The best photo you’ll never take
When we think about taking family photos, we usually picture the big moments: birthdays, graduations, vacations, weddings and holidays. Those milestones deserve to be remembered. But after years of helping families organize their photo collections, I’ve noticed something surprising. The photos people treasure most are often the ones no one planned to take. Those are the images that bring people back to that moment in time.
They are the ordinary moments that quietly become extraordinary with time. A grandmother rolling out pie dough in her kitchen. Grandpa reading the newspaper in his favorite chair. Dad grilling hamburgers while everyone laughs in the backyard. Children building a blanket fort in the living room or setting up a candy picnic. These weren’t special because of the occasion. They became special because they captured everyday life exactly as it was.
Years from now, your family won’t just wonder what you looked like. They’ll want to know how you lived. What was your kitchen like? What books sat on your shelves? Which chair did Grandpa always claim? What did the family dog do while everyone ate dinner? The background in today’s photos often becomes tomorrow’s history.
One of my favorite suggestions is to spend a single day photographing your ordinary life. Take pictures while dinner is being made, while someone is gardening, reading, baking or fixing something in the garage. Photograph the family home, the mailbox, the front porch, the neighborhood and even the view from your kitchen window. These images may not seem important today, but they provide priceless context for future generations.
Don’t forget to capture yourself as well. In many families, one person is always behind the camera, leaving surprisingly few photos that include them. Hand your phone to someone else, use the self-timer or prop it up to capture a candid family moment. Your loved ones will someday treasure seeing you in the story, not just telling it.
I often remind clients that preserving memories begins long before organizing them. It starts with noticing the moments that make up everyday life. This month, challenge yourself to take one photo that no one else would think to take. It just might become your family’s favorite picture someday.
Rhoda Gordon, a local Certified Photo Manager, is the owner of Sunflower Photo Solutions and the creator of DIG YOUR PHOTOS!™, a DIY photo organizing kit. For a decade, she has helped families and businesses sort, organize, digitize and back up their print and digital photo collections. Reach out if you need help with a project or photo gift. Discover more tips, tricks and how-tos on her YouTube channel, youtube.com/@digyourphotos, or visit sunflowerphotosolutions.com.
