For the holidays this year I’m staying put. No flights, no long drives, just me in the big city. This year I’ll be spending Christmas with friends, but with the wonders of the interwebs, it seems this year, my family isn’t really so far away at all.

This whole ‘being without family thing’ got me thinking about making memories and how important it really is to take photos. Over the years, and for various reasons, I’ve made digital scans of old photos (’cause, you know, back in the day we had a thing called film in our cameras). Today, I thought I’d share them here with you and for my family, because what better way to be together in spirit than to remember the times we’ve had with one another? And because this year, my family is all apart. My brothers and sister are with their in-laws, my dad is camping on the beach in California, my mom is staying warm in Florida and me- well I’m sittin’ tight in the great borough of Brooklyn!

These photos have reminded me why my job as a wedding photographer gives me such a strong sense of purpose. Remembering who we were and what times were like, how we felt on a particular day or what fantastic or terrible fashion statements we made. Like a scent can unlock a whole wave of memories, so can an image. Photographs are triggers for our memory whether it be personal or historical or both. Photographs are a part of who we are. But then you didn’t need me to tell you that, just note the one in your pocket that’s attached to your phone.

To everyone this Christmas, weather you’re alone or with family or friends, grab your camera, make sure the battery is charged, and take some photos. Even if you only snap even one image. It’s worth it. It’s the end of another year and your life is happening don’t forget to remember it!

Merry Christmas!

<3 Katie