“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” ~Ansel Adams
Just before BlogHer I purchased an Epiphanie camera bag to house my SLR. It had been living a dusty, change-filled life at the bottom of my handbag du jour. And when I wasn’t acting like money grows on trees and I could buy myself another one if I happened to ruin my (very) expensive camera; I kept it in a little sleeve thing. I’m not sure of the exact name except that the sales guy at B&H once told me that it’s the equivalent of keeping my camera in a sock. Very helpful.
I had been at the Mom 2.0 summit where people like Karen Walrond (seen here) were carrying one of these most lovely bags around and I kept following her like a puppy begging to touch it and then she’d shoot daggers out of her eyes every time I breathed on the thing. And then it was BlogHer where the only thing I ever really needed with me at all times was my camera and two lenses. So! What the hell? I had an Epiphanie.
Have you all seen these bags? That photo above is of my friend Isabel with the red Lola. Doesn’t that bag make her shine? Look. I’m hard to please. I have very specific criteria on my needs and wants and I research the crap out of everything because I look for function along with style. I have to own accessories that will compliment the rest of the outfit and give me that last bit of oomph. These bags do that in more. Actually it’s gotten to the point where I often carry my Epiphanie around with me sans camera. Or if I do have my camera people are all, “Great bag! Where’d you get it?” and then I’m all wait until you see what’s inside! And then my 300 mm lense jumps out and yells SURPRISE! Like that.
I ended up meeting creator Maile Wilson during BlogHer when she saw me with my Lola in black and asked if she could take a photo of me with it. Then I wanted to hug her and tell her how much I adore her and she’s so gracious and smart and pretty and shiny. Actually that conversation happened later after several glasses of champagne when I kept thanking her for my bag and begged her to do a giveaway.
She said yes.
And now we’re here.
It’s my birthday. I’m 27 to be exact. And I really enjoy you guys, writing in this space and those of you who have followed me over to Poliogue. I figured that today was a great day to have a giveaway so that one of you lucky people can win an Epiphanie bag of your own. Even better, just yesterday Maile & Co. completed the new site and previewed her newest creations. Oh! You guys! I’m debating between Clover (named after the too adorable for words daughter of the lovely Rachel Devine) and Paris which, CUTE! It’s my birthday and Christmas will be here soon. We all deserve a little something awesome, don’t you think?
Here’s the deal: In the comments you must respond to this question: Why do you love photography? You get one comment. Comments will close at 8AM EST on Friday, October 29th. The winner will get to go over to the brand! new! Epiphanie site (they’re also on Facebook and Twitter, of course) and pick out the camera bag of her (or his) choice.
Sound good? I’ll start. I am not a photographer but I love to take photos in order to capture brief moments like that photo of Isabel above. She’s gorgeous, I know but what matters is that I captured her in her element, having a good time. I hate taking posed shots but instead I use my 50 mm to catch you being you. Getting you mid-sentence or laughing as if no one is watching is seeing you at your most authentic. I like seeing people when they’re real even if the moments are fleeting.
Now your turn. Good luck!
286 Comments
It’s really difficult for me to describe why I love photography, I’m not at all good with words. A picture (or a thousand) is all I need. Maybe it’s the sense of satisfaction of creating something beautiful. Maybe I don’t even know why I love photography, but I know I live photography. It’s like breathing for me, I could no more live without photography than I could without breathing. Whether I am actually shooting or simply planning a shoot or online researching different techniques or reading equipment reviews, it just consumes my every waking moment. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I love capturing moments – still in time – that would otherwise fade with memory. I am so thankful for the age of digital cameras and the thousands of pictures I have of my children so far. I know that one day I won’t remember each and every one of the memories I’ve captured with my camera!
I’m not sure I can accurately express why I love photography – but a really good photo can evoke such a reaction in me…and I’m always striving to take that one really good photo. It is a hobby now and a skill that I want to get better at.
Why do I love photography? It’s my family.
My grandfather bought me my first camera when I was six. I had no brothers or sisters and my dad was in the army. We moved, a lot. It was hard to change schools, leave friends and find a new neighbourhood but I had my camera. It gave me self-confidence, made me feel like I’d keep those memories with me. It helps me crawl out of my one woman cave and see the world like nothing else can. I’ve lugged my camera from one end of the world to home and back and always have it by my side.
