Purpose

It was enjoyable watching 5-10 minutes of tele late last night before going to sleep.

Was watching the last bit of legend of Bruce Lee on channel 8... one of the line that strike me a lot is when he says: 

"Learning and Doing must have a purpose...." 

"Without it, graduation is merely producing a certificate"

It is somehow the same as photography, it has to have a purpose.

To some, the purpose is purely to make money with the tool.

To others, the purpose is purely to record what is important to them.

To minority, the purpose is to preserve someone else memory for them....

Whatever the purpose, I do believe Photography without purpose is kinda having the sharpest pictures without a soul in it.

However, the questions remains... what sort of "soul" does it have? even if there is a purpose?

On the other side of the story....

My youngest son Ollie wasn't in the best mood yesterday as he was crying and cranky for the most of the early evening before going to sleep. Maybe he was too tired after a day of zoo with his brother? perhaps but we don't know.

I was playing with him at home and he was giggling while on my lap looking towards me... while I was very happy to see the gorgeous smiling face, deep down, I do feel sad... I was wondering how those moments can be captured and frozen in time for him so he will remember in 20 years time or perhaps after I am no longer with him? It is somehow impossible to find someone to capture the images for you all the time... 

For the longest time, I prefer to be at the back of the camera and taking the photos... but for once, I do feel like being taken as I know this is important for me...

I guess this is the "purpose" on the photography for me... memory fades too quickly and hopefully those photos last long enough....

Often I get asked, when is the best time to do photography for my little baby? well, my question then is what sort of memory do you like to preserve? is it the 5-8 days newborn stage, or the 3 months cute tummy time with the head lifting and smiling or the 6-7 months that they sit up? or perhaps when they started to walk? or anything in between. It is not about when to do them but it is a question of what memory you prefer to preserve?