Live each day happily but do not forget to record the moments
As I looked through my old albums, I am glad for one hobby that my family has. It is photograph taking. Though we were not rich, we would always take pictures. I remembered my dad carried this old camera box and occasionally take random shots. On weekends, my parents, two older brothers and I would go out to any part of Singapore and my dad would take pictures.
My brothers seemed to inherit this interest in photography. Later, they would even develop the photos in their own makeshift dark room. The black and white pictures were pristine for amateurs. I became one of my brother’s ‘model’ as we went out on weekends to places and he would take more photos.
Looking back, the photos evoke a lot of memories — Our family activities, the good times, the old places of Singapore that are now transformed, the fact that we were once so youthful and now getting on in age but still enthusiastic about life.
All these hobbies became very important in their future careers. Both brothers became designers of sorts. One started his own business and had to take good pictures of his products. The other sibling took good pictures for his company’s portfolio. They had no formal training but constant dabbling in this hobby brings out some sense and proportion in the art of taking shots.
Today, as I travel, I would never fail to take random shots and am very happy to use some of these shots for my articles in medium. You can even submit what you feel is a good picture to a photo competition websites, hopefully to win a TOP prize.
Our memories have dimmed but photos bring them to life. I remembered my mother in her last days while in her hospital bed. Nothing could make her smile until I took out the album about the few cruise trips we had together. She remembered the cruises, the buffet spread, the sundeck at the upper floor, the shows we had watched in the cruise theatre.
Suddenly, she smiled and said, ‘This ship is so big!’ and pointed at the high ceiling and the surroundings of her ward. We knew that she was delirious but those were happy moments for her. That was all that mattered.
The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.” — -Andy Warhol
People change but photos are for posterity. The significant images of the past and present are forever kept in our archives.
Pictures capture the glory of my beloved home that is Singapore. From a fishing village slightly over 100 years ago to the modern city it is today with state of the art architecture, great food and culture. It is what makes Singapore a top destination in the world. Thanks to avid photographers, the many beautiful perspectives of this island country is forever recorded and appreciated all over the world.
Photographs are proof of what we had done together as a family. Looking back, I only wished we had been more discriminate in the taking of pictures as there have been many retakes, one looked better than the other. Hence It would take a long time to discard superfluous shots and I have still have a truckload so to speak. But we continue to tote our phone cameras with us.
My spouse used to emphasise that if the kids ever complained that they had a dull childhood, he would toss all these albums at them! Evidence of great family time!
Photographs are a record of our activities, progress and achievements in our lives. I have always said that in a fire, I would rescue the photo albums where possessions are concerned. They are the treasures of time and our lives.
Time has flown and will continue into eternity. But whenever I wanted to freeze time, I would revisit my albums.
Live, write, capture the moment- that is what makes life so meaningful as we evolve through the ages.
Photography shows the beauty of our world, the intellect of humans as they make life ever more progressive and leave a legacy for many generations to come.
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