how i became a photographer

it’s all thanks to my dad.

you see, as a child, i grew up with my dad documenting everything. and i mean ev-ery-thing. we had photos and videos (the silent, colored ones, of course. because, yes, i am that old.) of every single occasion, event, and activity. my dad took photos of trips, concerts, recitals, games, and graduations. but, he also took photos of little everyday things. dinners, playing outside, our cats, leaves, and just handing out at home.

without even saying a word about it, his love of photography seeped into my soul and osmosis-ically ( i made that up, but you get what i mean, right?)  inspired me to be just like him.

dadandme

yesterdayy was my dad’s birthday. i face-timed him as soon as i got home from work to wish him a happy birthday, and what was he doing? going through photos, of course! tons and tons and tons of photos. organizing and prioritizing, but mostly, i think, just enjoying looking back over the years.

it didn’t really hit me until today, as i thought about my dad’s birthday and seeing his love for his photos, that i got my love for everyday photography from him.

i was editing a photo i had taken on my way home this afternoon, thinking i might dedicate it to my dad and post it on instagram, when i made the connection.

i document it all. every little moment. every little feeling. beautiful things. regular things. whatever. i take photos of it all. of life. and i do it because i learned it all from watching my sweet souled dad. with nothing but his love for images + moments, i learned to slow down. to cherish the little things, especially the regular moments of life.

how i take photos  + how i share them and save them may be different today than my dad’s boxes and boxes of photos from the years past, but our purpose is the same: to capture and share and collect moments. to make every bit of life something special.

and that, my friends, is why i am a photographer.

happy birthday, dad! 

xoxo. liz. 

6 thoughts on “how i became a photographer

  1. I was just telling a friend about your blog last night when he mentioned someone he knows might visit Sweden. I was telling him what great photos you take and share here. That’s wonderful that you were exposed to photography through your dad. 🙂

    1. Thanks for sharing my blog with someone! How kind of you. 🙂 It’s a special bond we have.

  2. I loved watching Tom take photos. He seemed to sense that a “nothing” moment was going someplace kind of artistic. He was always there when the moment occurred.

    1. I just love the way you described my dad’s photography, Dania. Beautiful. And, by the way, I miss you so much. xoxo

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