How many of you have shoe boxes full of old photos tucked away in a closet somewhere in your house?  I know I do.  We pull them out sometimes and go through the stacks with our kids.  They love seeing themselves as babies and seeing Mom and Dad back when we were young.  The hairstyles.  The clothes.  Good times.

My intent is not to knock photographs.  They are special and unique in their own way.  That being said, I prefer video over photographs to preserve my memories.  It’s nice to look at a photograph of loved ones.  Take, for instance, my Grammy pictured here, who passed away in 2005.

She looks like any other Grammy in this photo, right?  It’s a bit dark and shaded, so you can’t make out her features all that much.  It was taken at my wedding in 2001.  Seeing this brings back a fond memory and makes me smile.

Now watch this video.  It’s super quick, just 26 seconds.

I recently found these clips of Grammy from 2002 at our baby shower.  My sister took the time to interview everyone in attendance.  THAT is my Grammy.  Her voice.  Her small smirk after she says “Well, she says she’s having a girl”.  Her saying “I don’t give advices” has become an epic quote in our family.

Wow!  Beyond just a photograph, seeing the video invokes a much deeper feeling of nostalgia.  I found myself holding my breath as a watched and my heart began to hurt a bit.  I miss my Grammy and love seeing her smirk and hearing her voice.

Photographs are great.  Videos are… deeper… more powerful… more REAL.

Video cameras are so accessible these days, most of us have them right inside our smart phones.  I encourage you to start capturing moments, both small and large, on video.  You will cherish being able to see and hear your loved ones long after they have passed on.  I know I do.

Tweet