Our story of why documenting life is important starts with Chicago, our family’s Husky. Well, Chicago was Ruth’s Husky. A rescue dog that, obviously mistreated in her previous life, was always wary of my presence. Still, every day she was with us proved that she was a kinda, beautiful soul and was the best friend to my wife.
In the almost 15 years she lived with us, we had many adventures, mostly as we chased her down the street after she’d dug full-size railway sleepers out of the ground and escaped, but then also some fantastical tales like the day we went to the beach.
With Kodak Ektar loaded in my old Nikon, I got to documenting the day, just as I often do. That day was magic. The sun was out, and our family strolled aimlessly gentle waves in the rock pools. There was no time like that moment. Life was easy, calm, and peaceful. Temps were high and our pastey skin glowed in the sun but the impeccably clear blue water begged us to dive in. We obliged and our dogs couldn’t believe how great their day was. Time with their people, frolicking in the water, not a care in the world.
Our stubborn, free-spirited husky dog grinned ear to ear as evidence of her age started to show. The decline came fast. Subtle weakness gave way to the irreversible, the inevitable. Not a full day later, we were at the vet. And then, in that cold, sterile, far-too-bright room, we held our Chicago as she drifted away. In true Chicago style, she smiled the whole time, letting us know she was ready. We knew, despite being one of the hardest moments in our lives, she was love, she loved us, and she appreciated all that we could do for her.
But we have the photographs and proof of why documenting life is important. Not because we are predicting an end but to show that we are alive. That we exist. Because this happened two years ago, and on any day, I can relive those moments in the ocean with our Husky dog.
I was trying to capture nothing more than the fleeting joy of a summer day. And isn’t that the point? The quiet moments, the ones that don’t scream their importance at you in the moment, are the ones that will matter later.
We often take pictures of the big things; birthdays, weddings, graduations, and the like. But the weight of life is in the in-between. The unremarkable breakfasts. The light catching the steam off a coffee cup. The way your kid lines up their shoes at the door. The way your dog watches you move through the house, as if you’re the sun and the moon wrapped into one.
So how do you document your life?
Here are six simple ways to practice documenting your life—because knowing why documenting life is important is only half the story; doing it is what matters.
1) Keep Your Camera Out and Ready
A camera tucked away in a cupboard is a camera you’ll never use. Keep it within arm’s reach. Keep it loaded, whether that’s with film or a fresh memory card. Reduce the friction between you and the image. If you have to think about where it is, the moment is already gone.
2) Set Yourself Mini Challenges
Give yourself something to search for. Find how many different types of light you can photograph in a day—beams, reflections, hard shadows, soft glows. Or shoot a series of numbers you see in the world. The point isn’t the subject; it’s training your eye to notice what it normally would overlook.
(side note: Loop Members receive their own newsletter that often includes challenges and photo tasks. Sign up if that sounds wonderful to you, too)
3) Find Meaning in the Unrelated
Not everything in your daily life is obviously connected, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t part of your story. That crumpled coffee receipt, that half-eaten apple, that overgrown fence—it all says something about you, today, in this moment. Photograph first, decipher later.
One of my favourite movies is “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” in which they talk about writing a mystery story. Sometimes the clues are there all along. Your job is to make sure you include clues in your own story.
4) Shoot the Same Thing Three Ways
A scene isn’t just one image. Pull back for the wide shot, the establishing frame. Get mid-range, where the action happens. Then get in close—details, texture, the shot that tells the most intimate part of the story. This simple approach transforms a mundane moment into a full narrative.
Think, photo of the entire kitchen, the coffee on the bench and the spilled coffee grinds next to the cup. Tell the story of the morning rush, or calm.
5) Set Creative Limits
Constraints breed creativity. Use only one focal length for the day. Limit yourself to ten frames total, forcing you to be intentional. Remove options to heighten your awareness of what’s in front of you.
So this one, this one improved my own photography beyond my expectations. I have a camera that doesn’t shoot colour, can’t change the focal length and it’s easily my favourite camera for documenting my world. It’s limits are what makes it so good. It changes the way I move through a scene, both physically and mentally. Like we mentioned earlier, put less between you and the photograph. In this case, it’s choice. Do you have a 50mm lens? How would you shoot if you could only shoot 24 frames?
6) Take Your Camera Everywhere—Yes, Everywhere
Grocery store? Yes. Gas station? Yes. Walking to the mailbox? Absolutely. The everyday is where life happens. The moments you don’t think to document now are the ones you’ll wish you had later.
Ok, so you might have your phone on you everywhere but I say, if you have a proper camera, you’re going to shoot different photos on that than a phone. Not to discount the phone camera tech, but when you hold a camera, you see differently, and of course make different photographs. Take ya camera with you everywhere.
Conclusion
In the end, we don’t look back at the pristine photographs. We cherish the ones that we feel as much as we see. When we look at photographs of days gone by and those small, seemingly insignificant moments, and a flurry of memories flood back in. When we can feel the warm sun beam down on us as our family spends one last perfect day with our Husky. We can feel water splash at our feet, or isles of supermarkets and silly jokes shared between husband & wife.
Life is full of memories and photographs, made in the moment, are great triggers for all the feels to come back to our minds. Document your life.
Beautiful. This also made me cry.
It hits hard, huh. Sorry Leah.
The hardest part of living with a dog. I look at my two, and although they are both young (ish) I bring the experience of losing 4 other beautiful souls in the last 3 years. I want to hold onto them forever
Great discussion- really enjoyed the tips, particularly the part about working within constraints- sometimes that’s when the coolest stuff happens 🙂
Oh, constraints are the best for creativity, man. One lens, one film stock, whatever it is, let it help you create differently.
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