Vics Blog

I’ve been searching the recollection files in my head trying to conjure up an appropriate story that inspired a great photograph of Christmas. Surely it would have to be of my daughters opening their presents when they were little or watching my grandchildren open theirs. Maybe I could write and tell you of their utter elation as they came down the stairs on Christmas morning and saw the packages that Santa had left them. Family dinners, Christmas trees , my mother’s birthday, blizzards; thousands of pictures and memories to choose from.
I wonder what it is about taking photos that’s so compelling? We push a shutter button, hear a small click and capture a unique moment in history that will NEVER be repeated. Years later, we view the image and remember everything that happened in that moment. The voices, the sounds and smells all come flooding back in memories so powerful that they can overwhelm our souls. It’s a magical and mysterious process and Christmas pictures can capture incredible images of beautiful things that we can share with other people for the rest of our lives.
During the Holidays, try to take images that capture emotions. The traditional way of taking a picture with everyone looking at the camera and saying “cheese” is fun but it doesn’t catch the truly unique moments that make our hearts go wow. Catch your kids asleep under the tree hugging new toys with wrapping paper scattered about. Watch their excitement as dad reads the “The Night Before Christmas” or helps them hang their stockings before bedtime. Get a picture of them watching television as the news gives the hourly Santa radar report. Have your camera on and at the ready. No time for flash warm ups and fiddling with exposure settings and focus. It’s all about point and shoot.
My most memorable Christmas picture is the one captured while living in Virginia many years ago. The image isn’t framed on my dresser or stashed away in a box in the basement. I can’t find it on the hard drive or in any photo album. Never the less, it’s tucked away in my heart for all time and is a sharp as the Christmas morning that I shot it twenty years ago. We had just been transferred from Topeka, KS to Roanoke VA. and we moved into our new house just two weeks before Christmas. My daughters had just left all of their friends and Amanda, the youngest, just wanted one gift from Santa; a kitten. A few days later we found the perfect little guy and picked him up in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Even though his lonely, lost meows echoed down the halls of the house we managed to keep the tiny feline hidden all night long. The next morning we wrapped him in a package and hid it under the tree. I remember watching the box as it started moving and the unforgettable look of pure joy on my daughter’s face as she untied the ribbon and Mittens popped his little head out for the first time. Click