Why picking up a camera more can make your life better
How making photography part of your daily life practice can make you happier and more grateful.
I’ve been photographing families as my business for the last 17 years. I’ve always been drawn to the art form of taking photos of pretty things but what I never anticipated was how much photography could heal me. I had no idea how much of a gift photography could serve to myself and to those around me when used with intention. As I began teaching others about how to take pictures, I was surprised to see that others felt these gifts as well. It wasn’t just me!
I hope by the end of this article I can convince you that it is 1000% worth it to start picking up your camera more (even if you’re not good at it…. yet).
When I first began shooting with families, I wanted to make something pretty for people to remember their life by.
Over the years, I realized that creating photos for people was so.much.more than delivering something pretty...
It was actually this incredible process of going in to a stranger’s home, actively seeking what is beautiful with an observer’s eye and reflecting these things back to them… a perspective that can be harder to take when you’re the one in the middle of things.
When I started viewing my work as a photographer in this way - more intentional and co-collaborative - I got to really understand the art of observation. And the art of mindfulness that having a camera can facilitate (whether we are the ones behind or in front of the lens). It was such a powerful shift in my work. And people started to reply with more than just thank you, these are beautiful!
They would tell me how they cried tears of joy seeing themselves as a good parent for the first time through my eyes.
Or how having a day where they got to be fully present, made them see their partner or time with their children differently. That it allowed them the pause enough to consider working on their marriage again. Or have the realization they needed to reprioritize time with their family over work.
Doing this for others over the years, I started to wonder, could I use the camera to give myself these same gifts of presence, self-discovery and gratitude as I did for my clients?
And the answer was yes.
One of the first times I discovered this was years ago after I had just become a new mom and at the same time, lost my dad.
I wanted to remember everything wonderful about being alive so I impulsively booked a camper van trip to drive all around the PNW for 3 weeks with my husband, my 18 month old and my camera.
Day 2 of that trip, I’ll never forget sitting in the front passenger seat, my husband in the driver side with our daughter on his lap. We sat together in the van, in the rain, while she played with the steering wheel and talked to us in her little toddler gibberish. Holding the camera in my hands, I remember feeling so present in that moment. It was such an unfamiliar feeling to me at the time… it brought me to tears.
I spent the rest of that trip committed to documenting and feeling everything about it. Which itself was such an incredible experience. Because even though I had been a photographer for a decade at that point, I really hadn’t used the camera much in my own life. During those 3 weeks, I was blown away at how much just the act of having the camera in my hands alone connected me to each moment I was experiencing. After we got home, looking through all the pictures I took, I was flooded with so many feelings…
But at the bottom of it all was the stark epiphany that no matter what, I could never let myself forget the importance of being present in my life or staying connected with my family.
And I still pull those pictures out regularly every time I need to be reminded of that.
As the years went on, we had more children and experienced more hard life phases.
A pandemic.
An unexpected pregnancy.
Separating from my husband for almost 2 years.
And the countless days where I found myself on the brink of sanity trying to raise little people while running my business, all on very little sleep and feeling so incredibly lost.
There was one day I remember wanting to just scream at everyone around me to leave me the fuck alone but I had the wherewithal enough to know that I would feel supremely guilty afterward had I done so.
I used what little energy I had to hold my tongue and reach for my camera instead. I remember thinking, perhaps if I distract myself enough by taking pictures I’ll forget that I feel this way. To my surprise, I really did. And the more I did that over the years, the more I discovered that reaching for my camera when I was struggling with something was one of the most cathartic ways to deal with a lot of things. It allowed me to replace anger and depression with curiosity and expression. It made purpose out of my pain and honestly became a bit of a game for me.
When my kids would break something, instead of feeling frustrated I started to feel a rush of excitement thinking maybe this would be my next greatest piece of art!
One year there was a big wind storm that was supposed to blow through our town and I said to my husband, “Well, if the garden gets destroyed I’ll just make a photo project out of it.”
I also think about the years where my husband and I were in the thick of parenting 3 kids under 5 and we hadn’t had sex or a conversation in more months than I could remember… When that happens you start to lose touch with remembering that person is on your team and you sometimes start to even turn your tension and lack of sleep on each other.
