallery of ways in which we must compete for attention. True authenticity and experimental expression are replaced with catchy quotes and music. I don’t blame any of us for doing this, I am probably the most guilty in trying everything I can to capture someone’s attention, but even as I consume the scroll, I am annoyed by the amount of creators giving me advice on what I should be doing.
Anyway, I am off topic here! I As I cull images from our trip to Omaha, I realize that many of my images are not “portfolio worthy”. I remind myself that yes, this is a way to express myself creatively, and also, my ultimate goal is to capture moments we spend together. I keep several and put them together in a series, remembering that I am not responsible for what I produce, anyway. Instead, I am just showing up and allowing myself to be a part of the present moment.