I had a serious eye disease about five years ago and had to have my eyes bandaged for a week… I could see all the pictures in my head that I hadn’t taken. You know, those once in a lifetime shots you dream of, your child’s wedding, grandchild’s birth, a sunset over the African desert. I swore once the bandages came off, the camera wouldn’t ever be out of my hand.
Photography will always be my way of seeing the world around me, no matter how big or small it ends up being.
I love capturing the world around me and creating memories. I’ve loved taking pictures for most of my life – starting with my Polaroid that I got when I was 14 years old up to now, at age 41, when I’ve bought myself my very first DSLR. An Epiphanie bag would be the cherry on top of my photography experience.
There are so many reasons why I love photography! But, the ultimate reason why I love photography is that when you see a photograph someone has taken, you get to see their point of view. Photography enables us all to freeze in time the brief moments we have on this earth. It’s a great part of the legacy we leave behind for our children and culture.
Photos capture a moment forever. Every time you see that photo you remember that moment and photography can make even the simplest thing seem beautiful.
What mamma is not a multi-tasker? I am, and that’s why I love photography. I get beautiful shots of my growing littles and life around us, and have my very own outlet for creativity! So wonderful!
I love photography because it allows me to express myself and let others see the world through my eyes! I also love being able to freeze a moment in time.
You ask why do I love photography…well the reason I love it because it holds in place that moment that you can never get back…for example that very second you just had, you can never get it back…just like the picture of my kids being born…will only happen once, the day the couple kissed at the altar during their wedding ceremony, the day my kids stood up in their cribs, the last smile my grandmother had and a few days later she passed away…you get the picture! No pun intended.
I enjoy holding still those moments for other people…and is it weird to put the camera on a tripod and take a picture of yourself looking out in the vastness of the ocean and think…wow, will this ever happen again that I will be standing in the same place, looking out at this ocean tomorrow? I may not have tomorrow. Photography for me tells those stories that will never come to pass again. That’s why I love it.
I love photography because I love to capture the light – those magical split seconds in time that pass unnoticed unless they are captured by the click of a shutter.
I love photography. I love being able to create. I love capturing a moment in time that produces memories forever.
Happy Birthday! My birthday was on Tuesday so we both had fun reasons to celebrate this week! I love photography because I am able to capture the little (and big!) moments of my children’s lives. They grow so fast and I want to always remember these special moments.
Why do I love photography? I love capturing the fleeting moments. I have these 2 beautiful small children that are growing up so quickly, and I want to remember every moment. Everytime I turn around, they are growing and changing. I have to be able to capture their youth in some way. Every photo shows how full of life they are, how innocent they are, and how loving they are. It really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Why I love photography….you ask? Well, I love capturing the smiles and moments of my family. I love making it my own piece of art and allowing my heart to show in each jpeg. Life …loving and living it, I just love capturing that moment in my family’s eyes that express how they feel at that very moment. I love capturing that moment in history.
I love photography because it allows me to see and share the beauty in life. I love that everytime I have a shoot I get over-come with excitment, I love how a picture can take my breath away and bring me to tears, I love that I am able to capture life just as it is…beautiful!
Photography makes my mundane beautiful, the little details pop and everyday life transformed into artwork. i love photography because through it i see the world thru a new set of eyes.
I love photography because I think it often makes people feel loved, special, cherished, and beautiful. I think it brings out who people truly are in a way that is often missed or overlooked. I also love the way that it documents the different ways people (and myself) view the world; what they see, what they feel is important, and the things that are most beautiful and meaningful to them. Five people can take a picture of the same object, and each image will be unique and different.
I love photography because once in a while I get that amazing photo! The rest make good memories but one in a 1000 makes me stop and remember WHY I do this hobby. And because I have almost no pictures from when I was a kid. I don’t want that to happen to my kid. Oops, that’s two reasons!
I would first like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Since this post was on the 27th… was this your golden birthday? Did you turn 27 on the 27th!? If so, HAPPY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!!! YOU MADE IT!
I hope you had a grand celebration!
Now, for why I love photography…
I love photography because it gives me the opportunity to capture life in a way that most people may not notice. Photography emphasizes what is important in life. Photography can build the relationships of families and friends. I love how each picture can carry a totally different meaning for every individual. It is amazing how something so simple can create such genuine reactions. I will grow old with photography
I love photography because photography loves me. It sees me in a way that I have never seen myself before. Photography allows me to say what I have never been able to speak and to see what I have never been able to view. It tickles my imagination and it loves to tease me till I want more. I love photography because photography loves me.
