|
about
It was our wedding day: July 29, 2006. I was standing in the church foyer behind closed double-doors, waiting to walk down the aisle. My heart racing and my breathing shallow, I caught a glimpse of a slideshow of childhood photos. The ceremony had begun.
Louis Armstrong was singing, "It's a Wonderful World" while photos of my sisters and I in sequined tutus (and later, graduation caps) danced across the screen. A flood of memories washed over me: the sights, sounds, scents, and emotions that carried me through my childhood overwhelmed me.
The slideshow paused briefly on a photo of Daniel's father, and my eyes brimmed with tears. Having passed away thirteen years prior, Daniel's dad couldn't be physically present. For that reason, reflecting on a cherished photo of Daniel's father with a proud smile on his face is one of the most significant memories I hold from my wedding day.
The slideshow came to a close and the violin quartet stroked the first few notes of Canon in D. I took a deep breath as the doors opened and I made my way to the altar. The photos had left me with a renewed sense of perspective: the presence that only comes with a grasp of the events that had brought me to this point.
Photos remind me of where I came from and who I am. They enliven me to to the importance of relationships, and encourage me to live a complete life. This is why I am a photographer.