Aquarium Day – Kitsap Documentary Family Photographer

May’s installment of the Here & Now project was a healthy lesson in documenting for the sake of documenting.  My mother was in town over her birthday and we decided to make a trip into Seattle. We’d take my son to the aquarium and then head to the Starbucks Roastery.

It was a pretty great day. My son enjoyed the aquarium, flitting from one exhibit quickly to the next while referencing the map, as if he were racing to check off a list.  I think he only ever willingly paused at the Octopus tank.  Otherwise he was off to the next exhibit just as soon has he set eyes on whatever sea life was right in front of him. But he still talks about going back so it must have left some sort of impression, right?

But in the midst of a fun little day, I decided to document just to document so that I could be totally present. Sometimes that is still the most important thing.  Sometimes it shouldn’t be about fleshing out a visual story, or about striving for portfolio worthy photos at every opportunity.  Every now and again it’s about snapshots. Because those are so important to take in addition to the frames we print for our walls or show off on our websites.

They won’t impress the pants off your friends. But they will still serve as a reminder of time and place.  And if you allow yourself room for snapshots you also give yourself space to enjoy a trip to the aquarium (or whatever your experience might be) in a more conscious and connected way.