The First Time I Understood the Value of a Photograph

The First Time I Understood the Value of a Photograph | Kansas City Documentary Photographer

There’s a black and white photograph tucked away in a small wooden box on a shelf in my closet. It’s a little faded now, edges curled from time, but even after all these years, it still stops me in my tracks every time I see it.

I can remember the moment I first really looked at it — not just glanced at it, but looked. I was maybe 14 years old, shuffling through some old family albums on a quiet afternoon, when I stumbled on a black-and-white photo of my grandmother.

She was so young. It was unmistakably her, but she looked so different. Her clothes were smart and stylish, short shorts showing off long, shapely legs. Her dark hair shone in the summer sun, and her face was pristine. High cheek bones and a smooth brow, unlined by years and experiences. Her dark eyes sparked brightly. A cigarette hung casually from her fingers; she was clearly comfortable in her skin, unbothered by the thought of being photographed.

I sat there for a long time staring at that photo, as though it could somehow tell me all the stories I’d never heard — what she wanted from life, what it felt like to go from a fashion model to becoming a stepmother to two girls who had lost their mother, if she ever imagined she’d go on to birth nine other children, what her hopes and fears were on that day. It was the first time I realized that a photograph isn’t just a picture. It’s a time machine.

A Moment That Stuck With Me

At the time, my grandmother had already passed, and while I had many memories of her toward the end of her life, I didn’t really know her beyond her role as “Mawmaw.” But this photograph showed me something different. It gave me a glimpse of who she was before.

I remember asking my mom about the photo, and she sat down next to me, smiling as she shared little stories: how my grandmother had modeled for a famous designer, how she and my grandfather ran their accounting business out of the house he bought next door, how so many people fit into their roomy house in Oakcliff.

Suddenly, she wasn’t just my grandmother anymore — she was a young woman with a bright future, ambition, and talent, trading one exciting life for another, full of dreams and determination.

Why It Matters

I don’t think I fully understood the weight of that moment until much later. That little photo became my first lesson in why photography matters so much.

It’s easy to forget, in the whirlwind of life, that these moments are fleeting. When we’re caught up in the day-to-day, we don’t always realize that the ordinary moments — the quiet glances, the laughter, the way someone holds your hand — are the ones that make up a lifetime.

That photo of my grandmother wasn’t just proof of what she looked like one bright summer day long ago; it was proof of who she was — her personality, her youth, her story frozen in a single frame.

What I’ve Carried Into My Work

That memory has shaped how I approach photography ever since. When I photograph a couple on their wedding day, or a family laughing in a park, or even a newborn curled in their parents’ arms, I think about that little black-and-white photo in my closet.

I’m not just clicking a shutter. I’m preserving something irreplaceable.

I pay attention to the in-between moments — the way a groom wipes a tear when he thinks no one’s watching, the way a mother looks at her child when they’re giggling so hard they can’t catch their breath, the way grandparents squeeze each other’s hands after fifty years.

Those are the moments that your grandchildren will look at one day and say, “So that’s who they were.”

Why It Matters For You

When you book a photographer — whether it’s for your engagement, wedding, or family photos — you’re doing so much more than scheduling a session.

You’re creating a way for your future children or grandchildren to know you, to see the way you loved each other, to understand the story of your family.

Don’t wait for the perfect time or the perfect weight or the perfect circumstances. Life is happening right now, and these moments deserve to be remembered.

Even if you feel awkward in front of the camera (and so many people do!), it’s my job to help you feel comfortable, to find those quiet, authentic moments, and to give you photographs that will matter just as much fifty years from now as they do today.

An Invitation

I’d love to help you create those memories. Whether you’re planning a wedding, welcoming a new baby, or simply wanting to capture your family as you are right now — joyful, messy, real — I’m here to help you preserve this chapter of your story.

Reach out today to talk about what you’re dreaming of. Let’s make sure you have photographs that tell your story for generations to come.

And while you’re at it, I’d love to know:

What’s the most meaningful photo you own — and what story does it tell? Leave a comment below or send me a note. I’d love to hear your story.

XO,

Merry

Thanks for reading about the first time I understood the value of a photograph in Kansas City! Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Do you think I might be the right family photographer in Kansas City for you? Check my availability for your date - email me today (read: right this minute, friend! Dates go fast!)!

Want to peep some of my recent engagement sessions? Check out Chloe & Ethan’s gorgeous lakeside engagement at Lake Jacomo, or Megan & Josh’s energetic engagement at Sporting KC!