Document Your Story With Photos: 5 Reasons Why It's Important

Why should you document your story with photos? Well, there's just something about a photograph, that evokes feelings of wonder, love, and admiration. How many times have we seen posts across social media of a weathered photograph from decades ago in which the poster is trying to locate the mysterious couple or relatives they may have? These are the types of social media posts that get shared over and over, ultimately going viral and sometimes making their way to the right family.

We all have that inner desire to know what happened to a certain couple or to try to understand a bit about who people are and what their story is, it's human nature. That same desire exists as we grow older and we want to learn more about those who came before us, we regret not asking more questions, and we regret not taking more pictures. This goes for both our personal lives and our professional lives. Wouldn't it be interesting for Jeff Bezo's family to have regular documentation in the way of photos or a scrapbook chronicling how Amazon started in his garage, with photos of the product layout and Jeff working away at the computer?



Digital storytelling and documenting your story with photos to both expand your business, chronicle important experiences, memorialize loved ones and create a lasting legacy for future generations is such an important aspect of both life and business. Here are 5 important reasons why you should document your story with photos.

Using Digital Storytelling in Your Personal Life

Document Your Story With Photos To Create Lasting Memories

As the years pass, children get older and our cherished loved ones leave us, having memories in the form of photos to look back on one of life's greatest gifts. Memories we hold in our minds can fade, but a picture of a beloved grandmother standing on her front porch surrounded by the things that made her house a home can bring us back to our childhood. In our mind's eye, we may remember the contours of her face and how her eyes brightened as she smiled, but a photo takes us right back to the sights, sounds, and smells of home.

If there's one thing you do for yourself, your children, and your legacy, be sure to document your story with photos. You may forget snippets here and there, but a photo will always reveal those moments in the past, we thought were lost forever. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for having the foresight to record these precious moments. And while it may not seem like they genuinely care right now, understand that in time, as they grow and mature, they will be forever grateful to you for documenting their family members; their history, through photographs.

Photos Allow Us to Remember Our Loved Ones As They Truly Were

With my photography, I capture the ups and downs of life, whether that's a photo of a new baby or family portraits with elders and grandchildren in tow. Life is full of ups and downs and it may feel counterintuitive to want to capture the hard times, but those are the moments that make up our stories and they are a part of our history. When we share the good and the bad with the world, we let them know that they're not alone.

As our kids grow up, as our loved ones pass on, the love we have for one another remains. This can be a difficult revelation for some, especially when there were disagreements or strained relationships, but when we share our stories, we remind not only others, but ourselves that underneath it all, and after the fact, when family members have passed on, their love remains. There is no judgment, no hard feelings, we're free to just experience and feel the love they've left behind.

Through photos, we see our loved ones as they were, in black and white, without our experiences with them, clouding our emotions. Documenting your story with photos and chronicling their lives through photos, lets you – and future generations – really see them as individual people separate from your experiences with them.

Sharing Your Story Through Photos Gives Your Children a Sense of Self

When we take photos of our children and our families, and our children go back to look at the images months or years later, it can solidify who they are as a person. Often, little ones don't remember every important moment, but photos can help them see that their grandparents – who they may not totally remember – were an engaged and special part of their lives.

As your children grow into adulthood, having those photos will be a cherished part of their lives, especially if they choose to start families of their own. Those special times capturing special moments will then become full family events with everyone huddled around a photo album or slideshow, reminiscing about those precious memories they shared with their family.

DOCUMENT YOUR STORY WITH PHOTOS IN YOUR BUSINESS

USE PHOTOS TO GROW AND EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS

As mentioned, storytelling is an important aspect of building trust and when you do it right, you can build a following for life. People will become invested in you as a person. They'll be interested in what's going on in your life when they feel as though they know you.

Photos can help draw your audience into the brand. When they see how you use your product or if you use images to promote your service, your offerings become more 'real' to them and they're better able to see how your business can fit their needs. Whether your images show your product or how your life – or the lives of your clients – are enhanced by the product or service you offer, digital documentation will stand the test of time.

YOU CAN BETTER CONNECT WITH OTHERS WHEN YOU DOCUMENT YOUR STORY WITH PHOTOS

In a time when many of us are forgoing the corporate world and starting our own online businesses, it is now more important than ever to connect with people and build relationships if we're to be successful in our endeavors. One easy way to do this is to use images to tell your story. This will bring help to personalize your business and lets potential clients or customers know that there's an actual human behind the brand you're trying to build.

People enjoy doing business with those they are familiar with so when you let potential clients and customers in, and see what's going on in your life or behind the scenes, they feel as though they know you. And, if someone feels they know the true you, they are more likely to trust you and your brand which puts you in a better position for gaining followers and ultimately business.

Now all that isn't to say that you need to share parts of your life under the guise of tricking people into liking you, quite the opposite. What is necessary is an ability to be vulnerable and show people the real you. Authenticity is key and storytelling through photos is one way to let the real you behind your brand, shine through.

DON'T FORGET TO GET IN THE PICTURE YOURSELF

Now, documenting your story through photos is important no matter your goal, but there is one crucial thing many mothers leave out of the equation. And that is you!! It's so easy to snap photos of our children or our parents, but where do you fit in the picture, literally and figuratively? Do you find yourself having to beg and plead for your partner to take your picture, and when they do get a photo of you, it's just all wrong? They've captured a wrinkled outfit or your closed eyes? It is so important for you to get in the picture as well, and what better way to do that than by having someone else take over and capture you and your family at their best?

Consider booking a photo session with a photographer who knows what it's like to be a mom, who sees the little things that others may miss, and can bring out the best in everyone through stunning photos that capture exactly who you are.