Moving Pictures

Sometimes life as a parent can seem mundane and repetitive. The days all seem so similar after a while that they start to blur. But then when I go back and look at pictures from a month or so ago, I realize how quickly my kids are growing up. The look of their faces. The change of the length of their sleeves on their arms. The way that they move and jump around. These things change so gradually it’s hard to notice them in the moment.

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I’ve always loved photography, and over time I think I’ve gotten better at it. It’s sometimes frustrating to look back at photos I’ve taken in the past and think, “Oh man! If only I knew then what I know now about photography!” I guess that’s the way it is about a lot of things in life, and I’m sure it will continue to be that way for me in the future, too.

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The first time I realized I had an eye for photography was at Space Camp in fifth grade. While most people were trying to take posed group photos, I was off by myself trying to find unique angles and perspectives of the various spacecraft.

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Taking photos of my kids is a joy. I love it. To capture their smiles and their personalities is a challenge and an art. The pictures, with their momentary ability to allow you to travel back in time, are priceless. They freeze moments in time. Moments that we partially get to relive each time we see the photos. It’s one of the many reasons I love photography.

Videography is something I’ve always appreciated. But I just haven’t had the same eye and ability in it. It’s not as intuitive for and natural for me. Plus, I don’t really have the right cameras for good video. But the last couple weeks I’ve watched films by people like Terrance Malick with cinematographers like Emmanuel Lubezki and I’ve been incredibly inspired to simply try and capture the beauty that surrounds me with photography and video.

I don’t have much skill right now. Just a willing desire to learn and grow. It’s how I learned how to take photos and use DSLR cameras. My hope is that I learn something through the process. My first videos may be poor, choppy, and out of focus (I don’t have the ability to autofocus while shooting video, so everything I do is in manual focus.) I expect to get better with each video I make.

So here it goes!

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Thanks to Fire Chief Charlie for allowing me to use their song in my video of my kids.