2023 Wrap-Up

Reflecting on this year feels different. The past three years have been a whirlwind, especially with the challenges the pandemic brought. It made sharing my work—a source of joy—quite a task, confined only to those I captured in the frames. Social media, both personally and professionally, became a bit of a maze during this time.

This year, I hesitated to create another wrap-up post. It was a year unlike any other, marked by myriad reasons to forego this reflective tradition. The foremost among them was losing my best friend—my confidant in photography, Disney, memes, and late-night texts. The daily struggle with grief, coexisting with the joy of capturing weddings, has been a significant learning curve.

Every session and wedding since their departure has been a rollercoaster. The absence of positive reinforcement in the group chat during the drive to a venue, the missing screenshots of random songs, the traffic rants, and weather complaints—there was no one to share these moments with. Even the post-wedding quirks like complaining about the surplus of photos or color adjustments lacked their familiar audience. Yet, amid this, I began to discover solace within grief.

Every moment of these photos echoes memories of my friend, reminding me why I’m here—to capture every detail, ensuring no memory fades away. Initially daunting, revisiting and selecting ‘favorites’ seemed an impossible task tangled with grief.

However, as I began sifting through a few weddings, I realized I was choosing pure joy. Each image resonates with an indescribable peace and happiness within me. These images might not boast technical prowess or have the perfect edits, but they embody something deeper—the essence of preserving cherished moments.

Losing my friend emphasized the fragility of every single moment and memory we share. It taught me the urgency of capturing these fragments. Everything falls apart when you lose someone close to you, I cling onto the fragments I have of him.

I regret not taking more pictures in these past years, not snapping selfies or taking silly pictures with imperfections and all. It’s made me understand the importance of having someone there to capture these fleeting moments for us, someone with a critical eye for memories who won’t focus on keeping out the imperfect. As I look through photos with him, I don’t see ANY of those imperfections I was worried about, I see incredible memories I can forever look back onto.

So, hire the photographer. Take the picture. Memories may fade, but a photo preserves them eternally.

Extra special thanks to anyone who let me into their lives this year. You have helped me realize how healing joy is, the space you have given me in grief and in joy has been so healing. Words cannot fully express how thankful I am to each and every one of you.