“I Don’t Look At My Photos As Much As I Thought I Would”

I really thought I’d go back to my photos more.

That was the whole point in the beginning. To keep moments, to revisit them, to remember things properly. I imagined myself scrolling through old shots, picking favourites, maybe even printing a few.

But that rarely happens.

Most of my photos just sit there. Organised, backed up, and mostly untouched. Every now and then I scroll through them, but it’s quick. A few seconds per photo, then I move on. If you are having a hard time organizing your photos this article by Photography Life might help.

Even the ones I liked at the time don’t always feel the same anymore.

I think I enjoyed taking the photo more than actually having it.

There’s something about the moment. Noticing the light, framing it, deciding to shoot. That part feels real. The photo is just what’s left after.

This reminds me of something I wrote in Photographing Absence: Documenting the Void. In that article, I explored how capturing the absence, the empty spaces, or what’s not there can often be more telling than the subject you choose to focus on. It’s about shifting the attention from the obvious to what is usually ignored and how that changes the way you see everything.

And sometimes, what’s left is not as meaningful as I expected.

Now I’m more intentional with what I shoot.

If it’s not something I’d genuinely want to revisit, I pause. Sometimes I still take it. Sometimes I don’t.

Not every moment needs to be kept.

Some are better just experienced and left there.