“The present moment is the only moment in which anything happens.” – Thomas Merton
There was a wonderful, warm spirit in the air as we gathered in the church for the wedding rehearsal.
When our time together drew to a close, I sought out the photographer to make sure we were all dialed in. Within the first 30 seconds, things went south – quickly.
It all began when she made a declarative statement: “I will need to position myself right there…and, in fact, I’m going to need you to move out of the way because you’ll be blocking my shot.”
“Right there?”
Literally, right behind me!
As you might imagine, I have navigated many event photographers. I have family members and friends who are professional photographers, so I have a deep respect for their craft. The challenge comes when the photographer’s desire to capture the perfect picture seems to supersede the actual occasion.
And it makes me wonder, particularly in our ever-increasing social media world, if capturing the ‘perfect shot’ and posting it has sometimes become more important than actually experiencing the moment.
Have we become so focused on capturing the moment that we have forgotten to embrace it?
There is something sacred about being fully present – to put down the phone, step away from the camera, stop thinking about how the moment will look in a photograph or social media, and simply be there.
Because some moments are not meant to be captured…they are meant to be lived.
Perhaps the irony is that the moments we are most desperate to preserve are often the very moments we risk missing because we are so busy trying to preserve them. There is a difference between remembering a moment and being present for it.
And sometimes, the most beautiful picture is the one we never take.
BP