Mom and Dad, circa 1972

Pictures are worth a thousand words. How many times have you heard that cliché? Speaking as one of the select San Antonio wedding photographers, I am here to tell you that pictures ARE worth a thousand words!

My mom passed away when I was barely 21-years-old. Immediately, my sister and I began looking for photos. They became valued possessions… treasured commodities… family heirlooms. They became something we did not have a lot of. All in all, we might have 25 pictures of my mom as an adult. And thanks to family, we might have just as many of her in her childhood. Now, as the years pass by and the older we get, we only have a few tangible photos to help hold our memories together.

I had never seen this picture of my mom and dad until after she had passed away. I am very thankful that someone had a camera with them and happened to snap a photo of my parents hunting, or target shooting, or killing snapping turtles, or whatever it is that they were up to. I wished this person has spent more time following my parents around snapping photos.

To ensure you always have an ample picture supply, take your camera with you everywhere. As convenient as your camera phone is, don’t rely on it to capture your special memories; take a real camera. Plan for these photographs to be in your family for a long time. Plan for them to be in your family long after you are gone. You don’t have to be a professional, but at least use a piece of equipment that will not disappoint you at the photo lab. No matter what type of camera you have, learn it. If your camera has multiple settings, learn what those settings do. The more often you can operate your camera out of the “auto” mode, the better your pictures will be.

More often than not, a picture will document a memory we would have otherwise forgotten. Pictures are memories. Pictures are valuable and treasured. Pictures are family heirlooms. Give your pictures the respect they deserve. After all, they ARE worth a thousand words and once the photo opportunity is passed, there is no getting it back.

I am a San Antonio-based wedding and senior photographer who started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. As one of the up-and-coming San Antonio wedding photographers, I am also available to shoot in Austin, Houston and Dallas and the surrounding areas. I am also available for destination weddings worldwide. Ata-Girl Photography Co. offers an amazing wedding photography service that you won’t soon forget.  As professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide you the absolute best photography experience.

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, Preserving Family History: Pictures are Worth 1,000 Words, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.