Picture Perfect?

Here's another item for the list of things Our Trip has made me grateful for: Photography. Some days it doesn't even seem fair how many great pictures I get to take of my family and of this great country. Sunsets, smiles, mountains, beaches, historical buildings, animals. And I still can't capture it all.

We'll be driving down the road and there's this great mountain view and I'll go for the camera. Dan knows by now that I won't be satisfied with the photo because it's not 3-D or it's not panoramic. I just can't get it all in the same picture. It's just another example of "You just had to be there." It's okay though, because I still try for that perfect picture. And I think I'm lucky to get a lot of good ones.

I've always loved being behind the camera. I took classes in college and tested my skills in a couple newspapers. I even take plenty of pictures of the kids. But as with any hobby, I've just never been very good at keeping up with it. Sometimes I'll go months without picking up the camera. Or I'll take a day trip and forget the camera altogether. I even bragged a few times about my ability to pack so light that I could travel by plane without having to check any bags. But then I'd always leave my bulky camera behind. It was ridiculous because now I really wish I had more photos of San Francisco with Dan and Las Vegas with my girlfriends.

The other problem I have with pictures is keeping them all organized. Especially once everything went digital. Now instead of rolls of film in need of development, I have stacks of disks dating back to 2004, all needing to be printed or organized in some manner.

Having our own website has really helped these problems. It has actually forced me to document Our Trip in photos and organize them regularly. It's pretty easy for me and it's great for family and friends who like to keep up with our travels. Just days after we do something, they get to see it.

The very best part is that Abby and Carter will have all these photos when they're older. They may not remember everything we do. Hopefully, our photos will bring some of it back for them.