Late one night, organizing hard drives, I came across old film photos of us together in our life before our children… with our old pets, in our old apartment, when we had nothing but we had everything… looking at those pictures brought me to my knees metaphorically. I wept so hard as I looked at them, remembering my husband as that person I deeply cared for. Reconnecting with him through those photos again as my friend.
Years of using photography in this way, it started to invite me to view everything that felt hard differently, even without a camera in my hands. The skills of noticing and mindfulness it taught me gave me just enough space to do a ton of actual inner work on myself and my nervous system. It changed me.
And the way I feel about looking through the pictures I’ve taken over the years… I don’t even have the time or the words to explain to you here all the lessons, self realizations, the gratitude, the creative joy looking through them has gifted me (you can count on these though as upcoming posts on my Substack).
The secret I’ve realized is that it isn’t just taking pictures of your life that’s important, but also making the time to regularly go through them over the years and use them as an anchor of self reflection.
Making the effort to take pictures isn’t just a gift to you but it can also be a gift to the people you love. Your children, your parents, your friends, your partner… one of the best ways to add joy to your life through photography is creating traditions with your loved ones around taking pictures and going through them together.
Talking about your memories and laughing together, asking each other questions, reminiscing...
To wrap this up in a nice little bow, here are some ways you can start to pull the camera out with more intention in your daily life (to feel these gifts of photography I’m talking about):
Whenever you see someone doing something you find beautiful or you have appreciation for, pull out your camera. Don’t tell the person to stop or pose them, just take a picture of them doing the thing that you feel gratitude for.
Whenever you feel anger, sadness, depression, boredom, frustration… with yourself or your life circumstances, pull out the camera and start looking for what is beautiful or interesting. Whether it makes sense to you or not. Whether it’s a ‘good picture’ or not.
If you’re with your kids and you feel overwhelmed with frustration, pull out your camera and make everyone get outside to play. Follow your kids around the yard, ask them questions, use your camera to play with them or take inventory of what’s beautiful. Ask your kids what can they find that is beautiful or interesting and invite them to help you take a picture of those things.
If you feel frustrated about your body, pull out your camera and a mirror and start taking pictures. Who cares if it feels awkward and weird, or the pictures turn out like shit. Get creative with it and say thank you as you take each photo, so you can start replacing shame about your body with gratitude.
If something isn’t turning out the way you want, turn it into a photo project! For example, if your beloved garden gets destroyed by a wind storm, document it looking like hell and what you do with it after. Let your kids play in it and take pictures! Or if you’re sad because you might have to move, start using your camera to document all the things you love about your house like one long good bye letter. Each time you take a picture, say to yourself, “Nothing lasts forever. Even if this is the last moment I get with this room, I’m so happy I got to experience this.”
Feeling frustrated about how messy your house is? Pull out your camera and photograph every corner before cleaning up. Push yourself to view every mess and pile of laundry with a creative eye. Say thank you each time you take a picture and feel gratitude that you have a home and small children to make it messy. One time a friend of mine said she got so sad looking around and realizing how clean her house was because her kids were all grown up and off to college. That stuck with me.
Use the camera to celebrate routines. For example, if you’ve been taking a walk every day on the same route, pick a day where the weather is going to be nice and bring your camera one day to document everything about it with intention. Look for all the things you love about it - the way the light hits the trees? The way the flowers look in a certain spot? The way your kids jump off the rocks at the end of a trail? The way your friend and you stop to admire a view every time you pass it? You don’t have to bring your camera every day, everywhere you go. Commit just once to photographing everything about that routine so that you have it to remember forever, set aside one morning or afternoon to celebrate it before you move onto a new routine.
Do you have a picture - taken by you or someone else - that made you see something or someone in your life differently? (maybe even yourself?)
I would be so happy if you helped me get a conversation started on this.
xo
Suzy
Ways to connect more with me:
I started a podcast finally! I would say this is for parents, photographers, anyone interested in all things growing and noticing.
I am starting to pick up my camera for daily life again. It's turned into a work tool over the years and I was feeling dreadfull when picking it up. I started to simplify. Put on one lens (35mm) with a Black Mist filter. Now it feels a bit more easefull, smaller, lighter.
But I still struggle with the "uselessness" of most random life sots. Recognizing that a shot "just for me" can be enough. I feel it should be bigger, more meaningful, more unique.
But that's a journey I am willing to go on.
This was great!