“I think I’m falling in love again,” I told my wife. I wasn’t talking about her, but she was happy anyway.

After several months without touching my camera, I was taking photos of my sister’s wedding and loving every second of it. I didn’t choose to fall out of photography, but the limitations of my camera were holding me back. I was able to borrow a camera for my sister’s wedding, and the results were thrilling.

Years ago I was on a trip to Greece and Turkey when the outer glass fell out of my camera’s lens. It thankfully landed safely and was able to be screwed back in the lens, but the camera has never operated the same. Each month I’d use it, I’d notice more and more flaws in the photographs. Changing lenses helped a little, but it was clear there was a fundamental problem with the device that made photography much less enjoyable. What was the point of capturing a pristine blue sky if it turned out gritty on the computer screen and when printed?

I served as a behind-the-scenes photographer for my sister’s wedding. As a groomsman, I couldn’t take photos during the ceremony, of course. Really, that’s the best way to be a wedding photographer because it’s a low pressure. I don’t have to worry about photographing the bride and groom all dressed up. Instead, I’m taking photos of my sister getting her hair done, the bouquets up on the altar, and the rings with a beautiful stained glass window in the background. I had free reign to wander wherever I wanted and snap artistic photos of anything, and I loved it.

There’s something wonderful and terrifying about photographing important milestones in someone’s life. I’ve been the only wedding photographer a few times and loved the opportunity to capture moments in time that the bride, groom, friends, and family hope to never forget. Sometimes I forget that an image I’ve captured will live on beyond my Photoshop screen. Photo books are made, canvas prints are hung, and memories are cherished with each viewing. Photography is pretty powerful.

I was reminded just how important photography was twice this weekend. Obviously my sister’s wedding allowed me to reminisce on just how much I love photography, but another event reminded me of how important captured images are to people. One of my previous jobs gave me the opportunity to take headshot photographs of various sports teams. A lot of the guys would update their Facebook and Twitter profiles with the pictures, and you’d see the occasional embarrassing comment from their moms about how proud they are of their college kids and how they’re making dreams come true. When I heard of the recent death of one of those young men, curiosity lead me to a newspaper’s obituary page where I discovered the photo his family chose to remember him by was the one I snapped of him in his football jersey.

Sometimes photos take on new meaning. I wasn’t taking his photo that day for an obituary; I was taking his photo for the football roster to be used online and in their printed program. Someone, likely his parents, decided it was an appropriate photo to remember him by. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to provide them with that moment. I had certainly taken for granted the value of photography and feel genuinely changed knowing one of my photographs was used to celebrate a life cut too short. It was so easily lost on me the importance of photography, and I’m glad that sense has been renewed.

So I’m falling in love with photography again. Sera agreed that my birthday present this year would be a new camera to replace my malfunctioning beast, so once we’re settled into our new home, I’ll be making that exciting purchase and reigniting my photography flame. I know my wife is eager to have me grab my camera and go somewhere, anywhere, to capture memories and show them for the world to see, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to steal moments in time to be forever remembered.

 

Rochester resident Matt Knutson is the communications and events director for United Way of Olmsted County.