I love photography because it is teaching me – a little bit more every day – how to really SEE my son… not just look at him.
Growing up I’ve always had a love of photos. I loved to get my picture taken and I loved to take pictures of anything and everything. Photography is who I am. It allows me to express my creative and artistic side. I love that photography allows you to capture a moment in time that lasts forever and is priceless. I can’t take enough photos of my daughter. Every moment of her little life I want to document and cherish forever. I would be elated if I won the Epiphanie bag. I’m getting ready to be a SAHM and take my photography business to the next level, and this would be the best gift ever.
Photography captures my thoughts, my emotions, my fears and my creative mind. It captures the essence, the emotion and the moment of passing time that is often times taken for granted. Photography is a reflection of who I am, who I want to be and who I’ll become- because it’s an extension of me.
Photography allows me to use my creative side….I work with numbers all day and it is the perfect balance. Capturing the beauty that nature has creative is my passion…that and my pups!
I love photography because it allows me to stop time for an instant. With a simple “click”, I can create tangible image from an intangible experience- a fleeting emotion, a new perspective, breathtaking beauty, a haunting moment, or simply something that words cannot do justice.
Photography, I think it’s in my blood. My father used to work for a newspaper, back in the days of film and dark rooms. I loved seeing the amazing events and people he captured. It’s art, the only form of art I can do. I love taking a picture and seeing it look as good as I remember the actual sight being. It’s little girls smiling and giggling, doing the things that little girls to captured forever when they have grown and gone. Tracking a lifetime and seeing the changes that occur. That is why I love photography.
I love photography because I get to put up beautiful photos on my walls of my grand kids!
I love photography because it can put up photos of my grand kids!
It didn’t let me enter my comment the first time, or at least it’s what the computer said, so hopefully this isn’t a duplicate if it is I’m sorry!
I love photography because it teaches you to see. Even if your camera is not on hand, you can savor that expression on a face, a shaft of light through a curtain, a cloud reflected on a building of glass, the colors of a bowl of chili peppers. Of course if you have your camera and can capture that moment and share your vision with others…well, it doesn’t get better than that!
I was never really interested in photography until I had my son. He is my only child, as of right now, hopefully at least one more will be in my future. Anyways, the day he was born changed my life in so many wonderful ways. One of those ways was photography. I could not go anywhere with out a camera! I wanted to capture every moment of his existance! And then my obsession started to grow. I booked his newborn session, 3 & 6 month sessions and with each session my desire to take my own pictures grew and grew. I didn’t realize how fast time really did fly by until I was seeing my baby grow right before my days every day. And that made me reflect on the rest of my life and I decided I wanted to capture as much “life” as possible. I’ve upgraded my camera 2 times in the past few months and read up on photography every single day. Now that I’ve invested in a decent camera I really want to find a new home for it! I love the Epiphanie bags!
I love photography and scrapbooking. Both go hand in hand to capture the special moments in our lives and to preserve them for the years to come in an artistic way.
I love photography because it allows you to capture moments that last forever and there is always something new to learn!
I’ve always loved photography – when I was younger it was about looking cool with a nice camera. I had no clue what I was doing, no idea of the real reason I should be clicking that shutter button. Fast forward to today – I’m 29 years old and my middle son turns 5 today!
Why does that matter? Cause I have forgotten. I’ve forgotten about the little wrinkles, the delicateness of his baby fingers, his bald little head. I know how easy it is to forget but how amazing it is to sit and look through all the photos and the sounds, the smells, the giggling little voices all come flooding back to me. That’s why I love photography – the camera never forgets!
I love it because there’s always something new to learn — especially from the photographers who inspire me!
Honestly the reason I love photography is because of the stories and memories it captures. When you stand on the top of a mountain, you skin begins to tingle, and your heart takes a breath. That moment of aw is what photography allows me to keep forever. When I photograph a wedding, and you just witness a bride and groom tearing up hugging over their first meet, its unbelievable. Photography allows me to save that moment forever. Photography for me is forever.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Pauline Karwowski and kakaty, Heather Barmore. Heather Barmore said: I'm giving away an Epiphanie Bag (@epiphaniebags). I love mine so you should get one too. http://ow.ly/30bAR [...]