on recording

Early this week, I stopped in my favourite local coffee place, and treated myself to an iced coffee (my first ever -- where have I been all this time?) and a cakeball. (Aside:  every morning in Texas should start with an iced coffee and a cakeball.)  As I settled in to work, I looked up from my computer screen, and noticed the cupcakes on the counter waiting to be bought, backlit by the morning sun.  I happily realized that I had my camera with me, and I took the shot.

I've been thinking recently about why I took the shot -- what moves me to do so.  I mean, obviously I love taking photographs, and I love the technical aspect of trying to capture and manipulate light with my camera, but why do I record the moment?  Is it for me?  Is it for my daughter, for when I'm no longer here?  Is it for something else?

If you've been reading this site for a while, you know that I'm fascinated by journals, particularly art journals.  Yesterday, I came across this post, which pointed me to this artist's beautiful site, where she occasionally shares her journal pages.  I love that in addition to simple sketches of what's going on around her, she also tapes ephemera into her journals, representative of that moment.  Can you imagine coming across her beautiful journals years from now, and poring through them?

Anyway.

I guess I've always used my journals primarily as a way to express, with the actual recording being secondary; however, I'm becoming more and more intrigued by journaling as a way of archival -- to leave a footprint, I guess, long after I'm gone.

For those of you who journal -- why do you do it?

Song:  Thinking about you by Norah Jones