It’s officially autumn!
The leaves are turning a fiery orange as the youthful green slowly slips away. The skies are starting to clear, and the weather will never feel as good. It seems as though Mother Nature is taking a step back. Those exciting summer nights slowly transform into the chilly nights, better spent in the warmth of the people I love. This is the perfect time to slow down and reflect.
The true beauty of photography is that the world is ever turning. The world will never be in the same arrangement, same configuration to take a picture as the one in this instant.
I love photography because it makes me slow down and appreciate the moment I am in.
As the world does, I feel like my to-do list is always evolving. Like every college student, I am in perpetual motion, switching my attention from one task to the next. It’s a continuous cycle of getting things done and discovering new things that need to be done. If classes are not an issue, then there is always work I can be doing as a Resident Mentor. It is easy to get caught up and lose the present.
Behind the lens, things are simplified.
Through a 4x3 viewfinder, my perspective of the world becomes limited to what is in the frame; it selects my focus. The whole act of photography makes me conscious of the beauty that surrounds us. It also works to making me more conscious of my emotions. I see that the more emotions I can identify and capture within a frame, the more I will be able to notice it and attract into my own life.
Yes, photography is therapeutic.
When I hear the click of the shutter, I know that I have captured another memory, another moment, another snapshot of time. To me, a photo serves as a bookmark in the story of life.
That’s what is so captivating about it! With a rush of nostalgia, a photograph allows you to look back and relive that moment in time whenever you want. A picture tells more than a thousand words. It can make you express endless emotions and relive fading memories with vibrance.
That’s why I take photos. To capture joy, to capture memories, and to try and tell a story while reminiscing on the times that matter most to us. That is why the value of a photograph increases with time.
Photography serves as my creative outlet. When I shoot, I take pictures with the goal of somehow telling a story of the event. I try to focus on singular moments. It reminds me of how beautiful and unique every moment is. That the one true control we have in our life is our perspective.
I feel conscious.
I feel alive.
There is nothing more beautiful than sharing these moments with others. Capturing the beauty and love between two people brings a level of satisfaction I can only find behind the camera.
Instagram: @naimik_patel