by Johanna Draper

Created on: February 25, 2009

I'm taking a walk through our beautiful 20 acre farm. As I walk, the sun begins to go down. It's gorgeous! It's a moment in time that will never be repeated in the exact same way. It's a one-of-a-kind sunset, with beautiful flaming colors in orange, yellow, pink, and purple. I raise my camera and take an exposure. I know that later on in life, I will look at this picture and remember how gorgeous that sunset was.

I take a walk through the woods on our hiking trail. I wear camouflage, and walk stealthily. I keep my camera pressed to my face and my finger over the shutter release button. A squirrel gets curious, and peeks out at me. I snap the picture before he has the chance to run away. I know I will laugh when I look at this picture at a later date. That squirrel was so cute!

I am with my extended family. We eat together, we laugh together, we play games together. I only see them once every one or two years. I take pictures of each one of them, so I will have something to remember them by always.

My little brother puts soap suds all over his face, pretending they are his whiskers. He pretends to shave, sitting on top of the sink, and looking intently at himself in the mirror. I must take a picture of this, he is so cute and serious!

I'm working on some crafts, sitting at my craft table, and I see my nephew look at me and smile a big adorable smile. I smile back and reach for my camera. He knows full well what that black box is all about! He's an excellent poser, and the camera only makes him smile bigger. I think about the years to come and the enjoyment I will get when I look at these pictures, taken so long ago. I will wonder what happened and how time passed so quickly.

When I take portraits in my studio, I strive to capture the personality of each individual. Each person is special and unique. Each is a memory that will be treasured forever.

Time speeds by, but these memories I will always carry with me. Sometimes these pictures go into my professional portfolio, other times, they go into our family photo album. Either way, they will always be there for me to look back on, to see how much everyone has changed, how much everyone has grown, and to laugh at the style of clothes we wore, and what we thought looked cool.

These are all memories, moments that have been captured in time. Memories that will be passed down to my grandchildren for generations to come. Each one is a special reflection on how we lived our lives, what we saw and experienced, what we felt and tasted.

And that, my friends, is why I love photography!

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