By John ‘Dare Okafor
Taking pictures are magical moments, not conjure with incantations or gimmicks, but just by you taking a pose.
Dupe was a National Diploma student of a reputable polytechnic in Nigeria. Throughout her two years of studying a particular course, she never deemed it fit to take pictures, but considered it as a waste of time, and those who indulge in them unserious with life. After the completion of the diploma course, she packed her luggage home, her family were elated to see her. After she settled down, she began the narration of some of her experiences while on campus as an undergraduate. When she was asked of pictures, to at least bring these abstract experiences into life, she couldn’t find any (not even on her smart phone), but only that of her matriculation, which her family were present to attend. At that point, she made a pledge to always create memories by taking more pictures in future.
We live in an age dominated by pictures. Technology has made it easy now for everyone with a smart phone to be a potential photographer of themselves, and of others. There are categories of people with a phobia of being photographed. It always seem as if you are taking them to a slaughter house whenever you invite them to take pictures. Scopophobia refers to the fear of being looked out, and Eisoptrophobia is the fear of seeing one’s own reflection.
Categories of Picture Haters
This article is not majorly for those with these phobias, who have to undergo a ‘photo-healing therapy’ through a hypnotherapist, but mainly for those who just decided that taking pictures is vain. There are people with issues of self-esteem, family background, or general view of pictures as a waste of time.
1). Those that have to do with self- esteem would always find everything wrong with their pictures, and how they don’t look beautiful in comparison to that of other, and they most often feel hurt about that. Even with the technological apps that can help them look more beautiful, they still don’t find themselves worthy to be in the camera.
If you are in this category, you should realise that they are no ‘perfect faces’ for pictures, you shouldn’t be concern about the perception of other when they see your pictures, but of creating memories through them.
2) The category of those with the background for not taking pictures are not common, but they do exist. People in these categories rarely have pictures of themselves during childhood, and probably not have photographs framed on the walls of their houses. This may have a negative or positive effect on them, they can either grow up love taking pictures, or vice versa. If you are in this shoe, this is the more reasons why you should take pictures, capture the remaining moments of your life, most especially when they haven’t been captured in the past.
3) The last category are of those who find taking pictures generally unnecessary and boring. These set of people don’t always see the reasons why people should have to take pictures of themselves, or with others in the first place. They only take pictures once in a blue moon, when it’s necessary, during graduations, wedding, child’s birth, and that may be the end of them creating memories through pictures. Taking pictures are not a waste of time, or for special moments. Every moments you breathe through life and moment shared with others are important. Appreciate them while you freeze them into images through your camera.
Why We Should All Take Pictures
Some days back, I was going through files on my laptop, when I stumbled upon a folder I named—Memories. This is a folder where I kept past pictures of me, my family and friends. I marvelled at the rate of my growth, and procession through life, and also my facial changes! I started seeing pictures of the last four year, and subsequent years. I saw that of my family and old friends, the joy, laughter, and smiles that registered on their faces when we took those pictures. It felt magical, I was in the present, yet I was going back to the past, which sparked different nostalgic feelings, and also made me appreciate my journey through life. I then wonder of a situation where I don’t have the compilation of these pictures, or a situation where they are not taken at all. I will continue to compile these pictures, not for myself but for posterity sake.
Photos tilt your memories toward the good experiences you have had in the past. It is easier to recall bad times than good ones. Having snapshots of the latter keeps them vivid in our minds. Than writings, photographs are another easy way to record little moments that are precious but easily forgotten. When you have a family of your own, or if you currently have one, one of the best gifts you can give to your children is to take pictures of them at every growth stage of their lives. Their birth in the hospital, their vey first walk, their first day at school, their birthdays etc. If not anything, you owe them that, because they would only remember them through pictures.
At this period on social media, it has become a tradition for people to observe throwbacks of themselves on Thursdays. They post their past pictures on their various social media handles, and you see them laugh about how differently they have become compared to the past, they also, in a way, measure their growth, and also take cognizance of the people that had been in their lives at one point or the other. Have it ever occurred to you that they wouldn’t no throw back Thursdays if these people didn’t take pictures of themselves in the past, or have them taken with others.
Life they say is ephemeral, we all don’t last forever. That’s the more reasons why you have to create those happy memories now while you can. Freeze moments in your life with cameras, and have them saved properly for yourself, and posterity. Every moments in your life, good or bad shouldn’t be taken with a pinch of salt, but valued and appreciated because you won’t always live through them again.
