When I first got into photography, I did so because I witnessed the power it harnesses in capturing memories, documenting history and providing something tangible that can be handed down as a preserved moment in time that’s representative of the people in the image.

This was reinforced when my grandmother was falling deeper into her Alzheimer’s. Whenever I was in town to visit, sometimes she wouldn’t quite know who I was. She would talk about me as if I was someone else. But as I walked behind her as she made her way down the old hallway, past all the photos she captured over the years of our family, I noticed something that reinforced my love of photograph. She would stop and look at a photo and could tell you what time of day she took the picture, what was going on, who was in the picture and exactly where it was taken. She would stare at it for a few moments, almost reliving that moment she captured. She was remembering. Then, just like that, she’d be back on her journey down the hall. Not exactly knowing why she was going down the hall in the first place.

I didn’t intend for this little intro for Heather and Lydea’s portrait session to be deep. But looking over some of the photos from their day, it got me thinking to how all the images I take of families and friends over the years will bring back a memory to be relived. Like Lydea riding the bike by herself for the first time and Heather celebrating that moment with her daughter. Or the two standing in awe of the power of water flowing through the Post Falls Dam. It could be a moment of wonderment as they look back on Lydea spinning on the merry-go-round just as happy as could be, as I was trying not to feel sick while looking through the viewfinder of my camera and spinning with her.

Memories are what we live for. It’s what gives us history and stories to tell. Memories are our legacy. And I’m blessed with the ability and opportunity to document them.